44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 17, 2022 10:00AM
- Jun/17/22 11:40:19 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would just say that so far, all the Conservatives have been proposing when it comes to economic policy is either a tax cut for oil companies or elimination of certain tariffs we have imposed on Russia. This is not serious economic policy. What we have proposed is.
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Jun/17/22 11:40:41 a.m.
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Again, l think others are trying to weigh in on the response and I would ask them to wait.
The hon. member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley.
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- Jun/17/22 11:40:54 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, gas prices, food prices, home prices, what do they all have in common? They are all going up, way up. What else is going way up? It is government revenues from the massive taxes it collects on those things. While the Liberal cabinet is flush with cash, kitchen cabinets are looking pretty bare.
Will the Prime Minister finally wake up, have just a little compassion for those who are struggling and give Canadians a tax break so they can at least afford to put food on the table?
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- Jun/17/22 11:41:36 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I agree with the member opposite. Canadians are feeling it. They are feeling increased prices at the grocery store and at the pump, which is why as prices are increasing, so are our benefits. Many, if not all, of our important benefits supporting Canadians right now are indexed to inflation, which means that they will continue to increase as inflation increases.
Also increasing this year is our support for seniors with the old age security benefit. Also increasing is the Canada workers benefit, and I could go on and on.
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- Jun/17/22 11:42:10 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, yesterday, we were looking forward to hearing the Minister of Finance provide details on her plan to help citizens and businesses deal with inflation.
What a letdown. There will be no increase in the GST tax credit for people with low incomes and no monthly payments. There will be nothing for industries affected by fuel prices, such as the trucking, agricultural and taxi industries. There will be no increase in old age security for those under the age of 75, and nothing will be done to address the labour shortage. All the minister did was repeat measures that had already been announced in April's budget.
Why did she show up empty-handed when people are struggling?
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- Jun/17/22 11:42:46 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the Bloc Québécois's question.
What was announced yesterday is still very important. It is a plan to help Canadians who are dealing with the rising cost of living, whether it be through the increase to the Canada workers benefit, the increase to old age security, or the one-time payments to Canadians facing housing affordability challenges.
It is a real plan that ensures that we do not add fuel to the fire and that we manage our economy properly here in Canada.
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- Jun/17/22 11:43:24 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, it was the same old talking points.
There is no one in this government to listen to Quebeckers. Ever since the Minister of Finance started covering for both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, there is no one we can talk to about making progress on the issues that matter to businesses and citizens. The minister's three jobs, coupled with her refusal to delegate to colleagues, has made this government blind to what is happening on the ground.
Is there anyone left in this government who realizes that inflation is a real problem with real consequences that requires a response now, not in six months?
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- Jun/17/22 11:44:00 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is accusing us of serving up the same lines. Would he have us add fuel to the fire and spend billions of dollars at a time when inflation is the issue?
We already spent $300 billion during the pandemic to help Canadians. Now is not the time to spend more. Yesterday was simply an opportunity for us to explain the support measures we put in place in the April budget that are there to help Canadians this year.
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- Jun/17/22 11:44:35 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the chaos at Passport Canada and Service Canada is past being temporary. It is worse than ever. The lawn chair lineups are now starting at 4 a.m., 3 a.m. or 1 a.m. in many cities.
Our office alone is handling dozens of transfer requests, each and every day, of people who are going to leave the country in the next day or two and still do not have their passports, despite applying months ago. Each time people call, they are on hold for a minimum of two to three hours. The chaos never had to happen in the first place. Each time the Liberals offer a remedy, we get longer lines and longer phone call delays.
Can the Liberals even admit what their actual service standard is now or are they too afraid to tell Canadians?
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- Jun/17/22 11:45:20 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, since December, Service Canada and our passport agents have been preparing for what we have now. The surge is unprecedented, and we continue to work through the process. Just as an example, 600 new employees have been hired and are on the job. Another 600 employees are in the process of being put into place. Every counter across this country is open.
We know there are long lines, and that is why Service Canada agents are going through those lines, checking passports and travel plans and making sure that seniors, those who have children and those who have work times are being accommodated within two business days for immediate travel.
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- Jun/17/22 11:45:59 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, let us talk about those new employees. It now takes nine weeks to get a passport. Let me repeat that: nine weeks. Someone who submits their application today can expect to get their document in mid-August, if they are lucky.
The minister says she has already hired 600 people, and another 600 are coming to the rescue. There is a labour shortage at the moment. Businesses in my region are struggling to hire a single person. The minister expects us to believe that she has found 1,200 people in the blink of an eye.
When will the minister take immediate action to address this unprecedented crisis?
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- Jun/17/22 11:46:37 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, as I mentioned before, additional processing facilities have been opened and initial staff have been hired, but this is not unprecedented, just here in Canada. It is around the world. Wait times in countries like Australia, the U.K. and elsewhere are anywhere between nine and 11 weeks for expedited passports. Here, we are meeting the challenge for Canadians, both in the lines and in our application process, to make sure that those who have immediate travel needs are being addressed so they can get on their way.
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- Jun/17/22 11:47:11 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, my staff tell me that the passport backlog is an absolute horror show. People are crying and freaking out when they call us, distressed that they are about to lose thousands of dollars of money spent on upcoming trips. At committee, the minister responsible for Passport Canada said, “Have thou no fear, MPs have a direct hotline to passport services.” Well, the hotline is cold. My assistant waited five hours on Wednesday to get through.
Will the minister responsible acknowledge the Liberals' absolute incompetence?
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- Jun/17/22 11:47:52 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, after two years of travel restrictions, the surge is unprecedented. We know Canadians are frustrated. We know case workers are frustrated, which is why we are doing everything we can. The minister continues to work with officials to look at every opportunity to improve processing times, whether it is by phone, in person or every other application process that we can do.
We continue to work with our colleagues across the way if there are immediate needs. Some have already reached out to me, and we continue to collaborate.
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- Jun/17/22 11:48:25 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a senior from my riding said, “We do not have a smart phone, or the technical knowledge to figure it all out, it discriminates people like us.” People cite technology cost. They are talking about the “ArriveCAN'T” app. Businesses are waiting months instead of weeks for deliveries from the U.S. due to vaccine mandates affecting truckers. The Liberals' reducing some travel and vaccine mandates does not help either of these situations.
Why are the Liberals keeping the mandatory use of the ArriveCAN app and keeping Canada closed?
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- Jun/17/22 11:49:01 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, ArriveCAN has been a very important tool in helping to keep Canadians safe against the virus. We continue to work with our stakeholders and we continue to work with travellers to improve their experience on ArriveCAN by making it more accessible.
I am pleased to report to members in this chamber that compliance is up well over 90%, which, in the long run, will make travel more efficient and, of course, we will continue to improve that app as we go forward.
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- Jun/17/22 11:49:32 a.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, food insecurity in Nunavut is a major issue. The cost-of-living crisis is making a bad situation even worse. In budget 2022, the Liberals did not mention food insecurity in the north once. My constituents are being left behind by the government. Food has expired by the time it reaches shelves in Nunavut. This is not how people in Canada should live.
Why has the government not taken steps to make sure all people in the north can access fresh, affordable food?
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- Jun/17/22 11:50:17 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I absolutely agree with the member. There is nothing more important than food security in Canada and around the world.
All Canadians, regardless of where they live, deserve access to safe and affordable food. Through budget 2021, we have added another $170 million to the nutrition north program. We have added the harvester support grant so indigenous groups can have help harvesting traditional country food. There is more to do, but we are in the right direction.
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- Jun/17/22 11:50:54 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, rents will continue to rise and things will only get worse for people already struggling to pay for groceries. Rent for a one-bedroom unit in Vancouver is over $2,300 a month, in Toronto over $2,100, and in Halifax almost $1,700. The Liberals' response to struggling Canadians is an extra $7 on GST cheques. The government is so out of touch with reality.
Will the Liberals double the GST rebate and increase the Canada child benefit by $500 so families can get an additional $500 to $1,000 back in their pockets?
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- Jun/17/22 11:51:36 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.
We fully agree that it is becoming increasingly difficult for people to pay the rent. That is why our budget includes the Canada housing benefit, as my colleagues know. That investment will total more than $4 billion.
We are also adding another $475 million this year. That is an additional $500 on top of what we have already introduced, just to help families pay the rent, which is becoming increasingly difficult.
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