44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 28, 2023 10:00AM
- Nov/28/23 12:39:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have never heard the member get up and say anything about somebody like Denise Batters. I have never heard her have any concern for some of the stuff that Senator Denise Batters goes through. With respect to the particular senator that the member spoke about, I really do not know what the whole deal is with what happened, to be honest; I have other things to think about. However, I can say that posting somebody's office phone number, which is on the website anyway, and their email—
Ms. Leah Gazan: In a wanted poster.
Mr. Ben Lobb: Mr. Speaker, they are just saying to call her up and let her know, and she had no problem playing games. As far as her safety goes, I do not know about that, and the member who asked the question does not know either, because I am sure she never talked to her. We just hope that everybody is safe when in politics, and I would leave it at that. Our focus is that we want the bill to be addressed in the Senate. We have never asked for any special favours on the bill; we just want the vote to occur.
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Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I would like to put on the record that, while I would like to take the credit my colleague just gave me for Bill C-234, I think he meant the member for Portage—Lisgar, because he wrote the legislation. I do support it wholly and just want to commend him for his thanks to the colleagues for their work on the bill.
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- Nov/28/23 12:41:25 p.m.
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While I appreciate the point of order, that was really just part of debate.
The hon. member for Hastings—Lennox and Addington.
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Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to rise in this place and speak in favour of our opposition day motion to expand the pause on home heating to all forms of heating. The goal was to lower costs for Canadians as they prepare to heat their homes for the cold Canadian winter ahead.
Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, the government continued in its staunch refusal to accept common-sense solutions being brought forward by opposition parties that would result in much-needed financial relief for struggling Canadians. However, today, we have another opposition day motion, and the House has another opportunity to do the right thing and vote in favour of our motion to help our farmers. The very straightforward motion reads as follows: “That the House call on the unelected Senate to immediately pass Bill C-234, An Act to amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, to remove the carbon tax on the farmers that feed Canadians, as passed by the democratically elected House.”
Allow me to give a bit of background. The private member's bill, sponsored by the member for Huron—Bruce, was sent over to the Senate in March of this year, with all parties in support of the legislation except the Liberals. Every single opposition party with status, in addition to the two Greens and two of the three independents, support the legislation. There is support from across the political spectrum, save for the one party that seems hell-bent on staking its political future on a deeply unpopular and deeply flawed carbon pricing scheme.
I would also like to point out that the legislation's support transcends jurisdiction too. Several premiers have taken the unusual step of throwing their support behind the legislation. Premier Ford said, “This legislation would help farmers in Ontario and across Canada by lowering their costs, which would help lower the grocery bills of hardworking families in need of extra support right now.” Farther down, he states, “While the federal government has finally admitted that the carbon tax is hurting families by pausing its tax on home heating oil, all Canadians deserve a break right now. This includes removing the carbon tax from all forms of home heating and passing Bill C-234 as soon as possible.”
One farmer in my riding wrote, “Grain drying and heating for livestock barns (for young livestock) has come a long ways in efficiency, but we have no alternatives. Heat pumps cannot be built large enough to be effective. Hopefully the Senate can move C-234 forward without further delaying a bill in which the Liberal government has used multiple unusual procedural tactics to stall.” I hear the same sentiments repeatedly, whether at a hockey game, a local event or in a grocery store in the riding of Hastings—Lennox and Addington.
Given the unique nature of this opposition day motion, this speech is as much for our friends in the upper house as it is for Canadians at home. Recent media reports have indicated that flaring tempers and procedural games have reared their heads in the red chamber, and it has attracted the attention of the provinces. Premier Scott Moe of Saskatchewan touched on this unfortunate development. He writes:
The House of Commons recently took an important step in this direction by passing Bill C-234, which would exempt agricultural producers from paying the carbon tax on natural gas and propane used to dry grain and to heat and cool farm buildings like barns and greenhouses. This would reduce the cost of food production, which in turn would reduce the cost of groceries for Canadian families. I commend all MPs who voted for this bill for taking this important step to reduce the cost of living for the people they represent.
It is extremely concerning that the Senate now appears to be blocking the passage of this bill, which was passed by our elected MPs. While Senators are not elected, you are appointed to represent the residents of your province who are struggling with high grocery costs. It is unacceptable that the Senate would stand in the way of providing Canadians with a break on grocery costs by blocking this carbon tax exemption, which has been approved by the House of Commons.
Similarly, Premier Higgs of New Brunswick wrote, “I urge you to support passage of Bill C-234, An Act To Amend the Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, which is now before the Senate. This legislation would remove the carbon tax from fuels used by farmers in the production of their crops, which would have a beneficial impact on the price of food.”
The neighbouring premier, in Nova Scotia, Tim Houston, also wrote in support of Bill C-234:
The carbon tax has a significant impact on the Nova Scotian agricultural sector. For example, it will cost an average poultry producer an estimated $400 in propane and $1,300 for heating in 2023 (pre-exemption) and $2,900 in 2030.
Farmers across our country are struggling to deal with the impact of the carbon tax on their activities. The pain is also being felt by ordinary Nova Scotians and Canadians with out-of-control food inflation forcing citizens to skip meals or choose between rent or groceries. Food is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Bill C-234 will save farmers close to $1 billion by 2030 and bring desperately needed relief both to farmers and consumers.
There is another point I would like to touch on, which was raised by the member for Carleton earlier today: the capacity of Parliament, more specifically, the House of Commons, to raise monies. The long struggle that this legislature and its predecessors have gone through is to secure our ultimate and most basic function: to oversee the expenditure of public monies. This was not achieved without the shedding of blood. Lord Durham, sent to investigate the rebellions taking place in Upper Canada and Lower Canada, wrote:
The Assembly, after it had obtained entire control over the public revenues, still found itself deprived of all voice in the choice or even designation of the persons in whose administration of affairs it could feel confidence.
It is difficult to conceive what could have been their theory of government who imagined that in any colony of England a body invested with the name and character of a representative Assembly, could be deprived of any of those powers which, in the opinion of Englishmen, are inherent in a popular legislature.
In short, only the House of Commons may propose the expenditure of public funds. The House has been extremely clear in our intention: We want the legislation passed. I urge the senators who are opposed to the legislation to take phone calls from their constituents, to listen to small businesses in their provinces and to listen with empathy to what struggling Canadians have to say. If they are truly willing to stand against a piece of legislation that received support from across the political aisle, except for the party that appointed most of them, they are going to have to explain their reasoning, and it is not a very good look. They are going to have to justify the actions of an institution that is supposed to be a chamber of sober second thought, not of blind political ideology. We already know the government is fanatically devoted to its carbon tax. I hope its political appointees in the Senate can come to some common sense.
It is imperative that all parliamentarians, elected or not, respect the will and the voice of Canadians, and about Bill C-234, Canadians and their elected representatives have been exceedingly clear. They want the legislation and need this legislation, and they needed it yesterday. It has been sitting on the dockets of both houses for nearly two years. Thankfully, it is in the final stage of the process. I look forward to seeing the legislation come into force so the wallets of our farmers and of Canadians at large can finally get some relief.
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- Nov/28/23 12:50:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I wonder whether the member would provide her thoughts on the following media report:
...Canadian Senator Bernadette Clement was reportedly forced to leave her home due to fears for her safety. The incident came about after a provocative post, akin to a ‘wanted poster,’ was shared online by former Conservative Party leader [the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle]. The post included Senator Clement’s picture and office phone number, triggering a deluge of abusive calls, including racist comments, and even a threatening phone call from an unidentified man.
...Senator Clement instructed her office staff to cease answering the phone. In a clear reflection of the heightened sense of fear, she decided to relocate from her Cornwall home to Ottawa....
My question for the member is this: Does she support the type of intimidating factors used by the Conservative Party today being applied to the Senate of Canada?
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- Nov/28/23 12:51:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I certainly disagree. While I do not agree with anyone ever being threatened or intimidated, I do agree with holding the upper chamber accountable. The intimidation that the member is suggesting is mere distraction.
The intimidation imposed by the member of Parliament and the Liberal-NDP government on hard-working Canadians is insufferable. Therefore, the question is this. Who is being intimidated?
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague a simple question. She made a long speech about the Senate respecting the decisions of the House of Commons. Would she be willing to repeat her speech in its entirety and present exactly the same message, but simply replace Bill C-234 with Bill C-282, which deals with supply management?
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Mr. Speaker, my suggestion remains. Canadian farmers, growers and ranchers are growing our economy. Bill C-234 is a vote for Canadian farmers, for rural communities, for sustaining farm practices and for food security. I think that answers the question.
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- Nov/28/23 12:53:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to the debate today. I have heard a lot of Conservatives talk about trying to hold the upper chamber to account, but of course they cannot, by design. Because senators are appointed by the prime minister, they never face the electorate and they serve until they are 75.
We have heard complaints today about this bill being held up in the Senate. We have seen bills, including a bill having to do with the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, killed by the Senate in previous Parliaments. The Conservatives complain, rightly, about the intervention of the Senate in respect to the medical assistance in dying debate. We know that the Senate costs Canadians $125 million-plus a year.
Will the member join with me today in calling for the abolition of the Senate?
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- Nov/28/23 12:54:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would certainly call on the member of Parliament for betraying Canadians. When he was elected to the House of Commons, he was elected to be the opposition. Instead, he has been propping up the government, for how long? Canadians are catching on.
I am here representing all people of Hastings—Lennox and Addington. I would encourage the members of the upper chamber to reflect on their role.
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- Nov/28/23 12:54:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals and the New Democrats continue to come here with their carbon-tax religion, failing to recognize that carbon is actually a building block of life and it is plant food, and that the carbon tax is not a climate change policy and has nothing to do with the environment.
Does the member think the carbon tax is making our farmers less competitive, less productive and less profitable? At the end of the day, it is creating food insecurity in the country. Like the Liberals are doing in Canada, Putin is doing the same in Ukraine?
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- Nov/28/23 12:55:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what we need to do is make it right for the consumer, for the farmer, for the environment and for all Canadians. We need technology, not taxes. Canadians are looking for nutritious and affordable food right here in Canada. Food is not a luxury. Eight hundred thousand Canadians in Ontario alone had to go to a food bank. Something needs to change.
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Mr. Speaker, it is always great to rise in this most honourable House. I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Steveston—Richmond East. It is great to see everyone this afternoon. I hope that all my colleagues and their families are doing well on this Tuesday.
I am pleased to take part in today's debate. Rather than indulge in Conservative partisan attacks on the pollution price, let us talk about what matters most to Canadians: making life more affordable and ensuring that Canadian families have good jobs and good futures for themselves and their children. That has been the focus of our government since day one and we will continue to be on that tangent.
As Canadians continue to feel the effects of global inflation, our government understands that it remains difficult for too many families to make ends meet.
We are seeing very strong indications that global inflation is rolling over. We have seen that in Europe where inflation is at 1.8% or so. We have seen that in the United States where some indicators have it down below 3%. We have seen rent inflation in the United States actually roll over to the downside. We have seen that in recent indicators in Canada. I strongly believe, as an economist and someone who worked on Bay Street and Wall Street for many years, although I grew up in small-town Canada, we will see that in the months ahead in Canada. When we look at the price of containers or look at leading indicators of the TRI index and so forth, inflation is rolling over to the downside. That is the way our economy is going. It will be a benefit to all Canadians.
Since 2015, our government has taken many actions to make life more affordable for Canadians who need it most, but we understand that some Canadians still need more support.
That is why, last week, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance introduced new measures to support Canadians in the 2023 fall economic statement.
Of course, we are undertaking this while continuing to deliver the government's economic plan, and while also making important progress on the government's existing commitments that are helping to make life more affordable across the country.
It is clear that our measures are having a very real impact on Canadians' budgets.
I would like to give a few concrete examples.
A family with two children in British Columbia, with an income of $88,000 in 2023, could benefit from about $17,700 as a result of reduced child care costs, the Canada child benefit, the Canada dental benefit and tax relief from the increased basic personal amount, which we raised to $15,000 in 2023-24. That will provide Canadians $6 billion of tax relief from coast to coast to coast. This is money in the pockets of Canadians.
For my family, my little daughter is at day care. The families that use that day care in the province of Ontario have saved 50%, which literally means up to $8,000 in after-tax dollars, while before-tax dollars it is over $10,000. Going into 2024, they are going to see a further reduction in their day care costs, which means real savings for families across Canada. That, again, will make life more affordable for all Canadians.
In Nova Scotia, low-income students could receive more than $5,800 in additional support in 2023, thanks to increased Canada student grants and interest-free Canada student loans, the grocery rebate and pollution price rebates, known as the climate action incentive payments.
If students have a disability or dependants, they could receive an additional $12,800 in specialized student grants, plus an extra $640 per dependant and up to $20,000 toward devices that support their learning. After graduating, all their federal student loans will remain interest free. Again, student loans to youth or older folks going to school are interest free, with full repayment assistance available until their income surpasses $40,000 per year.
A 78-year-old senior in Quebec with a maximum GIS entitlement could receive more than $2,000 in additional support in 2023. That is $2,000 in seniors' pockets thanks to the grocery rebate, the GIS top-up increase for single seniors, and the 10% old age security increase for people 75 and up.
However, we know that more needs to be done to support Canadians, especially through these times when global inflation has had an impact on all economies throughout the world. That is why our government has taken further action in the 2023 fall economic statement to support the middle class and build more homes faster.
To help Canadians with mortgages, our government is moving forward with the new Canadian mortgage charter, which details the relief Canadians can expect from their banks if they are in financial difficulty.
We also understand that when it comes to housing, there is an important issue on the supply side. There is simply not enough homes for Canadians. We have known this for years. We know that we need to increase the supply of homes. We have no choice; we need to do it. There are many reasons for this. We are attracting newcomers from all over the world, whether it is in the global high-tech stream, family reunification, express entry or firms putting forward LMIAs.
We are a magnet for talent from all over the world wanting to come to live, work and invest in Canada, which is a foreign concept for the official opposition. Foreign companies wishing to invest in Canada is a great thing. We need to champion it. Literally millions of Canadians work for foreign companies that have invested in Canada, and I cannot believe the official opposition does not like that.
We also understand that when it comes to housing, we need more supply. That is why we are accelerating our work to build more homes faster. Indeed, the Deputy Prime Minister announced last week in the 2023 fall economic statement that we would introduce billions of dollars in new financing to build more homes faster.
To make housing in this country more affordable, we will put forward measures to crack down on short-term rentals. We really want homes to be used for Canadians to live in. We will also take steps to increase the number of construction workers from coast to coast to coast.
I have been talking about housing measures, but cost of living challenges also include basic needs, such as groceries. Obviously, we see that as a major problem, so we are putting forward concrete measures to tackle it.
For example, we are going to amend the Competition Act and the Competition Tribunal Act to ensure Canadians have more choice, through competition, in where they take their business. The Competition Tribunal is something I hold dearly. We need to modernize it, and we are. We have done this with Bill C-34 and with other bills, as well as measures in Bill C-56. We need to move forward on that.
Capitalism is a wonderful thing, but capitalism only exists when there are rules and regulation and competition is encouraged, which fosters innovation, choice and lower prices. The more competition we have, the better our economy functions and better jobs happen. I am a big believer in new processes and new industries being created, and that is what is happening in Canada, whether it is in artificial intelligence, fintech or the many sectors across our beautiful country.
Together with Bill C-56, we will strengthen the tools and powers available to the Competition Bureau to enable it to crack down on abuses of dominance by bigger companies, including those intended to keep out competition, such as predatory pricing. Companies should pay for predatory pricing.
We will further modernize merger reviews, including by empowering the Competition Bureau to better detect and address killer acquisitions and other anti-competitive mergers. This is very important. Canadians deserve better, always—
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I hate to do this to my colleague, and I do appreciate what he is trying to do here, which is to talk about anything other than Bill C-234 and its impacts on Canadian agriculture and the carbon tax farmers are paying. I would really appreciate it if, at some point in his 20-minute speech, he would at least hint at or even mention Bill C-234 and the fact that Liberal senators are doing all they can to block the legislation in the Senate. This motion today is about it that, and I would appreciate it if he would address it.
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- Nov/28/23 1:05:34 p.m.
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I appreciate the hon. member's input.
The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader.
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- Nov/28/23 1:05:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I have two quick points. First, there are no Liberal senators. The only politically aligned senators are Conservative senators. Second, I am sure, if we are a little more patient, that we will find the member in fact referencing it. He is highlighting some very important points for the debate.
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- Nov/28/23 1:05:57 p.m.
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I will do a quick round, but ensure the comments are short on any point of order coming before the table.
The hon. member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman.
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- Nov/28/23 1:06:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, I want to correct the parliamentary secretary on his comments. As he knows, it was the Liberal Prime Minister who appointed all those senators, making them Liberal senators.
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- Nov/28/23 1:06:13 p.m.
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That is debate.
The hon. member for Timmins—James Bay is rising on a point of order.
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- Nov/28/23 1:06:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is not that I am always opposed to the member for Winnipeg North, but I think it is inappropriate for him to claim to know what another colleague is going to speak of in the future. Maybe he has a Ouija board on his desk.
To contradict my Conservative colleague, it is not about the carbon tax. It is about the instruction to the unelected, unaccountable Senate, which is full of bagmen and friends.
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