44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 21, 2023 10:00AM
- Mar/21/23 2:56:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to my colleague, we will not take any lessons from the party opposite. Its plan for seniors was to raise the age of retirement to 67. The first thing we did was to restore that back to 65. Unlike the party opposite, we have been investing in seniors by increasing their old age security and guaranteed income supplement. These are all measures the party opposed.
We have had the backs of seniors before, and we are going to continue to make sure we support seniors.
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- Mar/21/23 2:56:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years under the Prime Minister, Canadians have never been more indebted. Wasteful government spending has driven up the costs of heating, housing and food. We know that Canadians can no longer feed themselves because food banks are overwhelmed.
In fact, in a recent visit to a community food bank in my riding, I was shocked to see people lined up out the door to get food. On April 1, it is going to get worse because the completely tone-deaf Liberal government is going to increase the carbon tax.
When will the Prime Minister finally get out of the way so that we can fix what he broke?
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- Mar/21/23 2:57:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, it is Canadians who decide who is in government and not Conservative members of Parliament. However, let us be clear that 2.7 million fewer Canadians are in poverty today than when the Conservatives were in government.
When it comes to supporting Canadians, we have been there, whether it is supporting children with the Canada child benefit, supporting seniors with the guaranteed income supplement, increasing the GIS or old age security for those over 75 or the Canada workers benefit. In fact, when it comes to supporting food banks, our government has been there. We are there through the community support services recovery fund. We are going to be there for Canadians, and we are going to be there for the organizations—
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- Mar/21/23 2:58:01 p.m.
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The hon. member for Northumberland—Peterborough South.
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- Mar/21/23 2:58:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would sincerely invite this member to come down to the Food Share Food Bank in Cobourg, meet with these individuals and tell them that life has never been so good because that is just not true.
The truth of the matter is the Liberal government is as incompetent at fighting the affordability crisis as it is at climate change. It fails to meet every target. It continues to make life more and more expensive for Canadians.
When will the Prime Minister finally get out of the way so that we can fix what they broke?
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- Mar/21/23 2:58:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives are as worried as we are about how Canadians are doing, then they should explain why, every time we want to help Canadians who need it most, they vote against the measures that could truly help them.
For example, when we offered a $500 top-up to Canadians who are struggling to pay rent, the Conservatives voted against it; when we permanently got rid of federal interest on student loans, the Conservatives voted against it.
They should explain why they refuse to help Canadians during these difficult times.
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- Mar/21/23 2:59:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the ink on the health transfers agreement is not even dry and the federal government is already making cuts.
It has announced $82 million in cuts to health care funding, and half of those cuts will be made in Quebec. Ottawa is taking $41 million out of our health care system. The minister must know that all our health centres are in crisis. At this time, the ER in Lachine has been partly closed since February. In the Outaouais, the ER occupancy rate is at 200%.
How can anyone be so heartless as to make cuts to emergency rooms at this time?
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- Mar/21/23 2:59:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am certain that my colleague, like all members of the House, agree that in Canada we receive health care based on need and not on our ability to pay. The Canada Health Act is clear. In Canada, what gives us access to health care is our health card, not the privilege of being able to pay for health care or the inability to pay for it.
That is why we will continue to ensure that all Canadians can have access to free quality health care.
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- Mar/21/23 3:00:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what the federal government is doing is completely unacceptable. Quebec has not yet received one cent from the forced agreement on health transfers. On top of having to wait for the money to be budgeted in Ottawa, we now know the minister is already making cuts.
Not only is he barely meeting one-sixth of Quebec's emergency room needs, but, before the money is even paid out, he is taking $41 million away from us.
Is there anyone left on the other side of the House who is smart enough to understand that now is not the time to make cuts to health care?
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- Mar/21/23 3:01:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform my colleague that the Government of Quebec, Mr. Dubé and I are working together to ensure that, in Quebec as elsewhere in the country, access to essential diagnostics remains free.
There is an opportunity for the Quebec government to correct the situation and recover the money that has been cut, as is currently the case in British Columbia. We will work collaboratively to ensure that Government of Canada funding is used to guarantee that medically necessary care, including diagnostics, can be accessed free of charge in Quebec as well as across the country.
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- Mar/21/23 3:01:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government's April 1 planned tax hike on alcohol is no joke for Canadian craft brewers.
This buzzkilling tax would mean fewer jobs, fewer paycheques and higher beer prices for Canadians, who already pay some of the highest beer prices in the whole world. We can talk about hosing Canadians.
Will the government help our buds make more suds and freeze the April 1 escalator tax on alcohol, or will it continue its brew-ha-ha on job-killing, inflation-inducing tax hikes on Canadian craft brewers and consumers?
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- Mar/21/23 3:02:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, puns notwithstanding, we understand, and I understand as Minister of Tourism, the importance that the beer, wine and spirits industry brings to our communities, our microbreweries and our very ridings.
However, let us be serious about serious matters. This escalator has been in place for a long time. It is about tax fairness. What we are actually talking about is less than 1¢ per can of beer. That is what the federal amount is. Let us have the Conservatives talk about serious matters, and we will respond in a serious manner.
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- Mar/21/23 3:02:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years under the Liberal Prime Minister, it is no secret that times are tough for Canadians.
On April 1, our local breweries, distilleries, wineries and cideries will be hit with a 6.3% increase on the excise tax, the greatest increase in 40 years. Forty-six percent of the cost of a beer is already tax, and now the Liberals want Canadians to pay more.
Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for denying our hard-working Canadians an affordable drink and stop the tax increases?
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- Mar/21/23 3:03:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, look at the facts. We reduced and actually eliminated excise duty on low-alcohol beer effective July 1, 2022, which makes our practices consistent with the G7. What the federal amount of this excise tax inflation increase represents is less than one penny per can of beer. That is what we are talking about.
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- Mar/21/23 3:03:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister drove Canadians into the worst inflation in 40 years. If that were not enough, he is now attacking Canadian microbreweries. On April 1, the excise tax on beer, wine and spirits is going up by 6.3%. This will hurt everyone from producers to consumers. After eight years under this government, the price of everything is going up. Will the Prime Minister end his thirst for inflation? Because Canadians are high and dry.
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- Mar/21/23 3:04:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we eliminated the excise tax on low-alcohol beer last year. This puts us on par with the rest of the G7. The excise tax increase in question represents less than one cent per can of beer. It has been in the works for a long time. We know that times are tough for Canadians, and that is why we have a series of measures to make life more affordable.
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- Mar/21/23 3:04:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, studies estimate that nearly 1 million Canadians will be living with dementia by 2030. Throughout the pandemic, people with dementia and those who care for them have been disproportionately affected.
Last week, our government announced $68.3 million in investments in research on aging and brain health. Can the Minister of Health explain how this money will contribute to the health and well-being of people with dementia, their families and their caregivers?
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- Mar/21/23 3:05:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Lac-Saint-Louis for his excellent work.
Safety and wellness are critical aspects of quality of life, particularly for aging individuals. That is why the national strategy on dementia will continue to improve quality of life for people living with dementia, as well as their families and caregivers. Funding will also go towards research on aging and brain health in order to support the most promising areas of research, and that is because a healthy brain is essential to overall health.
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- Mar/21/23 3:06:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal government, there are almost six million Canadians without access to primary care. In my province of Nova Scotia alone, almost 140,000 people do not have access. Two days ago, the Conservatives over here introduced a blue seal program under which there will be a common standard for doctors trained elsewhere to gain a licence here in Canada. Canadians are beyond frustrated knowing that the doctors who have immigrated to this country are only to be left out in the cold.
When will the Prime Minister admit his wrongdoings and take action on behalf of all Canadians?
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- Mar/21/23 3:06:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, access to family health teams and primary care in Canada is indeed essential. I am grateful for the question. That is why I am going to send a copy of a letter I sent to health ministers a couple of weeks ago to my colleague so he sees why and how provinces and territories have already committed to national licensure for health professionals, including the recognition of foreign credentials for health workers in Canada.
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