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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 66

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 6, 2022 10:00AM
  • May/6/22 11:30:56 a.m.
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The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.
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  • May/6/22 11:31:00 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, inflation is skyrocketing under the Liberal government and wages are not keeping up. Statistics Canada said hourly wages increased 3.3% from April 2021, which is well short of the 6.7% inflation rate. The central bank raised its benchmark rate half a point in April, and the governor hinted that he would likely do so again. The Liberal government is destroying our economy and only making life more expensive for Canadians. When will the government take this inflation crisis seriously and provide real relief for Canadians?
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  • May/6/22 11:31:42 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the budget that we have just tabled includes many measures that would put money directly into the pockets of Canadians. I am thinking of the one-time payment for all Canadians having difficulty accessing affordable housing. Our continued funding for the Canada child benefit is indexed to inflation. Based on what I have been hearing in the House from the Conservatives, and in their leadership debate last night, they have absolutely nothing concrete to propose to Canadians in order to help them face the cost-of-living increase that is due to the war in Ukraine.
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  • May/6/22 11:32:16 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the cost of government is ballooning the cost of living. Gas in my hometown this morning was a disturbing $1.92, and it is supposed to go up again this weekend. Every single day, I am hearing distressing examples of the impact that overdue bills and food prices are having on many people's day-to-day lives. When will the government start listening to people and turn its talking points into action?
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  • May/6/22 11:32:46 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we have reduced taxes for the middle class on two occasions and the Conservatives voted against it. We have created a Canada child benefit that has helped lift over a million people out of poverty. In our budget, we have concrete measures in order to help Canadians buy their first homes and in order to help Canadians pay for child care. We have been there for Canadians, and the Conservatives have not.
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  • May/6/22 11:33:18 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, with the inflation rate at a 30-year high, Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. To make matters worse, Service Canada cannot keep pace with EI claims and fraud cases. Many of my constituents have not received a cheque since November due to delays in fraud investigations. These are Canadians who have no money left and cannot wait any longer. The mental and physical well-being of these Canadians is at stake. When will the government add the resources needed to finally reduce these interminable delays?
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  • May/6/22 11:33:53 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. I would like to draw his attention to our budget, which contains concrete measures to help Canadians. I just mentioned the one-time payment for all Canadians having difficulty accessing affordable housing. We are also bringing in measures to help Canadians buy their first home. I hope the Conservatives will vote in favour of the budget, because it is going to help Canadians.
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  • May/6/22 11:34:24 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, inflation is affecting everyone and every sector. The price of diesel is verging on $3 a litre. It is awful. The impact is real, and it is especially hard on farmers who rely on fuel for transportation and for their farming equipment. They were being choked by Liberal taxes, and now they are being suffocated by them. The government blames external factors, but in reality, the government is responsible. Will the government do what it promised and truly help farmers?
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  • May/6/22 11:35:03 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. The war in Ukraine is a major cause of inflation and it is serious. My heart goes out to the farmers. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food recently made announcements about measures to help farmers pay the fees tied to these price increases. We are working on the issue of fertilizers, because we know that it is important for the farmers. It is important to get fertilizer into Canada, so that has been done. We are now working with the sector to ensure that the fertilizers are available at a fair price.
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  • May/6/22 11:35:37 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, only the NDP-Liberal government could be capable of killing two economic drivers with one blow. The proposed surtax on vessels would destroy capital investments in the charter boat industry, kill jobs and drive investment out of the country. Without new charter vessels coming into the market here, tourists will choose to go elsewhere to spend their vacation dollars, further crippling Canada's tourism recovery. Does the finance minister understand that her high-tax regime will do nothing but kill jobs in the manufacturing and tourism sectors?
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  • May/6/22 11:36:24 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, to make sure that we have the resources needed to invest in Canadians and help our economy continue to recover from the pandemic, we are ensuring that the wealthiest pay their fair share. Our government is introducing a luxury tax that would apply on the sale of new luxury cars and aircraft with a retail price over $100,000 and new boats over $250,000. We are currently studying this measure at the finance committee, and will continue to work with Canada's entrepreneurs and businesses to grow our economy and to make life more affordable.
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  • May/6/22 11:36:46 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, with the average price of a starter home in some parts of metro Vancouver now reaching the $1-million mark, many people are giving up hope of ever owning their first home. It just keeps getting harder all the time. To quote the Vancouver Sun, “Young, educated, urban Canadians have many reasons to be angry with Ottawa for the ways it has worsened the housing crisis.” After so many failed housing programs, why should Canadians have any confidence in the government’s latest iterations of failed programs?
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  • May/6/22 11:37:29 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. We are well aware of the fact that Canadians across the country think that their dreams of home ownership are out of reach and next to impossible to achieve. In the most recent budget, we presented practical measures, namely $200 million to develop and expand rent-to-own programs, a tax-free savings account, a two-year ban on sales to foreign buyers and, of course, a homebuyers' bill of rights, which we are developing in co-operation with the provinces and territories. We are dedicated to—
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  • May/6/22 11:38:07 a.m.
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Order. The hon. member for Manicouagan.
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  • May/6/22 11:38:10 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Valéry Bélisle, a young woman from my riding, got in a serious car accident about 70 kilometres from the closest cell network. She had to extricate herself from the car on her own and wait on the side of the road for 30 minutes before a good Samaritan, Tony Jean, who I sincerely thank by the way, stopped and drove her to the hospital. The Minganie RCM in Manicouagan has no cell coverage for 420 kilometres, and this is the result. How many more accidents will it take before the minister puts pressure on the CRTC to finally grant the contracts necessary to complete—
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  • May/6/22 11:38:49 a.m.
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Order. The hon. parliamentary secretary.
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  • May/6/22 11:38:54 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. We know that Internet and cellular connectivity is very important for our safety in Quebec, in rural areas and on Route 138. The accident was most unfortunate. I am pleased that the victim was not seriously injured. As we speak, no other government has done as much as we have for Internet connectivity. The Internet is now also available with a cell network, and we will work on this until it is completed.
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  • May/6/22 11:39:26 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is unacceptable that in 2022, people in distress, like Valéry Bélisle, still cannot reach emergency services. The lives of tourists, the Innu, and the people of Havre-Saint‑Pierre and Natashquan should not be a secondary consideration. Ottawa is responsible for telecommunications. It has an obligation to make this an essential service that is accessible everywhere. The CRTC is a year late in announcing who will be awarded the contract for setting up the cell network. Why? Can the minister finally announce who is getting the contracts for providing cell coverage along Route 138, between Sept‑Îles and—
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  • May/6/22 11:39:28 a.m.
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Order. The hon. parliamentary secretary.
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  • May/6/22 11:40:11 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we know there is a problem on Route 138, but this same problem exists all over Canada. During the pandemic, we realized just how important it is to have Internet and cell coverage all across the country. We have already made an exceptional commitment to get Quebec connected to the Internet with a 98% connectivity rate by September 2022, in partnership with the Government of Quebec. Work is ongoing, and we will continue until we have built an Internet network and a cell network.
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