44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 4, 2022 11:00AM
- Apr/4/22 2:28:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie for his question.
As he is well aware, we committed to ending fossil fuel subsidies, including those for Crown corporations, by 2023, which is two years earlier than all of our G20 partners.
Last week, we announced $9.1 billion in new money on top of the $100 billion our government is already investing across Canada to make this country a global energy transition leader.
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- Apr/4/22 2:28:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today's IPCC report tells us we are racing toward a climate disaster. Worse still, we know what needs to be done and we have the tools, but the government is failing to act. There is no time left to delay, but the Liberals' emission reduction plan is far from what is needed. They continue to hand out billions of dollars to big oil and gas instead of scaling up renewables and supports for workers.
The world's top scientists are clear: It is now or never. Why is the government acting like there is no emergency?
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- Apr/4/22 2:29:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in fact, we are very seized with the emergency, which is why we presented the most ambitious, transparent and solid climate change plan we have ever seen in this country.
Do not take it from me. Take it from Greenpeace. Take it from Équiterre. Take it from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Take it from Andrew Weaver—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Apr/4/22 2:29:52 p.m.
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I was having trouble hearing, so I will let the minister back up to answer that one.
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- Apr/4/22 2:30:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was having problems hearing my own voice.
Our plan is such a good plan that organizations such as Greenpeace, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Apr/4/22 2:30:13 p.m.
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Order. I want to be able to hear the minister's answer.
The hon. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
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- Apr/4/22 2:30:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was saying that Andrew Weaver, an IPCC scientist and ex-leader of the B.C. Green Party, said that with the plan we tabled last week, Canada reclaims its status as an international leader on climate change. Do not take it from me; take it from him.
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- Apr/4/22 2:30:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are facing sky-high inflation, which has led to higher grocery and gas prices, and a housing affordability crisis, they want real solutions from this government. They want a plan to fight the skyrocketing cost of living that has left so many behind. Another budget with an avalanche of spending will only fuel inflation, leaving future generations with more deficits and more debt to repay.
I ask the minister this: Will the government's upcoming budget present a plan to fight inflation, grow our economy and return to balanced budgets?
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- Apr/4/22 2:31:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the opposition is raising the issue of affordability, so let us go to the facts.
Our government lowered taxes on the middle class and raised them on the wealthiest 1%. Conservatives voted against that. We created the Canada child benefit and indexed it to inflation. The Conservatives voted against that too. We provided seniors 75 years of age and over a $500 payment last summer. The Conservatives voted against that. They voted against Bill C-2, and they are on track to vote against Bill C-8. Why do they not just double down on affordability and vote with us on Bill C-8?
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- Apr/4/22 2:32:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my question is to the minister.
Money does not grow on trees. Virtue-signalling does not feed people or put gas in their car, and it does not buy a home. What Canada needs is a plan for growth with investments in jobs and productivity. We need a budget that has a real debt-management strategy with a firm fiscal anchor and a clear path to returning to balanced budgets.
Will the upcoming spend-DP-Liberal budget include a plan to control inflation, a strategy to grow our economy and a return to balanced budgets?
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- Apr/4/22 2:32:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what I can share with the member opposite is a real plan to grow our economy. In every province and territory across this country, families now have access to reduced child care fees. In fact, if women across Canada choose to enter the workforce at the same rate as women in Quebec did 25 years ago, that is 240,000 workers in this country able to join the economy and able to grow the economy.
We are committed to fiscal responsibility, and we will do just that.
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- Apr/4/22 2:33:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week, the former parliamentary budget officer indicated that this is not the environment in which we want to do deficit spending. The economy is in recovery, and unemployment is low, while the Bank of Canada is struggling to deal with inflation we have not seen in 30 years.
Does the Minister of Finance realize that additional spending risks making inflation worse, yes or no?
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- Apr/4/22 2:33:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will remind Canadians and opposition members that they campaigned on deficit spending of $168 billion.
Our fiscally prudent plan, which will be revealed in the budget later this week, will continue to not only make investments in Canadians but also set us on a very prudent course for the future.
Our GDP is now above prepandemic levels. We have recovered 3.4 million jobs. We came into this crisis with the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and after investing half a trillion dollars in Canadians, it is still the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7.
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- Apr/4/22 2:34:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I guess if everything is so good, why do we need to keep spending?
The government's only answer to every problem is to spend more money, but now the chorus of warnings is growing. Just last week, Scotiabank said that spending commitments undermine the government's ability to tackle inflation. Even Stephen Poloz and a former Liberal finance minister agree that now is not the time for stimulus.
For a government who claims to listen to the experts, why is it burying its head in the sand when it comes to inflation, out-of-control spending and affordability?
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- Apr/4/22 2:35:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what the opposition clearly does not understand is that it is important for us to support Canadians when they need that help. In fact, in 2015 we brought in the Canada child benefit, and the Conservative Party voted against it.
We have also brought in universal, affordable and accessible quality child care across the country, and what did that opposition party say? It said that it would get rid of it, if it were elected. Thank goodness it was not elected because we have Canadians' backs, and we will continue to do so.
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- Apr/4/22 2:35:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, food prices are going up, rent prices are going up, gas prices are going up, yet this government is doing nothing.
What is worse, as a result of the new NDP-Liberal alliance, on Friday, taxes went up. That is the legacy of this NDP-Liberal government.
My question for the Minister of Finance is very straightforward. Will she rise in this House, look Canadians straight in the eye and assure them that she will do everything she can as the Minister of Finance, specifically control spending, at the very least, to reduce inflation for Canadians?
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- Apr/4/22 2:36:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that Canadians look at the facts because the Conservatives certainly are not.
Under our plan and our program, a single mother with two children will receive $13,600 from the Canada child benefit, an average family in Saskatchewan will receive nearly $1,000 in carbon tax rebates, and a student will save more than $3,000 thanks to the changes we have made to the program.
This is a plan that allows us to tackle affordability, and that is what we will continue to do on this side of the House.
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- Apr/4/22 2:36:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, they are missing in action again.
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- Apr/4/22 2:36:43 p.m.
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In Quebec, there is a great expression about governments “having both hands on the wheel”. That is a great political expression in Quebec.
Unfortunately, what are we seeing with the new Liberal-NDP government? There are two people driving the truck.
What is the result? There are two left hands on the wheel to steer left, and there are two right hands to dip into taxpayers' pockets. That is the new NDP-Liberal government.
Could the Minister of Finance be clear and at least tell Canadians that they are going to control spending?
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- Apr/4/22 2:37:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, all this time, the Government of Canada has been there for Canadians with respect to the environment, families, seniors and the regions. These are issues that many former Liberal prime ministers supported, including Jean Chrétien, Paul Martin and Jean Charest.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives have been sliding further and further to the right. Why would we need a Conservative Party when we have Maxime Bernier's party?
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