44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2022 10:00AM
- Feb/15/22 2:54:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will never get inflation under control as long as the minister keeps borrowing and spending like there is no tomorrow. Not only did the minister ignore our concerns, but she also ignored the warnings of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who questioned the wisdom of her stimulus spending, pumping more money into the economy when the cost of living is skyrocketing.
The minister is making the crisis worse. The problem is not transitory. Month by month, the inflation numbers are going up. When will the minister finally do something to protect Canadians against the skyrocketing cost of living?
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- Feb/15/22 3:05:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague from Vancouver Granville for his excellent question.
Our government recognizes that providing students with the opportunity to learn French today means having more bilingual adults in the future. Budget 2021 includes investments to eliminate wait lists and to find ways to work with our provincial and territorial partners to continue to improve access to the French language.
We will continue working with communities.
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague touched upon the idea of a guaranteed basic income. At the end of the day, I will put my own thoughts on the table and then ask the question. I think the idea of looking at the variety of social safety net programs, both provincially and federally, and consolidating those programs to have one guaranteed payment that would be available, as well as to get administrative savings from some of the delivery of these programs from the bureaucracy to augment those programs, is an idea worth exploring.
I am wondering where her thoughts are. Sometimes every parliamentarian has a different view on whether we are adding this program on top of the existing social safety net. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said that it could be close to $90 billion per year to do something of that nature.
Could the member describe to the House exactly the parameters? Would it be adding to the safety net, or trying to solidify and make efficiencies in our existing system?
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his interest in a guaranteed basic livable income. It is heartening to hear that he is interested in exploring this idea.
I believe that we need to consolidate and create efficiencies, absolutely. The Parliamentary Budget Officer showed that would be the case, if we were to put forward some kind of guaranteed livable income. There are efficiencies to be found. More than that, we need to increase the income of people living below the poverty line.
People are struggling. People in my community are struggling to access food and medication. It is beyond time that we provide the support necessary for people to live in dignity. I encourage the member to move beyond wanting to explore the idea. Whether it is universal dental care or universal basic income, the government speaks about wanting to explore or talk about this. Let us get it done.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an important question. There is no question that what is happening globally is to a degree playing out here in Canada as well. I think everyone can agree with that. However, as the Parliamentary Budget Officer confirmed, the stimulus spending that the government carried out contributed drastically to the inflation we are seeing in Canada, and the greatest rise in inflation that we are seeing is in items that we produce right here in Canada, such as natural gas, beef and pork.
I understand the member is coming from the global perspective, but I do think it is important to note that in a lot of ways the cost of living crisis is very much a homegrown problem.
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