SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 315 - May/22/24

May/22/24 11:05:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. On that particular point that the member has raised, I would ask for unanimous consent to table a document that shows exactly what I was saying. It is a news report, and if the member would like to read it, I am sure he might have a change of opinion. Some hon. members: No.

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The Deputy Speaker

May/22/24 11:06:14 p.m.
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I am already hearing a number of noes. Questions and comments, the hon. member for Edmonton—Strathcona.

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Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)

May/22/24 11:06:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for giving a speech in the House so late at night and sharing his insight with us. I am eager for my colleagues to listen to the questions that I am asking and to stop bickering back and forth. Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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The Deputy Speaker

May/22/24 11:06:41 p.m.
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I will back up a bit, because I did not hear what the question was. The hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona can start from the beginning.

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Ms. Heather McPherson

May/22/24 11:06:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague started his speech this evening by talking about how the Liberal budget was a 420-page document that was a bit of an advertisement. That brought to mind something I remembered from when Stephen Harper was the prime minister. I went back and looked, and the 2015 budget was 518 pages long, and it did not address climate change. It did not address many of those issues that are top of mind for so many Canadians now. My colleague also talked about the idea that dental care was not important. With 60,000 people already registered for the dental care program and hundreds of seniors in his riding who are already benefiting from the NDP dental care program, it seems quite shocking to me that he is using his opportunity to speak in the House of Commons to be, not just dishonest, but not very kind to his— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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The Deputy Speaker

May/22/24 11:07:55 p.m.
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Order. We cannot be calling one another dishonest. I am going to ask the hon. member to back up, retract that and maybe find another word. The hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona.

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Ms. Heather McPherson

May/22/24 11:08:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I should not have said that. The information that he was sharing with us was maybe not as accurate as it could have been, and I definitely would retract the idea that he meant to do that. I am sure it was a failure of understanding on his part. Could he talk about why dental care is important to the seniors in his constituency, why he thinks that we do not all deserve dental care and why we should not all have access to those services?

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Mr. Frank Caputo

May/22/24 11:08:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to fund so many different things. I do not know if my colleague heard what I spoke about right at the beginning, perhaps she came in late, with respect to receiving the information from my dentist that this is not as advertised. This is something that, in my view, is completely and overly bureaucratic and does not accomplish what it sets out to do. It would be wonderful if this program did what it actually said it did. The member wants to have this laudable point and contribute to dental care, yet consistently votes with a government that has doubled the debt and now Canadians are lined up at the food banks. I am not sure how she can reconcile that with the point of view that the NDP is fighting for the working class and the poor.

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Ms. Iqra Khalid (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue, Lib.)

May/22/24 11:09:47 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-59

Mr. Speaker, I am splitting my time with the very hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge. I am very pleased to rise today to speak about Bill C-59, which would deliver on key measures from the 2023 fall economic statement to advance the government's economic plan to make life more affordable, build more homes and build an economy that works for everyone. This is an economic statement that is about fairness, not just fairness for today, but fairness for generations to come. I have been continuing to work with my constituents over these past eight years as a member of Parliament. I have a very active youth council of dynamic members who keep me updated on what is important to them in this generation. I have a very active women's council that keeps me updated on what is important for them to make sure that they are thriving within our country. I have attended thousands of events over these past number of years to ensure that I am listening to what Canadians want. I have had stakeholder meetings to listen to what people have to say, to take in that feedback and to make sure we are using it to make good policy. Over these past eight years, I would put to the House that we have made very good, solid, sound policy. I say this because I have heard from constituents about those needs. Canadians are the backbone of our economy and when we empower Canadians we are strengthening our economy and that is what the fall economic statement is really all about and what we have done over these past number of years in government is all about. I will share a couple of examples with the House. For example, Lisa, who is on my women's council, has a start-up with respect to the environment. She works around the world to ensure that we are representing Canada with a global framework to build sustainable development to make sure that we are fighting climate change. Another person on my women's council is Huma, who is starting a second career by going into college at this late stage in her life. There is a member of my youth council who is now studying in med school and is trying to get into law school. Mechatronics is a growing industry— Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Ms. Iqra Khalid: I love that people are heckling. I am trying to get my point across for my constituents. If it is okay, guys, can you just settle down for a second? You will have your time with questions and answers. Is that okay? An hon. member: What, are you the Speaker now? Ms. Iqra Khalid: A little bit. Thank you. I appreciate that. I was talking about Fardeen, who is an engineering student studying mechatronics— An hon. member: Oh, oh!

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The Acting Speaker (Mrs. Karen Vecchio)

May/22/24 11:13:23 p.m.
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I am really enjoying this time. I feel like I am at home with my children. This is lovely. However, if we could just come back and listen to the hon. member speak for her last few minutes, that would be wonderful.

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Ms. Iqra Khalid

May/22/24 11:13:48 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I really appreciate you in that chair. As I was saying, Fardeen, who is studying mechatronics engineering in that STEM field has great ideas about innovation and how he is going to build Canada's economy to do better for our next generation. The reality is that the framework and how the Canadian economy is working today is changing. Young people are not following those traditional paths in how we normally had jobs. The gig economy is real. How young Canadians are working is very different from how my parents worked. We have to take into account all of that as we are building a better and stronger economy for Canadians in the future. When we talk about Canadians being the backbone of our country and our economy, we have to really make sure that we are establishing that foundation, strengthening that foundation. By strengthening Canadians, we strengthen the whole country. I can tell members that I have read hundreds and hundreds of personal emails from my own constituents who have told me how $10-a-day child care has impacted their lives so significantly. It has allowed people to join the economy. I can tell members about how our youth employment strategy has impacted young people in my constituency who have taken advantage of it, who have been able to transition from school into the workforce. I can tell members how the Canada summer jobs program has created, in my riding, over 400 jobs every single year, not only to support young people, but also to ensure that small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, are doing well, that they are able to thrive over the summer, while also building that relationship with our next generation of workers within our communities. I can tell members about the countless efforts that seniors in my community have made to connect with us to ensure that the old age security and the guaranteed income supplement that they receive are comparable to their living costs. Having heard all of that feedback, I can tell members that the fall economic statement is a step in that right direction, to make sure that we are strengthening the foundation of Canada, strengthening the people of Canada. When we strengthen our people, we strengthen who we are, not just as a country on the international stage, where we have one of the best economies in the G7, where we have one of the lowest inflation rates in the G7, but also internally to ensure that we are creating new jobs. We have created two million new jobs over these past eight years. That is nothing to sneeze at. The plan is working. That plan is to strengthen who we are as Canadians. When seniors in my riding told me that we need to strengthen our dental plan, that we need to make sure that we have access to dental care, that was a consultation I was more than happy to advocate for. When Afia, from a not-for-profit on my women's council, came to me and said that they needed a youth nutrition program in our schools to make sure that kids do not go hungry, to give them the best that they can have, I was more than happy to advocate for that, and successfully. We have a job to do as a government. We are not in the business of making money. We are not in the business of austerity. We see that Canadians are struggling. Canadians are the strongest part of our economy, individually, our middle class, our youth, women, seniors, our amazing workers, tech support, nurses and health care workers. When we strengthen them, we strengthen our country. That is what the fall economic statement has been about. That is what our budget 2024 is about. That is what we have been doing over these past eight years to strengthen Canada and be a competitor on the world stage. Do members know what that has done? It has made sure that Canada is competitive. We have the most trade agreements across the world with G7 nations. This is historically the best time for people in my riding to be able to invest, not just here in Canada, but across the world. We have seen so much investment come directly into Canada, and it is because we invest in Canadians. It is because we are investing into what the future of our country is going to look like. We are not about slogans. We are not about cuts. We are not about austerity. I am proud to stand up and support the fall economic statement and proud of the work that this government has done over these past eight years.

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Ms. Julie Dabrusin (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change and to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Lib.)

May/22/24 11:19:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it was very interesting for me to hear the member talk about her youth councils and the women's councils and all the people who are bringing their advice forward. I am wondering what they are telling her about the importance of programs like the national child care program and the national school food program, and what they are sharing with her as their thoughts about what would happen to their families if these programs were cut.

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Ms. Iqra Khalid

May/22/24 11:20:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is just it. We have to listen to what people want. When we talk to youth, their main concerns are affordability, housing and climate change. Our policies in the fall economic statement reflect that. I have had hundreds of conversations over this year with my constituents to talk about exactly how we can strengthen our communities. That listening exercise, and then transferring it into policy, very much like the national school food program, is so important because it helps us build stronger communities and ultimately build a stronger Canada.

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Mr. Blaine Calkins (Red Deer—Lacombe, CPC)

May/22/24 11:20:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today is the eighth birthday of my niece Ola, so I would like to wish her a happy birthday. Ola is going to inherit more debt than any other generation, as this young Canadian. I was wondering if my colleague across the way could tell Ola in what year the Liberal Party plans to balance the budget.

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Ms. Iqra Khalid

May/22/24 11:21:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the Reform Party member for asking that question. As I said in my speech, and I am hoping that the member would have listened, it is about making investments into our future. It is not about cuts. It is not about austerity. It is not about axing and taxing or whatever those fancy slogans are that are coming out from that party. It is about believing in the ability, the talent, and the perseverance of our young people to ensure that they have what is needed for them to be successful today, for years to come and for generations to come.

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Mr. Alexandre Boulerice (Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, NDP)

May/22/24 11:21:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I always find it rather amusing when the Conservatives ask questions about balancing the budget. When Harper was prime minister, they ran deficits eight out of nine years. In the ninth year, they balanced the budget, but only because they urgently sold federal shares in General Motors. However, I would remind my colleague, who was talking about young people and the future, that we are in the midst of a major housing crisis. A national strategy was created, but seven years on, it does not seem to have worked very well, despite the $40 billion spent. About $40 billion is left in this national housing strategy fund. Does she not agree with us that we should invest in non-profit housing first, in social housing that is truly affordable for our young people?

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Ms. Iqra Khalid

May/22/24 11:22:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's raising this important issue, that we do need to build more homes. We are making those investments. In fact, we are on track to ensure that Canadians have the homes that they need in order to live in an affordable community. At the same time, we also need to make sure that Canadians, especially young people, have the living wage and the support systems to ensure that they can live in a safe and supportive community. We have made significant investments through our housing strategy. We are going to continue to build housing for our young people, and, at the same time, we are going to tackle issues of affordability for all Canadians and especially our young people.

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Mr. Corey Tochor (Saskatoon—University, CPC)

May/22/24 11:23:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to let the member clarify a comment that she made. She actually said this is the best historical time ever in Canada, but by every indication, this is one of the toughest, hardest times ever. I think the member just misspoke. Can the member clarify if she actually thinks this is the best historical time ever for Canada, in 2024?

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Ms. Iqra Khalid

May/22/24 11:24:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is a time for Canada to grow. We have established amazing international trade agreements. Whether it is with the Pacific nations, the CPTPP, CETA or the renegotiated NAFTA, we have laid the foundation. We have seen the biggest growth of direct investment into Canada, whether by Honda or by so many other organizations that are coming in, such as Volkswagen or Stellantis. Ultimately, there are businesses in my riding that have seen growth themselves, which they tell me anecdotally, and I can see the growth because we are making the investments in the right place. I am not sure why the member and his party are so against investing in Canadians. Canadians matter.

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Mr. Francesco Sorbara (Vaughan—Woodbridge, Lib.)

May/22/24 11:25:25 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-59 Bill C-56

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure and an honour to rise in the House. I want to give a shout-out to my family, including my daughters, back home in the city of Vaughan. My daughters should all be sleeping because they have school in the morning. I wish them a wonderful day tomorrow. Before I get into my formal remarks, I will give an example that personifies how we are doing the right thing to grow our economy in this beautiful country and also invest confidently in Canadians and Canadian families, and that is the recent announcement by Honda to invest $15 billion into the Canadian auto sector and the development of electric vehicles, along with the manufacturing plants. Last week, I was able to join the Premier of Ontario, the Prime Minister, ministers across the board and many of my hon. colleagues of the House for an announcement of $1.6 billion from a Japanese company, Asahi Kasei, to develop separators for electric vehicles. This will create thousands of jobs in the Port Colborne area of Ontario and provide bright futures for families there, something that we believe in. Confident governments and countries invest in their citizens. A few days later, I was able to visit Vellore Corners Dentistry, Dr. Elena Panovski and her staff, to talk about the Canada dental care plan. This dentist sent out a flyer in my neighbourhood and many neighbourhoods in the city of Vaughan, telling patients that if they are eligible for the Canada dental care plan, they should go to her clinic. The dentist had also put up a billboard along a major regional road in the city. I visited the clinic and met Peter, an 80-year-old senior citizen in my riding, someone who came to this country and worked hard. He had his Sun Life Canadian dental care plan card with him and was at the dentist thanks to the program that we have implemented. That is awesome. That is progress. We were sent here to do what is right for our citizens. In fact, as of today, over 90,000 seniors have gone to dental care providers across this country. If we do not all clap about that, I do not know what we are going to clap about. Members on the other side are not clapping. Over two million eligible seniors have signed up, have been approved and will receive their cards. Why is that important? It is important because the day I arrived here in 2015, one of the programs that I knew would make a difference in the lives of literally millions of Canadians was a dental care program, and that is what we have done. We have done so much: the Canada child benefit, raising personal income tax rates on the wealthiest, cutting taxes for the middle class, raising the basic personal expenditure amount, signing free trade deals with countries around the world and being at the table, and we will continue to do so. This bill will implement important and fiscally responsible measures from the 2023 fall economic statement that support our government's efforts to build more homes faster, make life more affordable and create more good jobs. Our government is working to create a better future for all generations, and Bill C‑59 is essential to making that goal a reality. With Canada's housing plan and the 2024 budget, we are taking numerous steps to help increase the supply of housing with the goal of reducing the high costs Canadians face. Bill C‑59 promises to support those efforts by helping increase the supply of rental housing in Canada. About one-third of all Canadians rent their homes, but the number of available rental units has failed to keep pace with demand. Bill C-56, the affordable housing and groceries act, which received royal assent on December 15, 2023, and the federal component of the HST on the cost of newly purpose-built rental housing introduced a 100% rebate on the GST. Bill C-59 would extend the eligibility for the GST rental rebate to co-operative housing corporations that provide long-term rental accommodation. Our objective, as a government, is to incentivize the construction of even more rental units, and that is what is happening in the Canadian housing market. We know that our growing, vibrant communities also require critical infrastructure, like public transit, modern water systems and community centres, which is all infrastructure that Canadians depend on daily in their lives. That is why Bill C-59 would establish the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities in the federal lead for improving housing outcomes and enhancing the public infrastructure. The cost of living is weighing heavily on household budgets. Bill C‑59 would make life more affordable by strengthening competition to help stabilize prices in Canada. We have heard public concerns about increasing corporate concentration and the power of private sector giants. Complementing the changes introduced in Bill C-56, which I mentioned a few moments ago, Bill C-59's suite of amendments to the Competition Act and the Competition Tribunal Act would provide Canadians with more modern and effective competition laws. As everyone knows in this House, I love capitalism and wealth creation, which lead to higher standards of living, but what I do not like is corporate concentration and measures that are introduced that are anti-competitive by organizations and companies, and that is why we need guardrails. That is why it is smart for us to introduce amendments to the Competition Act and the Competition Tribunal Act, which the opposite party had ignored for the years that it was in power, and it can remain in opposition for many more years. Together, these amendments would represent generational changes to Canada's competition regime. More competition means lower prices, more innovative products and services and more choices for Canadians in where they take their business. The amendments are designed to empower the Competition Bureau to better serve the public in its role as watchdog and advocate dynamic markets. Bill C-59 would further modernize merger reviews and position the Competition Bureau to better detect and address killer acquisitions and other anti-competitive mergers. The legislation would also support Canadians' right to repair by preventing manufacturers from refusing to provide the means of repair of devices and products in an anti-competitive manner. Our plan is also focused on Canadians' well-being. Therapy and counselling play a critical role in the lives and mental health of millions of people in Canada, but they can also be costly. To ensure that Canadians can get the help they need, our government is taking the necessary steps to make these essential services more accessible and affordable. Bill C‑59 would eliminate the GST and HST from psychotherapy and counselling therapy. Our government is also taking care of young families. EI parental or maternity benefits provide essential support to new parents. The legislation would bring in a 15-week shareable EI benefit and amend the Canada Labour Code so that adoptive parents who work in federally regulated sectors have the job protection they need while receiving the new benefit. The legislation would go even further by creating new paid leave for federally regulated employees with a view to supporting families in the event of a miscarriage. Turning now to Canada's fiscal position, we do know that Canada's deficit-to-GDP ratio is number one in the G7 and G20: we have the lowest deficit-to-GDP ratio in the G7. Our net debt-to-GDP ratio is also in the mid-30s range, which is top-notch. We are one of the few countries in the world with an AAA credit rating. These ratings were affirmed and confirmed after the budget was delivered by the rating agencies, one of which I spent several years working for, and covered many sectors that we talked about in this wonderful House, which continue to employ hundreds of thousands of Canadians and continue to grow our economy. It has been an honour to rise in this House and, again, I wish all the residents of Vaughan—Woodbridge a wonderful Thursday morning and wonderful and safe travels to work.

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