44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 17, 2022 10:00AM
- May/17/22 2:42:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, rising gas prices are directly impacting all Canadians.
A recent survey indicated that two-thirds of Canadians will forgo travelling far from home this summer. The impact is also being felt on store shelves. Goods cost more to produce and transport and, of course, consumers are the ones who end up paying the price.
Who is actually profiting? The government. For every litre of gasoline sold, more than 60 cents goes into the government's coffers.
My question is simple. When will the government lower taxes?
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- May/17/22 2:43:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us be realistic. There is no evidence that cutting taxes will benefit consumers.
Here are the facts. The government created the Canada child benefit, and the Conservatives voted against it. The government introduced indexing for seniors' health, and the Conservatives voted against it. The government put $6,000 in students' pockets, and the Conservatives voted against that.
They vote against Canadians; we vote for Canadians. Those are the facts.
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- May/17/22 2:43:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as gas prices soar across the country, the government's response is tone deaf and even at times condescending. It shrugs off astronomical gas prices, even though federal taxes contribute to inflation. It says the carbon tax rebate outweighs the cost, but we know that is just not true. The majority of Ontario families are worse off, businesses that ship goods are worse off and farmers do not get a rebate. They are worse off by thousands of dollars a month.
As we listen to the government talk about how good high gas prices are, the question is simple: How high does it want them to go?
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- May/17/22 2:44:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us look very carefully at what the Parliamentary Budget Officer has said: Eight out of 10 Canadians are better off with a price on pollution. I do not know why the Conservatives are so against a market mechanism that even Preston Manning said was the best way to reduce emissions.
We are focused on affordability. The Conservatives are playing politics. Canadians know that.
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- May/17/22 2:45:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Vancouver has the highest gas prices in all of North America. The gas station at the Vancouver airport is advertising regular gas at $2.34 a litre. The Minister of Finance keeps saying that inflation is a global phenomenon, yet we know it is the current government's policy to actually drive up gasoline prices through its taxation policy.
When will it quit blaming others, take responsibility and give us a break at the gas pumps?
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- May/17/22 2:45:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is no evidence that removing the tax would be passed on to consumers. The House should be focused on getting Vladimir Putin out of Ukraine to restabilize energy markets. Canadians know that gas prices are higher because of the illegal war in Ukraine.
While the other side wants to play politics, we are focused on affordability, the CCB, child care and putting money in the pockets of Canadians. That is our job. The Conservatives can scream all they want. We are doing the hard work.
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- May/17/22 2:46:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of gas coming from the government.
Lobster bait costs have more than doubled because of the decisions of the minister. Average fishing fuel costs have gone up 140% since the fall. The government's disastrous policies are increasing bait and fuel costs for fishing, making it more difficult to earn a living. Because of these increased costs, fishermen are now only able to go out every second day. In Nova Scotia, 70¢ from each litre of diesel goes to governments.
It is time to lower gas taxes. When will the government do the right thing and lower gas taxes?
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- May/17/22 2:47:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will tell the House exactly which tax we lowered: on the middle class, twice. The Conservatives voted against it. We raised taxes on the wealthiest 1%. We created the Canada child benefit indexed to inflation. Now, a single mother with two children will receive up to $13,666. We increased the OAS by 10%, which is also indexed to inflation. That is the work we are doing in the House. The Conservatives are playing politics.
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- May/17/22 2:47:44 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, discovering burial sites outside former residential schools is difficult for indigenous peoples, and it should be for all Canadians. The government promised to provide support to indigenous communities looking for their children. Yesterday, the minister admitted that many of the promises the government made have no timeline for completion.
First nations and Inuit are still asking for resources to recover bodies and for help to heal from the trauma of these discoveries. Why is the government not delivering faster on its promises to support indigenous communities?
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- May/17/22 2:48:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would highlight the fact that since the discoveries in Kamloops, the first anniversary of which is upcoming, this government has deployed over half a billion dollars to assist communities with this very painful step of deciding whether to go and search for lost ones. Not every community will work at the same pace. There are about 70 applications that are still in and fully funded, and we will continue to be with them. Some have said it could take up to 10 years, and the worst thing to see would be for any government to step away from that commitment. We will keep doing it, but at their pace.
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Mr. Speaker, every day 20 Canadians die because of drug poisoning while the current government sits on real solutions. Policies that stigmatize do not prevent people from using drugs; they prevent people from taking steps to reduce risk or seek help. The government ignored its own Expert Task Force on Substance Use, which found that criminalizing simple possession feeds stigma and increases risk for people who use drugs.
Will the government finally listen to its own expert task force and support my bill, which will save the lives of Canadians?
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the question and his ongoing advocacy. I did speak with the expert panel yesterday. As we know, the opioid and toxic drug supply crisis is heartbreaking and has taken a tragic toll on families, loved ones and communities. Our government recognizes that problematic substance use is a public health issue and we are working with partners to develop comprehensive health strategies to address it, including diversion away from the criminal justice system to other supportive health and social services, as well as safer supply. Our approach builds on previous actions, including investments of over $800 million in community-led harm-reduction, treatment and prevention projects.
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- May/17/22 2:50:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the many impacts the pandemic has had on Canadians, especially seniors. The Minister of Seniors recently announced funding to support community organizations serving seniors as we continue to face the pandemic.
Can the minister please inform this house how this funding will help seniors in Mississauga—Streetsville and across Canada?
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- May/17/22 2:50:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, the member for Mississauga—Streetsville, for her question and ongoing advocacy for seniors. I was pleased to announce yesterday that, through the new horizons for seniors program, we are investing more than $61.3 million and funding over 3,000 community-based projects to support seniors. These projects will help seniors across the country to keep active, stay informed and remain socially engaged during these challenging times.
I would also like to take the opportunity to thank all the organizations, such as those in my colleague’s riding, who have stepped up to serve seniors, especially those who are most vulnerable.
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- May/17/22 2:51:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have all heard the Liberal talking points about hiring additional employees, but clearly, this has not come anywhere close to resolving the never-ending wait times at Service Canada. Time is ticking and Canadians' stress and frustration continues to grow. This is a process that the government is fully responsible for and a problem only a minister can fix.
The process is clearly broken, and Canadians deserve better. When will the minister do her job?
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- May/17/22 2:52:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we have said several times in the House, we certainly understand the feelings of Canadians right now who, for the past two years, have done their part and followed public health advice and now are looking to travel again. Of course, over the past two years there have been many passports that have expired. While Service Canada is fully operational, every kiosk is open, and employees are working around the clock, evenings and weekends to service this demand, the demand is exceptionally high. We have not seen volumes like this since 2006 when the United States required passports, but all employees at Service Canada, including this government, are going to work extra hard to make sure we can serve Canadians as best as possible.
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- May/17/22 2:52:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are anxiously waiting for their passports. The government’s passport website states, “processing requires 20 business days”, but that is not true as Canadians have been waiting for months for their passports. Now, thousands are being forced to cancel their travel plans because of the Liberal government's failed policy and preparation.
Instead of blaming Canadians for travelling, when will the government fix the passport crisis that it has created?
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- May/17/22 2:53:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I just said to the previous member through you, we are experiencing an unprecedented demand. We recognize that Canadians want to travel. That is why, back in December, we started hiring 500 additional employees to meet this rise in demand. It is why Service Canada employees are working on evenings and weekends. In fact, for the past three weekends, almost a dozen Service Canada passport locations have been open in the busiest areas across the country to meet this demand. It is why there are employees here in the national capital region that are assisting with opening and processing applications. We are throwing—
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- May/17/22 2:54:16 p.m.
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The hon. member for Hastings—Lennox and Addington.
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- May/17/22 2:54:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, early yesterday morning, I went to a passport office here in Ottawa to renew my family's passports. While I was waiting, I personally heard Passport Canada officials tell people in line to contact their members of Parliament for assistance in expediting their applications. My office has been told we do not have that capacity any more. We cannot submit applications like we used to. All we can do is check them over and ensure they are filled out properly.
Why is the Liberal government passing the buck to members of Parliament's offices when it knows full well it should be taking ownership and fixing its own mistakes?
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