44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 20, 2022 10:00AM
- Sep/20/22 2:54:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians should feel confident that when they work hard, they will have a roof over their heads and food on their tables, but under this NDP-Liberal government, Canadians are working harder and harder but falling farther and farther behind. This government's uncontrolled spending is driving up the cost of living, and increased taxes like the failed carbon tax is diving deeper and deeper into their pockets.
When will this NDP-Liberal government stop driving up costs and cutting the paycheques of Canadians?
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- Sep/20/22 2:54:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the supports that we have announced today are targeted to the Canadians who need it the most, vulnerable Canadians who need this help.
I will share with the House some information from Lindsay Tedds, an economist at the University of Calgary, who has said very clearly that this is targeted to low-income individuals who are probably the ones unable to dip into savings or other things to pay for these increased costs. It is unlikely to increase inflation.
The Conservatives are going to deflect and distract. We are going to keep delivering for Canadians. That is responsible leadership.
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- Sep/20/22 2:55:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 600,000 Quebeckers are using food banks because they cannot afford to feed themselves. More and more of them are working folk. Rising costs are driving inflation, and workers cannot make ends meet. Groceries alone have gone up by more than 10%.
Will the Prime Minister commit to leaving more money in people's pockets by immediately putting an end to these new tax increases?
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- Sep/20/22 2:55:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the support measures we are aiming to put in place will do exactly what my colleague is asking. They will put money in the pockets of the Canadians who need it most.
At the same time, we are very much aware of the issue of inflation. Economists throughout the country have clearly said that our measures will not increase inflation.
That is our commitment to Canadians: Support them where they need it while remaining fiscally prudent.
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- Sep/20/22 2:56:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me explain to my colleague what “making ends meet” means.
Back in the day, “making ends meet” meant harvesting enough to survive until the next harvest. Nowadays, “making ends meet” means surviving from paycheque to paycheque. Unfortunately, fewer and fewer Canadians are able to make ends meet now because everything costs more: interest rates, food, gas, rent and taxes.
Instead of putting Canadians through the wringer, can the Prime Minister at the very least stop putting forward new measures that raise the price of everything?
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- Sep/20/22 2:57:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, taken together, the measures we outlined today and in budget 2022 are aimed at helping Canadians who need it most.
Let us look at the numbers. A family earning $70,000 will get $650 from the dental plan alone. Families that earn between $70,000 and $80,000 will get $390 per child per year. That is real money in the pockets of Canadians.
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- Sep/20/22 2:57:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, according to Statistics Canada inflation remained above 7% last month. Why?
It is because of this government's incompetence and its failure to understand the economy. As long as the Liberal-NDP coalition is in place, Canadians and Quebeckers will have to deal with this inflation.
Will the Liberals promise to at least cancel the tax hikes? If not, why not?
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- Sep/20/22 2:58:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, these measures will not increase inflation. They will bring much needed support to the people on the ground. We are focusing on Canadians who need help the most.
Economist Trevor Tombe was clear when he said that global factors and spending, changes or tax changes made by the Government of Canada were unlikely to have a significant effect. It is the economists who are saying that our plan is a fiscally prudent plan.
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- Sep/20/22 2:58:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Quebec music industry is struggling right now, mainly because of the meagre royalties our musicians are getting from music streaming sites and the two years of pandemic that brought festivals and concerts to a halt.
To top it all off, now francophone artists have also lost revenue because of a calculation error on the part of SOCAN. That is yet another blow to French-language music, and the last thing francophone artists needed right now.
Can the minister send a clear message to our artists so that they know they can count on him when facing adversity?
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- Sep/20/22 2:59:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for all of the work that he does for Canadian Heritage and for artists, and I want to tell him loud and clear that our artists should all be treated fairly and equitably, whether they speak English or French.
That is a principle that should be respected by everyone, period.
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- Sep/20/22 2:59:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Heritage no doubt read Thomas Gerbet's Radio‑Canada article, which stated that Francophone artists in Quebec reckon that the SOCAN calculation method cost them 45% of revenue from 2019 to 2021. This issue has been fixed since November 21, 2021, but SOCAN has not allocated any compensation for francophone artists. The minister has something of a moral duty to ensure that francophone artists are treated fairly.
How does he plan to show his support for artists?
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- Sep/20/22 3:00:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I plan to be clear, as I was just moments ago, and repeat that our artists should all be treated the same, whether they speak English or French. That is a principle that should be respected by everyone.
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- Sep/20/22 3:00:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the cost of government is driving up the cost of living. A half trillion dollars of Liberal inflationary deficits have bid up the cost of the goods we buy and the interest we pay. Inflation is running at historic highs and taking a massive bite out of the ability of Canadians to pay the bills.
Now, if one thought it could not get much worse, one would be wrong, because the Liberals are planning on raising taxes on the paycheques of Canadians by hiking CPP and EI premiums.
Instead of making the problem worse, will the government commit to cancelling its planned tax hikes and cancel its tripling of the carbon tax?
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- Sep/20/22 3:01:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are a bit hesitant to take advice from that side on EI considering that when the current Leader of the Opposition was in charge of EI in 2015, workers paid 20% more into EI than they do today in a system that was not as generous as it is today.
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- Sep/20/22 3:02:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the new measures proposed by the government will just get vaporized by continued sustained inflation. It is the cost of government that is driving up the cost of living.
Food is up 10% year over year, and four out of 10 Canadians are cutting their diets because of rising food costs. Canadians who have never used a food bank in their lives before are being forced to because they simply cannot keep up with soaring prices. Canadians are struggling to get by, and the government plans to raise taxes on gas, home heating, groceries and paycheques.
Will the government reverse its planned tax hikes and commit to no new taxes?
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- Sep/20/22 3:02:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will tell members what was vaporized: Canadians' savings when they followed the new Conservative leader's advice to go put money into Bitcoin. Quite frankly, it is shameful, irresponsible and reckless.
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- Sep/20/22 3:03:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what has been vaporized is Canadians' purchasing power as the government has caused the record-breaking inflation that is hammering Canadians' abilities to make ends meet.
The best way to stop inflation is to put an end to the deficits that caused it in the first place. Instead, the Liberals are going to make the problem a whole lot worse. Rising prices have robbed Canadians of the ability to heat their homes and fill their fridges, and in the coming new year, the government is planning on hiking payroll taxes and carbon taxes, meaning Canadians will have to spend more as they take home less.
Will the government simply cancel its planned tax hikes?
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- Sep/20/22 3:03:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us go through the numbers through the years.
In 2015, when we lowered income taxes on Canadians, that member and that bench voted against. In 2019, when we lowered taxes for Canadians, again the Conservative leader and that bench voted against. In 2021, when we lowered taxes for working Canadians, that side of the aisle voted against. Even this summer, when we reduced taxes on businesses, once again, the Conservatives in the House voted against taxes.
We know who has the record on having the backs of Canadians on taxes.
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- Sep/20/22 3:04:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in many instances, dental care is not affordable for some families. Last week, the Prime Minister announced that the government's first bills on the docket this fall are going to make life more affordable for those Canadians who need it the most.
Can the Minister of Health tell the House how the government is delivering on its promises with regard to dental care for Canadians?
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- Sep/20/22 3:04:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate and thank the member for Châteauguay—Lacolle for the remarkable work she is doing for her community.
The good news today is that we have a new dental benefit to help low- and middle-income families, who together have a total of 500,000 children under the age of 12, with up to $650 per year or $1,300 over two years. This benefit will help lower the cost of living for these low- and middle-income families, but more importantly, it will help them protect their kids' oral health by reducing infection, pain and disease associated with poor oral health.
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