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Mr. Randy Hoback (Prince Albert, CPC)

Apr/4/22 1:41:15 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, it is great to be here this morning talking about government spending again. Spending is something the government knows how to do very well, and it has been very actively spending taxpayers' dollars as it sees fit, as if it is the government's own slush fund. I am here to speak against Bill C-8, because some of that bill would actually do the exact same thing that has happened before. Let us review what is going on in the Canadian economy as we speak today. Typical housing prices have gone from $345,000 to $810,000 in the biggest one-time gain of all time. Newly created government cash, $400 billion, was pumped into the financial markets, and a lot of that money went into high-risk mortgages at rates less than inflation. Those are concerns that Canadian taxpayers should have going into the future, because we are insuring a lot of those high-risk mortgages. We are seeing the price of food going up, and that is something I hear of quite often. The price of chicken, for example, is up 6.2%, beef is up 12%, bacon is up 20% and bread is up 5%. Those are old numbers. Those numbers are no longer relevant. We could almost double them today and that is what we would see when we go to buy things at the grocery store. Inflationary pressures, not COVID pressures, are starting to become a major factor in what Canadians are facing moving forward. We see the economies opening up here in Canada. Saskatchewan has been open for literally over a month and a half. Masking mandates have been removed and vaccine passports have been removed. Canadians are getting back to business, except for federal employees who, for one reason or another, decided not to be vaccinated or not to reveal their status. Those people are still sitting in unemployment lines or have been laid off or fired. It is really sad when we look at the history of these people and what they have contributed to our economy and to our civil service. These are penitentiary guards and other federal workers who have given their hearts and souls to their jobs, only to be told, because they did not release their medical status, that they were no longer needed or wanted. It is amazing to lose people with that type of skill set and that experience at this point in time, in a situation where we have unemployment. People are demanding and looking for labour. The government is going to have a huge problem filling the shoes of those people who have left. I think the government has forgotten history, and I am going to go on a trip down memory lane, just as I did last week when I was talking about our motion to look for a way back to a balanced budget. The government has not remembered the mistakes of the past. It has not talked to former Liberal members who went through the process of trying to actually balance the budget after they were told they had to. Let us go back to the 1990s. Let us look at the situation in 1992 and 1993. All of a sudden, the warning signs were going off. We had inflation. We had gone through a period in the eighties when, if someone got a mortgage at 14%, they were excited. I can remember buying my first house. I was excited. I got a mortgage at 14%. Now, if I cannot get a mortgage at 2.5% or 3%, I am mad. That really tells us the difference between where we are sitting right now and where we are possibly heading again. We saw rapid inflationary pressures. We were seeing oil and gas pressure. The Canadian economy was showing strides. If someone had a job, they were excited. When I was coming out of high school in 1984 or 1985, if I got a job at McDonald's I was taking it, because there were not a lot of jobs to be had. A lot of people flocked to university, just because they had no options other than continuing to go to school. There were no jobs to be had. In 1994, Moody's investors lowered our credit rating. In 1995 and 1996, we had more people jumping on that and saying that Canada needed to do something, and in 1996 Jean Chrétien and finance minister Paul Martin had to go through the process of making decisions they did not want to make. They were decisions I hope no future governments will ever have to make. The federal government, for example, wanted to block transfers to the provinces. It cut health care funding substantially, compared with 1993 levels, and those levels did not return to normal, or 1993 levels, until 2004. It took that long to get things back in order so that we could actually start putting more money back into our health care system. Basically, we saw a situation where people were looking at the economy and were in dire need, and there were just no financial resources there to help them out. We had spent the cupboard bare, and the government had to make all sorts of difficult choices, both at the federal and provincial levels, to pay back the excess of borrowing that happened in previous governments, such as the Trudeau governments of the early and late seventies. I do not want to see that repeated. I do not want to see that handed on to my kids or my grandkids. Hopefully I will have grandkids somewhere down the road. We are spending a lot of money. We are seeing inflationary pressures and all sorts of instability around the world. We are spending our reserves, which we may need to save for another rainy day, like we did when COVID-19 first hit or when we had the great recession of 2008. At that time, we had the fiscal capacity to spend some money and strategically use it in such a way to advance our communities and help things that needed to be done get done earlier so we could get back to balanced budgets in 2015. Now we are seeing the government spending like crazy. Part of it is okay. I have to admit that part of it is fine. Supporting people during the time of COVID-19 was important. We had to be there for people. I think all parties agreed with that. However, now as we get out of COVID and start looking into the future post-COVID, all of a sudden we have not learned a lesson and we continue to keep spending and spending. We have to wonder: What is the role of taxpayers? Are taxpayers really on board with this type of spending? If we go back to the last election, they did not vote for a coalition government. They did not vote for a new dental care program or a new pharmacare program. They did not vote for a coalition government. If we asked them that today, they would be totally against it, and it would have changed their voting habits in the last election. When we look at the costs of these types of programs, one has to wonder: Who is going to pay for them? How are we going to pay for them? There are some options. If we want a dental care program or health care program, there are options to pay for that. One of them is to quit shutting down the industries that actually would pay for it, like the oil and gas sector, for example. We have the safest and most ethical oil and gas in the world. We just need to get it to market. By getting it to market, we would have royalties that could be used to keep our deficits low, pay for services like a dental care program, increase funding to health care and education and transition to a green economy, which is somewhere we all know we have to go. However, our transition is not going to be paid by royalties off oil and gas; it is going to be paid off with deficits and debt. The Liberals call this investment. That is fine, but in the same breath, why are we borrowing money when we have the ability to raise the money? That is what drives me and a lot of Canadians crazy, because they see opportunities for the government to get this economy going and what does it do? It brings in regulations and policies that slow or shut it down. It brings in policies that are not being followed anywhere else in the world and it is putting Canadians through restrictions that nobody else has to face. A classic example is the oil and gas regulations for the environment we have here in Canada, and our friend President Biden and the regulations he put in place. If he was so in favour of what we have done in Canada, why did he not copy us? Why did he not bring in our regulations? Why did he not bring in the exact same regulations we have here? Has he done that? Is he going to do that? The answer to that is no, because he will not risk the U.S. economy in light of what he needs to do in moving forward with electronic vehicles or the green economy. He is not going to throw that away. He is basically going to try to do both at the same time, which is what Prime Minister Harper was trying to do. He was balancing the economy and the environment together. We can look at other sectors. If we talk to those in the manufacturing sector, they are saying we are losing manufacturing left, right and centre. They are saying nobody is reinvesting in Canada because it is too expensive to operate here in Canada. I was in the U.S. two weeks ago and had some closed-door meetings with some senators. They were saying the reputation of Canada being a great member of the supply chain is at serious risk. They were saying that we cannot seem to get it together and that we do not have the ability to be part of a supply chain anymore. They said we are great for one-off purchases, but if we want to part of and embedded in the supply chain, we need to improve our border efficiency, our reliability and our tax structure. Not all of these are federal problems; I will agree with that. Some of them are municipal and some are provincial. However, we need to get to work on them, and that is where we need to focus. When we look at things we could be spending money on, things that could grow our economy and make things grow stronger, that would be wise to consider. More importantly, we need to be smarter and more proactive. Let us spend money where it is needed and required immediately, not chase new dreams and new structural deficits and debts that will leave our kids basically out in the cold, making the exact same decisions that Paul Martin and Jean Chrétien had to make. Even Ralph Goodale was part of that role. I encourage the Liberals to talk to some old Liberals. I think a lot of the old Liberals, like Dan McTeague, would say, “What is this party?” [Technical difficulty—Editor] what the government has been doing. They would not endorse it. They would not say this is a prudent way forward. They have the scars of going through the 1995-97 cuts and have experienced that. Let us not make the same mistakes. Let us learn from history. Let us move forward and do it in a prudent, proactive way.

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

Apr/4/22 1:51:15 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, regarding Bill C-8 and, obviously, the significant impact it would have on our country and our fiscal situation, I would like to ask my colleague's opinion. The Liberals have an opportunity to vote in favour of a Conservative motion here this afternoon that would provide some important context to address some of the fiscal realities that our country is facing. I wonder if my friend and colleague could comment on that vote, which will take place just after question period.

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Mr. Randy Hoback

Apr/4/22 1:51:55 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, I think a lot of people are following this vote very closely because it sends a signal to Canadians about how, and whether or not, the government is going to act responsibly. Having a game plan on how we are going to pay back our debt or get to a zero deficit is not a bad thing. Having a strategy in place to say this is our focus as we go out of the COVID world into an economy that is possibly facing another global war with what we are seeing in Ukraine and Russia is probably a good thing. Actually making sure that we have our ducks in a row physically and financially is very important. Canadians want to see that out of the government, but right now what they are seeing out of the government is confusion. They are seeing a lot of spending. They are seeing a lot of untargeted hyperopia on things the government wants to do moving forward, but nothing that really focuses on Canadians to actually set their families up for the future, and nothing that will prevent our kids from making the horrible decisions the Liberals made in 1995-96 because of the irresponsible spending before them.

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

Apr/4/22 1:53:00 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I am a bit surprised to hear him argue against dental care. I would imagine that getting reimbursed for dental care would save people in his riding a lot of money. However, I would also suggest to him that, if we want to pay for new services, then we need to go and get the money where it can be found. What does my colleague think about a special tax on the indecent profits being made by the big banks? They made $60 billion in profit last year, which represents an increase of 40% in just one year. Why not tax the super-rich and corporations like banks that make outrageous profits?

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Mr. Randy Hoback

Apr/4/22 1:53:41 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Madam Speaker, the hon. member makes an excellent point. One would think people in Saskatchewan want dental care, and yes, they do, but they do not want to burden their kids with all sorts of expenses they cannot afford. This is a structural change in government spending, so we need tax revenue, not just today but in the future, to pay for it. How we are going to do that? We just shut down the oil and gas sector and we just heard from the manufacturing sector that it is leaving, so what are we going to do? My suggestion, if we want a dental program and pharmacare program, is to maybe get the cash first. Maybe pay for it instead of financing it through deficit and then waiting for somewhere down the road to pay for it. We talk about the big banks and the people who make tremendous amounts of money with their corporations. Proper taxation is very important, no question about it, but keep in mind that when a big bank makes money, what does it do? It pays out dividends. What do shareholders do? They reinvest it back into the Canadian economy. They buy things, or they borrow from the bank and use the money in their business to function their operating capital. If we want to have fair taxation rates for banks, let us talk about that; let us make that part of the debate. However, why not raise that money first before we start committing Canadians to a structural expense that they may not be able to afford?

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Mr. Denis Trudel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, BQ)

Apr/4/22 1:54:51 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the IPCC, released a report this morning at 11 a.m. I would like to know what my colleague thinks about it. For example, the report states that projected carbon dioxide emissions from existing and currently planned fossil fuel infrastructure exceed the total emissions that would limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. That is a big deal. Furthermore, the IPCC calculates that, by 2050, the equivalent of $1 trillion to $4 trillion U.S. in fossil fuels must be left in the ground to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. I would like to know what my colleague thinks about that.

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Mr. Randy Hoback

Apr/4/22 1:55:34 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, well, I have not seen the entire report so it is hard to comment, but with regard to his comments about fossil fuels and keeping them in the ground and emissions, let us talk about a few things. First of all, this is a global crisis, and where is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel in the world? It is in Canada. If we want to shut down the Canadian industry, okay, shut that down, but it is going to get replaced because people are still burning fuel. What the Europeans found out when they could not get oil and gas from Russia is that they are still burning fuel, so where is it going to come from? It is the areas that are not environmentally friendly, which will actually increase the speed of carbon emissions in the world and provide cheap, dirty, unethical oil all over the world. We have a choice to make, and it is a very clear choice. We can have energy security here in Canada, with a very safe, green, ethical fund growing in Canada's oil and gas sector, whether it is in Newfoundland, Alberta or Saskatchewan, or we can get oil from Venezuela or from third-world dictatorships like Russia. What do we want? We have to decide, because right now the decisions that are being made do not make a lot of sense.

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Hon. Ed Fast (Abbotsford, CPC)

Apr/4/22 1:56:46 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-8

Mr. Speaker, my colleague for Prince Albert has it right. Canada is the place where we should be investing. We should be harnessing the power of our energy sector to get clean energy to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the NDP-Liberal coalition government does not understand that. We know that this Thursday, the NDP-Liberal government is going to be tabling its 2022 budget. Quite frankly, based on the government's track record these past seven years, I expect it will again fail to meet the expectations and aspirations Canadians have for their future. For two long years, Canadians have been resilient, hoping to see a return to normal once mandates began to lift, lockdowns were lifted and Canadians were vaccinated, but instead, Canadians are struggling more than ever due to a soaring consumer price inflation rate, which stands at 5.7% today and is going up. In fact, the Governor of the Bank of Canada has suggested that it is going to get worse before it gets better, and Canadians have a right to be concerned. They see inflation at a 30-year high and skyrocketing housing prices, which have exacerbated the mess that our Liberal government has made of the economy. Economists have been warning for well over a year that there was an inflation crisis coming, yet the experts in our government assured us that inflation was transitory and there was nothing to see here. Meanwhile, hundreds of billions of dollars in special stimulus, as the Prime Minister called it, was being pumped into our economy. Of course, those were taxpayers' dollars, and they were beginning to flood into our economy, with the excess cash driving the inflation rate and driving up the cost of everything. The Conservatives had warned the finance minister that out-of-control borrowing and spending without a plan to return to balanced budgets and a plan to manage the massive debt the Liberal government was leaving behind would leave future generations of Canadians to pay for this mess, this huge albatross hanging around their necks, going forward. However, we understand why this has happened. It is because, as members know, the Prime Minister said that he does not think about monetary policy. For the leader of this country not to care about monetary policy and its role in driving inflation in this country is appalling. When I have an opportunity to continue my speech after question period, I would love to elucidate and expand on those comments.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 1:59:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, April is Sikh Heritage Month. My bhaji, back in 2019, brought in legislation that was ultimately passed unanimously by all sides of the House, recognizing the importance of Sikhism not only to Canada but around the world. It is with a very proud heart that I say to people that April is the month in which we should be recognizing the importance from Sikhism from coast to coast to coast here in Canada. April 14 is a very special day. It is the day in which we celebrate Vaisakhi. At this time, I would like to wish everyone a very happy Vaisakhi. I have been touched and blessed since 1988 when I was first elected to the Manitoba legislature, and I know the importance of Sikhism. I want to say to everyone, Sat Sri Akaal.

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Mr. Ryan Williams (Bay of Quinte, CPC)

Apr/4/22 2:01:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my community of Bay of Quinte was changed forever on March 19 when the unimaginable happened. On their way home from a family vacation in Florida, the Kort family was in a horrific vehicle accident. While driving home, they were struck by a cement truck. Jamie and Hannah are in critical care. Ethan and Pieter were badly injured. Maddie and Joni were taken from this earth into the arms of their grandparents who predeceased them. Many have asked what they could do to help, and the community has come through for them. Over $482,000 has been raised by the Bay of Quinte community in just two weeks. While we do not know the specifics of this journey, we know the road ahead will be long and fraught with immeasurable grief. Everyone's love, support and prayers are appreciated during this time by the family and by the community. Let us continue to pray for the Kort family and their recovery. On behalf of the community, I thank everyone for all the support to them in this time of unimaginable need.

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Mrs. Salma Zahid (Scarborough Centre, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 2:02:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every year Muslims across the world take part in Ramadan. As we fast from dawn to sunset for the next month, we take the time to reflect on ourselves, our actions and our values. Ramadan is a time of patience, empathy and compassion. It is a time when we grow closer to our families, friends and community. We open our hearts and strive to give back to our community through charity and volunteerism. We share these values as Muslims and Canadians who work every day to make our country a better place. This year, for the first time in two years, we will be able to observe Ramadan together in the community, while still observing public health best practices. We will be able to join together in our local mosques for Taraweeh prayers and join our families for Iftar. I invite all members to join me in saying to Muslims in Canada, Ramadan mubarak. Ramadan kareem.

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Ms. Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, BQ)

Apr/4/22 2:03:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the unspeakable images of bodies of men and women strewn across the streets of Bucha are a stark reminder of the horrors of war. It is an affront to our humanity. The entire world mourns as we see these bodies strewn about, neglected, assaulted, murdered, and thrown onto the street. These are men and women who loved and were loved, lived, conversed and laughed just like we do. These people were brutally and horrifically killed. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I vehemently condemn the war crimes that have been committed in Bucha and elsewhere in Ukraine. We must do more, we must move faster and we must do better. We have a sacred responsibility to help Ukrainians, even more so now that we know exactly what awaits them if we do nothing.

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Mr. Angelo Iacono (Alfred-Pellan, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 2:04:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Muslims all over the world celebrated the start of the holy month of Ramadan this weekend. Ramadan is a time of spiritual contemplation with an emphasis on devotion, during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset as a way to get closer to God. To the 20,000 Muslims living in Laval and to all Muslims across Canada and around the world, I wish you a blessed month. May this month of reflection and its lessons of compassion and gratitude permeate through the community and help make us all more open, inclusive and tolerant. I very much look forward to sharing iftars with members of the community in Alfred‑Pellan, whose community spirit, generosity and spirit of sharing enhance our cultural mosaic. Ramadan mubarak.

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

Apr/4/22 2:05:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the great work of Habitat for Humanity Northumberland. Back in March, I attended Habitat home dedications in Cobourg and Bewdley to celebrate the wonderful work they are doing in our riding. Habitat for Humanity's mission is to break the cycle of poverty through their innovative home ownership program, which helps individuals and families in financially vulnerable situations build and buy quality houses. However, they do so much more than just build houses. They help build homes for families, which strengthens our community with every family and partnership. A special shout-out goes to Meaghan Macdonald and her team for all the great work they do at Habitat for Humanity Northumberland. I thank Meaghan and I thank Habitat for Humanity.

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Mr. Sukh Dhaliwal (Surrey—Newton, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 2:06:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, April is Sikh Heritage Month in Canada, when we celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of Sikh pioneers for their positive impact on our country. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Sikh heritage society of B.C.'s annual opening gala in celebration of these rich historical and cultural contributions. I was inspired by speaking to many young leaders and hearing how proud they are to be Sikh and Canadian. These identities are not separate but rather forever intertwined. For me, this is the essence of why Sikh Heritage Month is so important: celebrating past achievements to chart a similar path forward for the next generation. Sat Sri Akaal. This translates to truth is the timeless one.

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Ms. Valerie Bradford (Kitchener South—Hespeler, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 2:07:47 p.m.
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Mister Speaker, today I would like to recognize Greg White, who is a teacher, coach and leader in the Hespeler community. After 31 years of teaching at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School, Mr. White has retired. He dedicated his personal and professional life to the betterment of the school. For years, he even hosted regular fundraising events alongside his best friend and colleague Mark Hatt in order to raise money for the school. Later, becoming head of the physical education department, he transformed the fitness program and facilities to rival those of universities, let alone other high schools. While known to many as a coach, his influence did not stop on the field, as he pushed students to excel no matter their pursuit. Mr. White touched the lives of thousands in Hespeler, including my son Brad. I ask the House to join me in congratulating him on his retirement and thanking him for working so selflessly to inspire the next generation of leaders.

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

Apr/4/22 2:08:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, April is the Month of the Military Child. It is my honour to pay tribute to the unsung heroes who stand behind our women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces. Military families are often on the move and military children find themselves in unfamiliar territory, leaving friends, activities and schools behind. Their parents are often absent for prolonged periods of time, and countless holidays and birthdays are spent without mom and dad. Having CFB Wainwright in my riding, I am witness to the reality of a life of service for the spouses and children of our women and men in uniform. They say that patience is a virtue, and military children have perfected that quality. They know how to wait. Military kids say more goodbyes in their first few years of life than most folks do in a lifetime. If we know of a military child of a serving member, let us give them a hug and say thanks for sharing their loved one with the rest of Canada and, indeed, the world. God bless them for their service, sacrifice and strength.

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Mr. Taleeb Noormohamed (Vancouver Granville, Lib.)

Apr/4/22 2:09:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this week, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi will visit Canada. In honour of his visit, I want to recognize all those individuals across the globe who have had to flee their homes, communities and countries due to political unrest, war, humanitarian crises, natural disasters and instability. Around the world, refugees fleeing Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, Myanmar, Yemen, South Sudan and so many other places face uncertainty, despair, hunger and oppression. Canada has a proud tradition of protecting those who are most vulnerable. In these difficult times, it is even more important that we continue to welcome those seeking refuge who wish to build a better life. We know that refugees put down roots in Canada and work hard to make this their home. They embrace Canadian values and they work hard to make our communities better. They come with experience, skills and an incredible resilience. They make Canada better. Their presence is a reminder of why it is so important for us to continue to uphold our shared values of compassion, pluralism, generosity and kindness, because this benefits each and every one of us every day.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Apr/4/22 2:10:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week I joined the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce and some businesses in my riding for a very frank discussion. With Canadian families facing record-high inflation, a skyrocketing cost of living and a growing housing affordability crisis, businesses in my riding are feeling the squeeze, labour shortages and a supply chain mess. The only thing on the rise for them are costs. They want to see real solutions and a meaningful plan from the government to fight the inflationary pressures, to get Canadians back to work, to attract capital, to support innovation and to do something, anything, about the regulatory hurdles that they face. The only consistent thing I hear from businesses at home, from those building the transformers that power our lives to those who build the medical devices that might save them, is this. They all say that it would make more sense to leave. They want to see a plan for growth with targeted investments to boost our productivity and improve our competitiveness in the global marketplace. Thornhill punches way above its weight when it comes to building great companies and I want to keep it that way.

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Mr. Chris Lewis (Essex, CPC)

Apr/4/22 2:12:11 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-224

Mr. Speaker, this morning I had the honour to speak in support of Bill C-224 in the House, a bill that recognizes the importance of bringing awareness to certain types of cancers that firefighters face each and every day. As a former firefighter, I want to thank the brave men and women who protect us all. We appreciate everything that they do to keep our families safe. It is hard for us to say goodbye to friends that we have lost and perhaps even tougher to say goodbye to someone like my friend, Darrell Ellwood, who passed away on Christmas Day 2011 from cancer and was laid to rest on January 14, 2012. Darrell's story is one of far too many, a life taken far too soon. To the International Association of Fire Fighters, I say I will continue to work vigorously in the House to ensure that those who have sacrificed so much, whose spouses and families have lost so much, are not lost in vain.

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