44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 5, 2023 11:00AM
- Jun/5/23 2:30:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to recklessness, what is reckless is the Conservatives playing childish parliamentary games and stopping Canadians from getting the supports they need.
Let me list, for Canadians listening, some of the things the Conservatives are blocking.
They are blocking an improvement in registered education savings plans, a change that will make it easier for students to get the money their parents have saved up to pay for their education. They are blocking a ban on cosmetic testing on animals. They are blocking our efforts to cut the criminal—
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- Jun/5/23 2:31:23 p.m.
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The hon. member for Thornhill.
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- Jun/5/23 2:31:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the finance minister can continue to lecture Canadians, but that will not pay their bills. She can continue to pretend like everything is fine, but that does not change the fact that people are hurting, and they are hurting because of her inflationary deficits, the tax increases and the broken promises of her boss's failed economic track record.
She said that she would balance the budget. She said that the debt ratio would go down. She said that there would be no more out-of-control spending. She did not keep her word. She does not answer questions in the House. Why would anybody trust anything she says?
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- Jun/5/23 2:32:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would never lecture Canadians, and I will take no lessons from the Conservatives. This is the childish, irresponsible group of MPs who are today blocking the essential measures in our budget implementation legislation.
They are blocking the clean tax credits we put forward, which are going to drive jobs and growth, and climate action. They are blocking an extension of the seasonal EI program. I would like to know what particularly their MPs from Atlantic Canada feel about that frivolous action by their—
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- Jun/5/23 2:32:41 p.m.
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The hon. member for Calgary Forest Lawn.
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- Jun/5/23 2:32:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the finance minister pretended to have an inflationary epiphany back in November. She admitted that deficits lead to inflation finally. She said that she did not want to pour fuel on the fire of inflation. She promised no more deficits after 2027, the same deficits that gave Canadians the worst cost-of-living crisis in history.
It only took her six months after that to do a massive flip-flop and admit in her failed budget that she would never end her deficit spending and poured a $60-billion jerry can of fuel on the inflationary fire she started.
Will she stand up and admit she misled Canadians and end her inflationary deficit spending?
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- Jun/5/23 2:33:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me suggest one reason why the Conservatives are resorting to these reckless, desperate and childish parliamentary tactics. It is because they do not want Canadians to remember how badly they coped with the 2008 recession.
In 2008, it took Canada 110 months for employment to recover. After the COVID recession, which was much deeper, it took just 24 months for employment to recover.
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- Jun/5/23 2:34:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives will continue to block the Liberal-NDP government from piling on an extra $4,200 of debt on the backs of struggling Canadians.
The finance minister's deficits are continuing to fuel inflation, driving up the cost of everything, and driving more Canadians to food banks than ever before. Her inflationary spending made housing more unaffordable, and rents and mortgages have doubled because of the government's failed policies.
When will the finance minister finally show some responsibility and balance the budget so interest rates can come down and Canadians can finally afford to live and heat their homes?
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- Jun/5/23 2:34:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's GDP grew by 3.1% in the first quarter of this year. That is the fastest growth in the G7. We have recovered more than 900,000 jobs since the trough of COVID.
By contrast, after 2008, the Conservatives failed to support Canadians and failed to help Canada recover from the 2008 recession. In fact, as David Dodge said, “because it was obsessively focused on reducing the federal deficit...the Harper government unnecessarily contributed to”—
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- Jun/5/23 2:35:17 p.m.
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The hon. member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.
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- Jun/5/23 2:35:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Stephen McNeil, the former Liberal premier of Nova Scotia, stated that if provinces continue to spend beyond their means, inflation will persist and continue to put pressure on household budgets.
Former Liberal minister John Manly also stated that it is like driving with one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. It is not a good plan for controlling the direction of the economy.
The Prime Minister is not listening to the opposition or to his Liberal friends. We have been clear: The government must balance the budget now.
Will the Prime Minister act in the interest of future generations?
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- Jun/5/23 2:35:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the utmost respect for the member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, but I would like to give him some advice. He should listen to Canadians.
Canadians told us three things. They want help with the cost of food. That is exactly what we are doing with the grocery rebate, which will help 11 million Canadians. Second, they want us to invest in health care because they want family doctors. Third, they want us to invest in the economy of the future to build tomorrow's economy, the economy of the 21st century.
That is exactly what we are doing, and the Conservatives would do well to listen to Canadians sometimes.
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- Jun/5/23 2:36:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, all we do is listen to Canadians. What Canadians are telling us, on this side of the House, is that they are struggling, that they do not have enough money and that everything is more expensive. Why is everything more expensive? It is because of the inflationary measures taken by this government. That is quite clear. Everyone is saying so, even former Liberal ministers and prime ministers. This is not working.
With all due respect to my colleague, can he tell the House if they are going to end their inflationary measures so Canadians can keep more money in their pockets, yes or no?
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- Jun/5/23 2:37:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am sure the people of Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles who are listening to the debate in the House today are a little surprised. The government is proposing measures to help people, precisely because, as the member pointed out, people need a little help. When Canadians need some help, they know which side of the House to turn to.
That is exactly why the Minister of Finance included food assistance measures in her budget. The grocery rebate will help 11 million Canadians, many of whom, I agree, will certainly be in the Quebec City region and Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.
We need to help Canadians in their time of need. That is exactly what we are doing.
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- Jun/5/23 2:37:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is impossible to get answers about Chinese interference. When the Bloc Québécois asks how many elected officials in total have been the target of threats or disinformation campaigns, the government refuses to answer. When the Conservatives ask how many Chinese police stations remain open, it refuses to answer. When the NDP asks about the relationship between the special rapporteur's staff and the Liberal Party, it refuses to answer. Then, when all three parties call for a public inquiry, the government still refuses. This is an affront to democracy.
Where will we find the answers if the government refuses to provide them and refuses to hold a public inquiry?
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- Jun/5/23 2:38:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague. Our government continues to take this issue very seriously. The fight against foreign interference is a serious issue. David Johnston has an ardent new defender, the Conservative leader. Yes, it is true. He called Mr. Johnston “a very credible individual”.
Despite all the history between Mr. Johnston and the Conservatives, we will continue to place our trust in him to determine the next steps on this important issue.
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- Jun/5/23 2:39:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that did not answer my question, but anyway. The Liberal solution is full of holes. We have a Prime Minister who hides the truth from citizens and who wants to force the opposition leaders to join him in his secretive practices. He wants to let them in on the secret, while keeping Quebeckers and Canadians in the dark.
The Liberals are looking at this problem from the wrong angle. The problem is not that the public knows that China is interfering in democracy. On the contrary, the problem is that China is able to continue interfering behind the scenes. The problem is the darkness, not the light.
When will the government launch an independent public inquiry?
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- Jun/5/23 2:39:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think my Bloc Québécois friend might be confused about who kept Canadians in the dark. The Conservative Party did absolutely nothing to address foreign interference, despite the fact that our intelligence agencies raised the issue publicly in 2013. Our government did the opposite. We implemented measures to counter foreign interference. We strengthened them every time the experts advised us to do so, and we are going to do exactly the same thing when it comes to Mr. Johnston's recommendations.
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- Jun/5/23 2:40:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this government talks about opposition leaders but says nothing about China's interference. That is what we need to address, and yet, as a result of the Johnston report, there will be no inquiry into the Chinese police stations, no inquiry into the electoral candidates backed by China, no inquiry into the intimidation of the Chinese diaspora, and no inquiry into the threats against our elected members. What is the use of allowing Mr. Johnston to continue to do his work if he himself is telling us that he will not be investigating Chinese interference in our democracy?
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- Jun/5/23 2:41:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to my colleague, our government has a list of meaningful action that has been taken with respect to foreign interference with the creation of new powers for CSIS, with the creation of a new national coordinator in the fight against foreign interference and with a public consultation for the creation of a new foreign agent registry. We are prepared to work together with the Bloc and with all members in the fight against foreign interference to better protect our democratic institutions.
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