44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 23, 2022 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Red Deer—Lacombe.
This summer, I spoke with thousands of constituents from Kelowna—Lake Country in person, over the phone, on their doorsteps and at community events. I met with small businesses, farmers and not-for-profits. The struggles I heard from people and small businesses are real and extensive.
I heard about the unmanageable cost of living, which includes costs on housing, fuel and food, overall inflation, labour shortages, travel restrictions such as the ArriveCAN app, ongoing federal mandates, crushing debt for small business, supply chain issues, and delays in every federal government department, whether it be immigration and citizenship, CRA, benefits or passports.
It is evident that the legislation before us, Bill C-31, does nothing to address any of those issues and nothing to address the cost of 40-year-high inflation. For the Liberals to introduce this thrown-together legislation that will only boost inflation, and which will see its benefits evaporate with the ever-rising cost of food and gas, demonstrates the government's detachment from working families, small businesses and seniors.
I remember as a kid those tough times 40 years ago at the end of the last Trudeau government. History is repeating itself. I remember eating lots of wieners, white bread and Spam. What got us through were two sets of grandparents who had big gardens. Families are suffering today.
I mailed out a survey to residents of Kelowna—Lake Country to get their feedback about the cost of groceries and gas prices. I received thousands of responses. Food costs can vary regionally, and most people said their food bills had actually gone up more than 20%. To fill their vehicles was over $50 more per fill than last year.
Many people gave specific examples of their personal situations. I will give just a small sampling. John, who needs his pickup truck for work and who says he has good mileage on his truck, will be paying $513 a month more for gas than last year. Jeff in Lake Country wrote to me that he is getting close to having to choose between gas or food, saying that is “not a good spot to be in.”
Lea in Kelowna says she is forced to go to food banks for the first time in her life. Ken wrote that his family is presently helping a person who is living in his car because he cannot afford rent. This person works as a delivery driver, but gas prices may now prevent him from working entirely.
Paulette wrote to me and said, “I am a recently retired as a nurse. I am pretty tight with my budget. I have been able to keep my bank account at the same float number. Since March of this year, I have noticed incremental decline in my bank balance to the tune of $400 a month. It doesn't take long on a fixed income to be alarmed in seeing consistent decline.”
How is a retiree like Paulette supposed to deal with a $400 loss each month? How is a new family or a young worker supposed to deal with it? They will not if we maintain the government's high-spend, high-cost NDP-Liberal approach. We need to stop the money printing, stop the spending and stop increasing taxes, all of which are creating inflation.
Legislation like Bill C-31 will not reverse the ever-increasing costs of our basic necessities. While the government says this legislation will tackle the real issues of Canadians in need of relief, the value of these supports on people's budgets will rapidly proceed to nothing. They will evaporate quickly if the government does nothing to rein in its own costs.
Conservatives have been talking about precisely where the government could reduce costs, which would directly help to reduce the inflation that is shredding the value of people's paycheques and household budgets. It could cancel its $35-billion Canada Infrastructure Bank, which has yet to build a single road, bridge or rail line. It could drop the ArriveCAN app entirely today. It could save $25 million right now and scrap what I call the “ArriveCAN'T” app.
The government could use a one-for-one rule: For every dollar spent, find a dollar in savings. It could cancel all planned tax increases, including payroll tax hikes scheduled for January 1 and tax hikes on groceries, gas and home heating scheduled for April 1. It could cancel the escalator excise tax, which is also scheduled for April 1.
Leaving those scheduled increases on the books will be catastrophic to Canadian and small business bank accounts. Let us change course today. The NDP-Liberal bill would only raise Canadian costs, and this is obvious.
Economists are in agreement on this as well. Robert Kavcic, senior economist at the Bank of Montreal, was quoted recently on the government's proposal as saying, “We all know that sending out money as an inflation-support measure is inherently…inflationary.”
Andrey Pavlov at Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business said, “If we have high inflation and that inflation continues, that assistance isn’t going to do very much to help anyone, including the recipients of that assistance. It’s just not going to be enough.”
Derek Holt, vice president and head of capital markets economics at Scotiabank, could not have been clearer: “Any belief that the government's proposals will ease inflationary pressures must have studied different economics textbooks.”
Let us not forget that this legislation is before us only because of the summer rush that the members of the costly NDP-Liberal coalition put on themselves, once again trying to make a parliamentary body of law-making into a short-order kitchen of quick fixes.
The legislation bears all the hallmarks of a bill not thoroughly thought through. If the government members even took the time to glance at most rental listings in British Columbia, they would know that a $500 cheque would represent not much more than a single week's worth of rent.
According to rentals.ca, British Columbia had the highest average rental rate, at $2,578 per month in August 2022. Even if the bill passes, six out of every 10 renters will not qualify for it. In Kelowna—Lake Country, the government's record on rent is clear. According to the CMHC, the average one-bedroom apartment was roughly $900 a month in 2015, when this government was elected. Fast-forward to 2022 and the rental prices have increased 61%, to $1,475.
Instead of a bill that would expand the rental market or offer my constituents an affordable path to home ownership, the government chooses to raise costs even further.
For the government to call the other half of this legislation a dental program is not quite accurate. A program would typically feature an application process. It might coordinate with many provincial, low-income dental care programs. It would actually be a program. Instead, what the government offers is an attestation.
We have seen this attestation process with no verification or cross-referencing before. We have not been told how the CRA will administer this program or what extra staff they will need to administer it. All the government has said is to remember to keep one's dental receipts.
Will people be subject to having the value of this benefit clawed back if the government or the CRA deems them not applicable? My constituency office was inundated with people being told they had to pay back CERB. The government just has not learned.
Once again, the Liberal-NDP coalition is clear on how it wants the government to run: Allow inflation to rise unchecked, take more from Canadians' pockets, circulate it through the government's bureaucracy, and then write cheques that will give only a fraction of it back. It is like a family's financial situation is a sinking boat, and the Liberals throw them a teacup to bail out the boat instead of patching the holes.
We need to put people first.
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Mr. Speaker, I guess the better question is this: Why can people not afford to spend money on certain things? The reason is that their paycheques are evaporating. The reason is that we have 40-year high inflation, which means people cannot even afford to buy food, they cannot buy medicine, and they cannot put gas in their vehicles. It is the policies of the government that are leaving people short every month. I gave several examples in my statement today. People are hurting because of the policies of the government.
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Mr. Speaker, we have given a number of suggestions. One suggestion is that we have a lot of federal buildings that are empty, and we could use those to build housing. We have a capacity problem. We have one of the lowest numbers of houses in the world when we look at it percentage-wise. We absolutely need to build more supply.
The other part is that costs are going up. When we have supply chain issues and when we have inflation the way it is, it makes it a lot more difficult for construction and for builders to build affordable housing. If we do not get this inflation crisis under control, it is not going to help with the affordability of building houses either.
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Mr. Speaker, first, I will address the comments the member made about the senior in his riding. I hear stories like that as well. Seniors are among some of the hardest hit, because they are on fixed incomes. As this inflation continues to be at record levels, they, as I mentioned in my intervention with examples, are some of the hardest hit, because they are not able to have more income. That is the first thing.
The second thing, regarding people's paycheques, is that what the CPP and EI increases will do is reduce the paycheques they are taking home. It is also going to be more costly for businesses. A time like this, when we have record-breaking inflation, is not the time to be increasing any costs on people.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Red Deer—Lacombe for his speech. He and the speaker before him talked about the importance of cutting spending to fight inflation. If we want to cut spending, then I would suggest that we cut the subsidies being given to oil companies that are making record profits in the current crisis.
The Conservatives would never dream of cutting oil subsidies, but they do not want to provide rental assistance.
I would simply like to know why oil companies, which are already rich and making profits, deserve help more than someone who cannot afford to pay their rent.
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite the opposite. I said the member's rhetorical speech was quite entertaining.
Our government understands that times have been tough in many households across Canada, which is exactly why our government has been introducing new measures to lessen the financial burdens that Canadians are facing due to the effects of global inflation impacting our country. We know that we are faring quite a bit better in many respects than many of our peer countries around the world, but nonetheless, global inflation is impacting Canadians and we are seeing it have an effect on the rising cost of living. I have been hearing in my own riding of Whitby that many are worried about paying their rent and being able to put food on the table for their families.
Making life more affordable for Canadians has indeed been a top priority of this government since day one. I am so very pleased that we are tabling new legislation to help families pay their rent, to make sure they can afford the dental care they need and to put hundreds of dollars back into the pockets of Canadians, just as we have done with the 50% reduction in child care fees, the Canada child benefit, the price on pollution moving to direct quarterly payments, which is giving Ontario families $745 on average this year, the 10% OAS increase and the doubling of the GST tax credit. There are so many aspects of our government's efforts and measures that are targeted to help the people who need it most and who are feeling the crunch of the cost-of-living pressures.
Housing affordability is absolutely crucial, and as a government we remain committed to helping Canadians at this difficult time with immediate relief, putting us on a path to a better and brighter future with many of the medium- and longer-term strategies that we have been implementing for several years. It is why we have tabled new legislation to help families pay their rent, to make sure they can afford the dental care they need and to put hundreds of dollars back in their pockets.
This bill would provide a one-time top-up to the housing benefit. It would deliver $500 to 1.8 million Canadian renters who are struggling with the cost of housing. This is intended for families making below $35,000 a year or individuals with an adjusted net income below $20,000 a year who pay at least 30% of their income on rent. This benefit is in addition to the Canada housing benefit, which is provided and delivered with the provinces and territories. It provides, on average, $2,500 to help with rental costs so that many families across the country can continue to pay their rent. The top-up payment meets an immediate need and will help families pay their rent now, which is why I encourage my colleagues across the aisle to help pass this legislation.
Housing affordability must be our long-term goal, which is exactly why our government's plan includes measures to put Canada on the path to double housing construction over the next decade. Our proposed first home savings account will help first-time homebuyers save and purchase their first home. This is in addition to a whole host of other measures in budget 2022 that have been added to the national housing strategy, which include cutting mortgage insurance by 25%, doubling the tax credit and adding flexibility to the first-time homebuyer program. In addition, we are banning foreign ownership and curbing speculation, both of which make housing more expensive for Canadians.
To achieve our long-term goal, we are extending and enhancing the national housing strategy, which is an ambitious 10-year plan backed by more than $72 billion in investments. It prioritizes working individuals and working families and especially includes our most vulnerable population.
Let us remember that for decades prior, specifically within the Stephen Harper era, there was no federal government funding going to housing. It is very rich for the Conservatives to criticize a government that has made long-term commitments to addressing housing affordability by investing $72 billion over 10 years and then continually updating its plan to address the challenges that Canadians continue to face across the housing market.
Just look at our government's rapid housing initiative. It is an excellent example of the national housing strategy in action. Launched in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, its goal was to address the urgent housing needs in Canada. Through two rounds, it has consistently exceeded its targets.
We are now building on this success, last month having announced the third round of the program. We anticipate that in total, we will create at least 14,500 permanent affordable homes just with that program alone. Of those units, significant portions are set aside specifically for indigenous people, for seniors and for women and children, in particular those fleeing domestic violence. The rapid housing initiative is just one of a suite of programs to create a more affordable rental supply, programs that are making a difference to families from coast to coast to coast.
In the past month alone, we have announced a project in Saint John, New Brunswick, that will create transitional housing for women experiencing homelessness; urgent repairs that will stabilize the river bank of the Red River from encroaching on a seniors' co-operative housing unit in Winnipeg; a project that will create more affordable student housing in the area around Université Laval in Quebec City; and a project to help build nearly 100 homes for families, individuals and seniors living in Stouffville outside of Toronto. That is not to mention the four projects in my region and two in my riding specifically that are addressing this need through the rapid housing initiative. We have the Otter Creek co-operative that is expanding. Our government supported that project. There is also the Muslim Welfare Centre, which has purchased an old hotel on Dundas Street in Whitby and is turning it into affordable housing units for those who are at risk of homelessness.
This program is really, truly working, and it is remarkable that it is overachieving the performance targets that it set out in advance. Those are just a few of the hundreds of stories of the national housing strategy's impact and its success in creating affordable rental housing.
However, we also know how important the dream of home ownership is for so many Canadians. That is why we recently announced a five-year stream under the affordable housing innovation fund to help housing providers develop and test rent-to-own models and projects and help renters get on the path to home ownership.
We have seen significant progress but we know that we must do more. With budget 2022, we committed to a suite of measures that represent $6.3 billion in funding over seven years. The majority of this will go to improving and expanding housing in first nations, Inuit and Métis communities. We know that many indigenous people live in the north, where housing needs are extremely dire. That makes this an important consideration for all of our housing initiatives moving forward.
This government is committed to making life more affordable for workers, families and the most vulnerable. A major part of that priority means making housing more affordable. Our plan recognizes that everyone deserves a place where they can thrive and be part of a resilient economy that leaves no one behind. We must support workers, families and the most vulnerable who really need the help.
I urge members on all sides of the House to support the legislation to provide a one-time top-up to the Canada housing benefit. This is a necessary step in putting money in the pockets of Canadians who need it now, and will help us take one more step toward ensuring everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home.
I reflected on this, and how could anyone who is empathetic to the cost-of-living pressures that families are facing today not support a top-up payment of $500 to help renters afford their rents? That is 1.8 million Canadians who will be thanking us for the House's work to get that money out the door. I urge everyone to step up and support this important legislation.
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- Sep/23/22 11:23:50 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing that everyone can agree on, it is that food is a basic necessity.
Unfortunately, though, inflation is having a direct impact on food prices, which have risen by more than 11%. We must do something.
The Conservatives have been calling on the Liberals to lower taxes for months now, which all of the other G7 countries have done, but the Liberals have unfortunately chosen not to.
At the very least, and this really is the bare minimum, will the Liberals commit to scrap their plan to hike taxes in the coming months?
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- Sep/23/22 11:24:24 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I completely agree. Canadians need us now. Global inflation is behind these economic uncertainties, and we need to be there to support Canadians. That is precisely why we want to double the goods and services tax credit.
Will the Conservatives support this measure that will put money directly into the pockets of Canadians?
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- Sep/23/22 11:29:57 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the Canadian Labour Congress met with the Bank of Canada this week, the CLC warned them that with rapidly rising interest rates, everyday people pay the real cost of inflation, with job losses and mortgages and personal loan payments jumping hundreds of dollars overnight.
What was the Bank of Canada's response? With the economy on the brink of a recession, it continues attacking workers by encouraging companies to drive their wages down. It is disgusting.
Does the Liberal government agree with the Bank of Canada's call to drive up unemployment while pushing down people's wages, or will they join the New Democrats and the CLC by actually standing up for workers in Canada?
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- Sep/23/22 11:37:08 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, these government announcements are nothing more than poorly coordinated manoeuvring of the apostles, and our farmers, tradespeople, working seniors and single parents are left in the lurch. Drawing blood from a stone was never wise economic policy before our historic inflation and it certainly is not now. Canada is a G7 nation. Surely, after seven years in government, the cabinet could find substantive ways to combat inflation that do not include taxing hard-working Canadians.
Will the government cancel its planned paycheque tax increase, yes or no?
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- Sep/23/22 11:43:42 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Saskatchewanians are suffering from the government's lack of action on inflation and the skyrocketing cost of living. Winter is on its way, and with temperatures ranging between -10°C and -30°C, we have no choice but to heat our homes. Food prices have increased by 10% since last year and the carbon tax will be tripling, yet the government rebates do not even come close to covering those increased costs.
Will the government stop hurting Canadians and cancel its planned tax hikes on gas, heating and groceries?
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- Sep/23/22 11:52:03 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this made-in-Canada, Liberal inflationary crisis that is crushing Canadians is costing the average Canadian family more than $1,200 per year more in groceries than they paid last year. Food inflation, at nearly 11%, is higher than it has been in more than my entire life.
Canadians are struggling, and what is the response that we are hearing from these Liberals? They are going to raise taxes on their paycheques and they are going to raise taxes on their ability to heat their homes in one of the world's harshest climates. Will these Liberals finally give Canadians a break and cut their planned tax hikes?
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- Sep/23/22 11:52:43 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have outlined a number of measures that our government has taken on to make life more affordable. I think the member knows that inflation is a global phenomenon. While it is 7% in Canada, it is higher, at 8.3%, in America and it is 9.1% in the euro area.
One thing we know for certain is that we cannot fight inflation by investing in speculative assets. For any Canadian who took the Leader of the Opposition's advice and lost their life savings, we are very sorry. It is not responsible policy.
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- Sep/23/22 11:57:54 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, inflation is affecting Canadians every day. Home heating costs more, housing costs more, and groceries cost more.
The government is trying to pull the wool over our eyes. It gives us a dollar and takes two back. The way I see it, that means family budgets come up short. Canada is the only G7 country not to have lowered taxes.
Will the government listen to reason? Will it cancel the tax hikes?
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- Sep/23/22 12:02:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government's tax-and-spend policies have created an affordability crisis in our country. According to recent inflation numbers, food is increasing by the unbelievable amount of over 10%, which will leave many Canadians deciding this winter whether it will be eating or heating each month.
When will the government stop fuelling inflation and start helping Canadians by reversing its planned tax increases on gas, groceries, home heating and paycheques?
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- Sep/23/22 12:06:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in 2021, the Liberals campaigned on the promise to eliminate interest on Canada student loans. Today, the government is poised to increase interest rates in April, adding an average of $600 to student loan payments.
Is this just another example of the government's smoke and mirrors and failure to honour its promises to Canadians, just like its inability to combat rampant inflation, high interest rates and soaring food costs?
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech.
We do not always agree with the Conservatives on certain topics, like inflation, for example. We do not agree that the government is entirely responsible for inflation. There is the global situation, but there is also a labour shortage that is contributing to lower demand and higher prices.
One of the Bloc Québécois's proposed solutions to the labour shortage is to create incentives for experienced workers.
I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on one of our proposals, which is to offer a tax credit for experienced workers. We are not talking about giving them money after having taken some away. We are talking about having them pay less tax in order to encourage them to come back to the labour market. I am looking for a consensus and would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on this Bloc Québécois proposal.
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Mr. Speaker, before I ask my question, I would like to send my best wishes to my colleague across the way and his constituency in advance of Hurricane Fiona. I hope his community is spared, that everyone stays safe and that they are able to avoid the worst of this very dangerous storm.
I would like to ask my colleague across the way this. He mentioned the supports the people in his riding have been asking for. With global inflation, which is a phenomenon around the world, will he be supporting Bill C-30?
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Mr. Speaker, I truly appreciate the member's kind and caring words about the situation the people in my community and province face. As I am sure we all do in the House, I hope it is not as bad as it is projected to be.
With respect to this bill, absolutely I am supporting it. I support the idea. As I said, I wish it was not that we have to provide a one-time relief payment of $500 to people because of high inflation, and instead got at the root problem of the issue, which is higher inflation caused by excessive government spending and the printing of money by the Bank of Canada. Putting all of that money into the system means more money chasing fewer goods, which causes the price of everything to go up. That is what we should be dealing with. If we had dealt with that in the first place, there would be no need for this bill.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. Our thoughts are with the people in his large riding who may be affected by the hurricane.
My question is about Bill C-30. We are well aware that inflation is still rising. It is affecting families, seniors and citizens. We know that, since July, the cost of goods and services in Canada has gone up by a shocking 7.6% compared to last year.
What will happen to our families who are living day to day? Usually people try to plan a few months ahead. These families are suffering as a result of inflation.
I would like to know what solutions you are proposing to make this more regulated and for things to move faster. We have been waiting a long time for these long-overdue measures from the current government.
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