44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 10, 2024 02:00PM
- Apr/10/24 6:18:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am glad that for the first time, and for as long as I have been paying attention to federal politics, Conservatives are talking about poverty elimination. It is good that we are actually looking at strategies to help people with their bills.
While the member was talking, I went on the Food Banks Canada website. They have provided an Alberta checkpoint. It is like a report card, which they have provided, with policy recommendations, a whole bunch of rankings and letter grades for various things. I read all of the policy recommendations.
I have met with Food Banks Canada. I meet with all of the poverty elimination and food security experts across the country on a frequent basis because poverty elimination is a top concern for my government, our government and for me personally. I grew up in community housing, and I believe that poverty is something that we can tackle together.
None of the policy recommendations from the Alberta report card on the Food Banks Canada website mention the price on pollution. It does not mention the carbon tax because pollution pricing does not contribute to the financial difficulties that Canadians are experiencing.
That is something that has been repeated over and over again by over 200 economists in Canada. They wrote a letter, which basically called out Conservative misinformation and the criticisms that the party has put forth over the last two years, since the member for Carleton has been the leader of the Conservative Party.
I have said this a number of times in the House. All of those Conservative members ran on a price on pollution that was very similar to ours, except instead of getting rebates, such as the Canada carbon rebate, it would have been deposited into some type of loyalty account that they could use to spend on specific items. A lot of people called the proposal, “the more you burn, the more you earn”. It was widely refuted by environmental organizations and groups as a half measure in lowering our emissions.
The price on pollution sends money back to eight out of 10 Canadian families, and that includes Albertans. The report card on poverty reduction from Food Banks Canada, specifically under its Alberta section, lists all of the things that the Alberta government could be doing. It calls out, as a contributing factor, the Alberta government for changing the previous NDP policy on the Alberta child benefit. The Alberta government has not adequately kept up with inflation with respect to minimum wage. It has not built any affordable housing. The report card makes some very good recommendations on things such as better basic income programs, similar to the Canada child benefit, which we modernized and made tax-free.
We are continually being told by the Conservatives, as the only party in the House of Commons saying this, that the price on pollution in Canada is what is causing the financial difficulties Canadians are facing. This is absolutely false. It is not true. These Conservatives can repeat their slogans all they want. When hundreds of Canadian Ph.D.s and economists write a letter to say that it is nonsense, that it is garbage and they should stop saying it because it is untrue, I wish the Conservatives would take heed.
Now, it is important to recognize why the Conservatives are on this campaign. It is clear now. It is actually a cover-up campaign. It is because the Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, on April 1 increased the price of gas in the province of Alberta by 4¢. This is the exact same day that the price on pollution went up a little bit, and the Canada carbon rebate went up to accommodate that. She increased it by more than the price on pollution.
It seems that the Conservative members, particularly those from Alberta, would like to cover that up and hide it from public knowledge. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation called them out and said that, if they are going to throw stones, to get out of their glass house. The Conservatives from Saskatchewan are in the exact same situation. Both of those premiers have done nothing for affordability in those provinces.
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- Apr/10/24 6:23:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again I want to stress that pricing pollution does not cause financial stress. In fact, the Canada carbon rebate sends more money back, particularly to those families who are experiencing food insecurity and poverty.
However, since the member opposite wanted to use food banks as an example, I would like to read the policy recommendations for Alberta food banks from Food Banks Canada.
Under recommendations on “Accountability”, it reads:
Introduce a provincial poverty reduction strategy
While Alberta made significant headway in the reduction of child poverty between 2015 and 2020...thanks to...the federal Canada Child Benefit, the lack of a comprehensive plan with clear goals and indicators stymies the ability of government and stakeholders to work together with a common vision.
The second section is “Affordable Housing”. Despite what the member opposite just said, housing is expensive in Alberta. The report goes on to say, “Dedicate 0.5% of the provincial budget every year to affordable rental housing construction”. This is something they have not done.
The next section is “Adequate Income Support”, or decent work that pays. They are asking the provincial government in Alberta to help more. Alberta's premier, Danielle Smith, could start by stopping the price hike on gas that she did on April 1, which was more than the price on pollution.
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- Apr/10/24 6:28:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, speaking of Canadians who deserve better, the constituents of Spadina—Fort York, indeed, deserve better than this show. Regarding this effort to join the Conservative caucus, all I can say is good luck. I do not recall a time when there was a Conservative MP for Spadina—Fort York.
While the member prefers to borrow slogans from the Conservatives' empty political rhetoric, I will choose to focus on the work we have done for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Since 2015, our government's economic plan has invested in the middle class, strengthened Canada's social safety net and worked to build an economy where everyone has a real and fair chance at success. From historic investments in child care to quarterly Canada child benefit payments, Canada carbon rebates, enhancements in the Canada workers benefit and tax cuts for the middle class, we have worked tirelessly to make life more affordable for Canadians, ensuring everyone has a fair chance at succeeding.
Our government continues to prioritize what matters most to Canadians today by building more housing, taking concrete actions to stabilize prices and delivering more important supports to Canadians. We extended the one-time grocery rebate to some 11 million eligible low- and modest-income individuals and families, who have been hardest hit by rising food prices. We also enhanced the Canada workers benefit by introducing automatic advance payments.
We are offering direct tax-free payments of up to $1,300 per child over two years through the Canada dental benefit. We have also launched the Canadian dental care plan; when fully implemented, this will help up to nine million uninsured people access the care they need. These supports have enabled millions of people to buy essentials, such as groceries, and pay the rent, but we know that we need to do more.
We are also meeting the moment and tackling housing affordability. We recently introduced new measures to incentivize the construction of new rental housing, protect renters and homeowners and make it easier for Canadians to get those first keys of their own. Canada does not have enough homes, and we need to build more of them at a faster rate.
That is why we are unlocking billions of dollars in new financing, money that will go toward supporting the construction of new homes in Canada. This includes $15 billion in additional low-cost financing through the apartment construction loan program, which will help build more rental homes for Canadians. The Canada housing benefit was launched in 2020 and has helped many Canadians since then. By 2027-28, this benefit will have helped make rent more affordable for over 300,000 low- and modest-income households.
While the member borrows from the Conservatives, who eagerly gamble with the supports Canadians rely on, we will stand firm in our commitment to the people of Canada. We will continue in our relentless pursuit of economic strategies that work for all Canadians.
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- Apr/10/24 6:32:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again I extend my sincerest condolences to the constituents of Spadina—Fort York. They had great representation with people such as Adam Vaughan in the federal Parliament, as well as Joe Cressy and Mike Layton, who have done an extraordinary job standing up for their constituents. It is sad to see the member dial it back, but in a couple of years, Spadina—Fort York will be well represented by a Liberal. I am certain of that.
A key pillar of the government's economic plan has been a focus on making life more affordable for Canadians. When people have the support they need to thrive, they can contribute to the economy, build better lives for themselves and their families, and play an active role in their community.
Inflation is down to 2.8%, and wage growth in Canada has been outstripping inflation for almost a year now. It is important to note that 18 months ago, a lot of economists thought we would be in a recession today. Our economic policies have ensured that this is not the case, and over one million people are employed today compared with before the pandemic.
Progress is being made on our commitment to help make life more affordable for people from coast to coast to coast, and we will stick with it because there is more to do.
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- Apr/10/24 6:34:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what was provided to the member, in due course, after his request for some documents, was some modelling on how carbon pricing works, not just in this country, but also in over 50 countries around the world that have implemented a strategy to lower their emissions.
The good news is that in Canada it is working. Canada's emissions are down by over 8% since 2015, and that is because of a lot of factors, one of them being carbon pricing. Demonstrated by proactive provinces, like British Columbia and Quebec, carbon pricing works to lower our emissions, and also, with the rebate program we have put in place, it does not cost families. It sends more money back through the Canada carbon rebate than it costs at the pumps. That is because we are making big polluters pay and making sure that families are made whole through the Canada carbon rebate.
I will admit that the 31-page report that was sent to the member was a bit confusing. There were some big math words in there and a lot of modelling, and it is very complicated stuff. Reducing emissions is a challenging thing, particularly for an oil-producing nation and a big country like Canada, but we are making it work with an approach that supports affordability and that lowers our emissions.
Two hundred economists have also chimed in to make sure that Conservatives hear, loud and clear, that their campaign of misinformation, the “axe the tax” campaign they have started, is based on misinformation. They continually say that carbon pricing is the cause of inflation and that carbon pricing is the cause of financial insecurity and hardship for Canadians, when that has been proven, time and time again, to be false.
Carbon pricing does work. I do not have a Nobel Prize in economics. I do not think the member opposite has a Nobel Prize in economics, but William Nordhaus does have a Nobel Prize in economics. He actually earned it for his work on carbon pricing. He says that Canada's approach on carbon pricing is exactly what the rest of the world needs to fight climate change, to lower our emissions and to ensure that the planet our grandkids will inherit will be even more prosperous and livable than it is today.
The answer to his direct question of whether it is true that we do not have data to support the fact that carbon pricing drives down emissions is no; it is not true. The fact is that carbon pricing works. It is demonstrated to be true. It is mathematically accurate and based on sound financial, economic and mathematical principles. It has also proven to be true because per capita emissions in British Columbia have fallen steadily since its implementation of a carbon tax over a decade ago. That was also supported by members of the current Conservative caucus who were Liberals in the B.C. government at the time of implementation. It has also been demonstrated by Quebec.
There are provinces, like Manitoba, which I had the pleasure of visiting. I went to a Jets game with my father, since it was Parkinson's night with the Jets. Thankfully, the Jets won. I think the member opposite and I can agree on at least one thing, and that is a good thing; when the Jets win, that is a positive thing.
Manitoba has a new premier, which is also a really great thing for Canada. Winnipeg is a great city. I love The Weakerthans. It was one of my favourite bands when I was a kid. That great city deserves a great mayor and a great premier, and I am glad that Wab Kinew is considering options to lower emissions in Manitoba, because Manitoba used to have a cap and trade program, just like Ontario, so it is very possible that soon the people of Manitoba will have a new way to lower their emissions.
I was glad that the Premier of Manitoba did what the previous premier would not, which is to stabilize gas prices with their provincial excise tax cut. That is something that the Premier of Saskatchewan refuses to do, and it is something that the Premier of Alberta actually did the opposite of. On April 1, she was able to blame the price on pollution for the increased price of gas when she increased the price of gas by 4¢, when the price on pollution went up by just 3¢ and was rebated back to Albertans. The price on pollution works and so does the Canada carbon rebate.
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- Apr/10/24 6:38:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, indigenous people feel the effects of climate change more than anybody else. Farmers, indigenous people and rural residents recognize that climate change is not just a threat to our weather, but also a threat to our economy, to our livelihoods and, indeed, to our lives.
Recently, I was up in Kashechewan in northern Ontario to announce some funding for a big conservation project, which the Mushkegowuk Council was thrilled about. It is good news for them. We talked about climate change a lot when I was up there, because first nations, Inuit, Métis, people who hunt, people who gather, people who work off the land and people who work in agriculture all recognize that climate change is an existential threat. Frankly, if someone does not recognize that humans are responsible for climate change and that climate change is the worst existential threat to our species, then they would be a climate change denier, but I did not accuse anybody of that. I am just saying that if someone does not believe that climate change is the biggest threat to us, then they are indeed denying climate change.
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