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Mr. Damien Kurek (Battle River—Crowfoot, CPC)

May/1/24 5:18:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was astounded, quite frankly, when I saw in the ways and means motion, which the Deputy Prime Minister and finance minister will be putting forward, an increase to the debt borrowing limit of this country of $295 billion. That is astounding. I am troubled by the massive increases in spending that this budget sees and by the fact that there is an increase of $295 billion. Can the member try to explain to the House and to Canadians why in the world they need a $295-billion increase to Canada's borrowing?

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Ms. Julie Dzerowicz

May/1/24 5:18:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, here is what I would say: I think that sometimes we have to remind ourselves of this, even though we want to forget it. We, not just Canada, but also the world, have come out of a massive pandemic. I think all of our economies have been struggling to recuperate. Very blessedly, here in Canada, we have been very lucky that we have been able to bring back over 100% of all the jobs that had been lost and that we continue to have strong fundamentals in terms of our finances. Our growth, right now, is predicted to be the highest this year and the next, according to the Bank of Canada and the IMF. We continue to have a AAA credit rating. Only 11 countries in the world have that. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and it continues on a downward track. Canada's balance sheet remains the best of the G7's. Therefore, I would say that we have a good track record. We have a good balance sheet, and we have a lot to look forward to, in terms of prosperity, moving forward.

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Mr. Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, NDP)

May/1/24 5:20:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if I heard correctly, I believe the hon. member for Davenport said that it was great news that the disability tax credit finally came in, after years and years, without delay, leaving people with disabilities in the lurch, only to find that in this budget, this lunch bag letdown, there was $200 a month; that is $2,400 a year or $6.66 a day. Is it the hon. member's testimony, here today in this debate, that a program with currently only 40% of disabled Canadians enrolled in it should be great news for the people of Davenport, for the people in Hamilton Centre and, indeed, for Canadians who have been legislated to poverty, living with disabilities from coast to coast to coast? Is this her contention here today?

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Ms. Julie Dzerowicz

May/1/24 5:20:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if the member is asking whether I would have wanted it to have been fully funded to what the Canadian disability sector had asked for, I would say a resounding yes. However, I was proud that this is one of the largest line items in our entire budget. We have absolutely made this a priority. I will also say that it is not the only thing that will be helpful to Canadians with disabilities. We have automatic tax filings. We have a national dental care plan that will benefit them. We have phase one of a national pharmacare plan that will support them. We have made historic investments in our health care program, both last year and this year. I think all of that, collectively, is going to support not only Canadians with disabilities but also all Canadians moving forward.

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Mr. Darrell Samson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Lib.)

May/1/24 5:21:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of my constituents of Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook on this very important budget. The thing I want people to concentrate on is that this budget is a fairness to every generation, and it is a focused one. Before one can put a strong budget in place, one needs to have a strong economy. That is what it is all about. Right now, the economy in Canada is doing much better than most economies across the world. First of all, our inflation rate is down to about 3%, which is in the target range of the Bank of Canada, which is very important. We have dropped that from 8.2% down to 3%. Also very important is that we have the AAA rating, and we are one of two countries in the G7 to have that. That is another solid ground footing we have. We also have an unemployment rate ranging around 5.4% or 5.5%, which is among the lowest ever in the history of Canada. That is, again, very impressive. The International Monetary Fund is also indicating that Canada's net debt-to-GDP ratio remains among the lowest in the G7. Those make up the main foundation of why we can have a budget that would be fair to every generation. It is also why we are able to invest in a transformative enhancement of our social safety net, which is really important, and it is something I really care about, making sure the gap is tighter for Canadians. It is also why we are attracting the highest per capita foreign direct investment in the G7, and we are third in the world. These are very impressive numbers. Let us talk about homes. Yes, we do have a crisis with homes, and every level of government has some responsibility behind that. The former Conservative government said that it did not have any responsibility for that, but it does. It is a partnership, and we need to work together. I am proud that there is going to be almost four million, believe it or not, homes built by 2031. When I say four million, I am not talking about four million people; I am talking about four million families, which is really what is important. Some of the initiatives we started are going to be topped up and expanded. Let us talk about the rapid housing, the accelerator fund, the removal of the GST and the innovative modular homes. Those are key. We are also now looking at Canada Lands to make sure that we can access those lands and that some contractors or investors can lease the lands, so we can get more homes built. We are talking about 250,000 more homes, as we move forward, by 2031. We are also looking at investing with universities, with student residences, which would allow us to get students from apartments and condos into residences. That would help us with the housing challenge. Also, there is our investment in various organizations on the ground, working to prevent and to reduce homelessness and encampments. This is a co-shared investment with all levels of government, where we will see renovations and see more shelters and transition homes being built. Those are some key issues under housing that are so important. I also want to talk about our focus on youth. First-time homebuyers would have access to 30-year amortizations, which would be very helpful. Also, we know already that 750,000 young people have opened a tax-free account for first-time homebuyers. That is very impressive. Kevin Lee, CEO of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, stated, “The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) and our members are very pleased to see the federal budget measures that will help the sector respond to the government’s goal of doubling housing starts to overcome the housing [crisis].” I am confident that, in the very near future, we are going to see vacancies as we move forward. The third piece of my speech, which is so important, is a stronger social safety net and closing the gap. I am proud of that, and I will share some of the key items I am very proud of. One, in 2023, we added $200 billion to the health accord, but now we are talking about a new disability benefit, with up to $6.1 billion over three years that is going to help over 600,000 Canadians with disabilities. Also very important is pharmacare. We are initiating the first phase of pharmacare, and we are going to see big support for women and people living with diabetes. When I go to the pharmacist, she often tells me, “You have to help people with diabetes, because it is costing them too much money.” Well, we are coming forward on that one today. On the dental care plan, nine million Canadians will have access to it. It is very important. We have it for seniors now, and we are running it for people with disabilities and young people 18 and under. There is also the expansion of spaces in day cares. We have dropped the cost of day care. My daughters were paying $1,800 a month, and it is going to be down to $10 a day very soon in Nova Scotia. This is helping with affordability, which is really important as well. The final one, which I am very proud of as a former educator, is that we are launching the new national school food program, which will help over 400,000 young Canadians. Under safer and healthier communities, there are two areas I want to touch on. One is recognizing the volunteer firefighters and search and rescue individuals by doubling the tax credit. These individuals are doing exceptional and dangerous work. They are supporting Canadians every day. We need to recognize them, and this is the first step. Also, for rural health and social services workers, we are looking at making amendments, which is very important to attract more people into rural communities. How are we going to do that? We are going look at adapting and adjusting the Canada student loan forgiveness program, which will attract key people in key areas, for example dentists, pharmacists, midwives, teachers, social workers and psychologists. I could go on and on. This will bring positive change. How are we helping the small and medium-sized businesses? Again, we are helping them in many ways. The Canadian entrepreneurs’ incentive will have a combined exemption of at least $3.25 million when selling all or part of a business, which is very much a supportive investment for small businesses. We will also have the lifetime capital gains exemption increased from $1 million to $1.25 million, which is tax-free for the sale of small business shares and farming and fishing property. These are key areas in supporting small businesses. We are also boosting government procurement for small and medium-sized businesses, which will have access to those contracts that are so important. To conclude, this is a balanced budget and a balanced approach. We are investing in Canadians and also ensuring that we are not overspending. I will finish with something from Deloitte, which speaks about this budget. It reads: Budget 2024 attempts to navigate a fine line: invest enough to have an impact on key priorities, from housing, social programs, and affordability to growth and good jobs, while maintaining sufficient fiscal discipline to adhere to fiscal guardrails and support the continued easing of inflation.

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Mr. Philip Lawrence (Northumberland—Peterborough South, CPC)

May/1/24 5:30:29 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, in this most recent budget, it is predicted that the interest will outstrip the transfers on health care. Does the member think that $54 billion is a big number?

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Mr. Darrell Samson

May/1/24 5:30:46 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question, but I am not sure I captured the beginning of it. However, this budget will have about $40-billion deficit. The focus is on maintaining, but we are continuing to invest in new programs, yet drawing in enough revenue so that the deficit will not be as high as predicted. We are now moving downwards on the deficit. We will continue to do our work, and we will be there for Canadians. I talked about young people and people with disabilities, and we will continue to support—

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

May/1/24 5:31:19 p.m.
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The answers must have, more or less, the same time as the questions. The hon. member for Shefford.

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Ms. Andréanne Larouche (Shefford, BQ)

May/1/24 5:31:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. He addressed the issue of social housing and focused on homelessness in particular. Last week, during our constituency week, I had the chance to attend the unveiling of the City of Granby's action plan for fighting homelessness. The city's request for the federal government is clear: The federal program that can help deal with homelessness is Reaching Home. Granby is still considered a rural community, yet homelessness is on the rise throughout the entire region. Is the government willing to review this program so that more communities like Granby can be deemed “designated communities“ in order to address the needs of the homeless?

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Mr. Darrell Samson

May/1/24 5:32:15 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I believe it will be expanded, because this situation exists everywhere, not just in urban centres. We will need to do a little more, but the investments that we have made to work with organizations on the ground will help us overcome this challenge.

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Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

May/1/24 5:32:42 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I really appreciate the member's energy and I am going to ask for some of it to come to Port Moody—Coquitlam. I know that the member is the parliamentary secretary for Veterans Affairs. There is a piece of federal land very close to the legion in Port Moody, on 45 Mary Street. It was outlined in the budget. How can I get some conversations going around this piece of land? I am getting a bit of a runaround. It is not in infrastructure and communities and now it is over to procurement. Where am I supposed to find this information about 45 Mary Street, because we are very interested in Port Moody—Coquitlam?

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Mr. Darrell Samson

May/1/24 5:33:18 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will share with my colleague that I am no longer the parliamentary secretary for Veterans Affairs. I am the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Rural Economic Development. However, my heart and soul are still in supporting veterans. This, of course, is a new initiative. My understanding of Canada lands is that we will have a drawing of all the vacant lands that belong to the federal government and conversations will be had. I believe the first step would be to speak with the minister about the possibility and identify that land, because that is exactly what we want. We want various people from the municipality and the province, or any member of Parliament, to share where they feel this would be appropriate and have those discussions so we can move forward very quickly. By 2031, we want to have 250,000 homes built.

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Mr. Brendan Hanley (Yukon, Lib.)

May/1/24 5:34:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to ask the member about what his views are on the importance of some of the national programs we have rolled out, and continue to roll out, in the last few years. I am talking about dental care and pharmacare, but also the national child care plan, and how they meet the affordability needs of Canadians in this moment.

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Mr. Darrell Samson

May/1/24 5:34:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I stated in my speech how proud I was, as a member of Parliament representing my constituency but also representing Canada, of the investment in making our social safety net even stronger: supporting people with disabilities, who are the most impoverished; bringing in the first phase of the pharmacare program, which is extremely important; bringing in dental care that nine million people will have access to; talking about more spaces for kids in day cares, which is extremely important, and the national school food program. These are major, fundamental investments in our country, and I am so proud of our government for moving forward on them.

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Mr. Tako Van Popta (Langley—Aldergrove, CPC)

May/1/24 5:35:37 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-234

Madam Speaker, we are talking about budget 2024. The Liberal government claims that its ongoing investments are making life more affordable for Canadians and improving access to housing. That claim is straight out of the budget report. I was very surprised to hear that, because what I have heard from people in my home community, as well as from Canadians right across the country, is exactly the opposite: that the government's mismanagement of the economy is leading to making life less affordable for Canadians. Think of the two million people who now regularly go to food banks. Food banks are even turning away people because there is so much demand. Those people do not think that life is becoming easier or more affordable. How about improving access to housing? Housing is now twice as expensive as it was when the Liberal government first took office. Munir is from my community. Together with his brother and his parents, they bought a house two years ago. With a low interest rate, their mortgage payments were $4,000 a month. Just last month, they had to renew their mortgage for $8,200 a month. They do not think that life is becoming more affordable. Common-sense Conservatives have three demands to fix the budget and bring Canadians the relief that they desperately need. First, we say to axe the carbon tax on farmers and food by immediately passing Bill C-234 in its original and unamended form. Second, we need to build homes, not bureaucracy, by requiring cities to permit 15% more homebuilding each year as a condition of receiving federal infrastructure dollars. Third, we are demanding a cap on spending with a dollar-for-dollar rule to bring down interest rates and inflation. The Liberals chose not to take our advice on that. Therefore, we cannot support this budget. There will be a non-confidence vote coming up, and we will vote non-confidence because we do not have confidence in the government. We want an election. We are ready for it. An hon. member: Canadians want an election.

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Mr. Tako Van Popta

May/1/24 5:38:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is time to turn the hurt that the Liberals have inflicted on Canadians into the hope that they so desperately need.

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Mr. Michael Coteau (Don Valley East, Lib.)

May/1/24 5:39:13 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, there are many pieces within the budget that speak to affordability issues. The member opposite brought up an issue from his own constituency where a family is going through a challenging time. Would he not agree that some of the affordability measures, such as the student nutrition program, the dental program, these pieces that we have built on, like child care in the past, are good for people in his community? How can he stand here talking about affordability and not support those measures?

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Mr. Tako Van Popta

May/1/24 5:39:17 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the best support the government can give to Canadians is to make life more affordable again, bring interest rates down, bring inflation down. Munir and his family should not be paying $8,200 a month for their mortgage; $4,000 should be enough.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

May/1/24 5:39:37 p.m.
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It being 5:40 p.m., it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings and put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of the ways and means Motion No. 20. The question is on the motion. If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen

May/1/24 5:40:04 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I request that the motion be carried on division.

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