44th Parl. 1st Sess.
September 28, 2022 02:00PM
- Sep/28/22 2:21:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it was two years ago today.
It has been two years since the heartbreaking death of Joyce Echaquan; two years since her shocking, yet preventable death; two years since she recorded and streamed racism in its most tragic manifestation.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to tell Joyce Echaquan's husband, Carol Dubé, her seven children and her loved ones that we stand with them as they gather to honour her memory in Manawan.
I want to tell all members of the Atikamekw community that we are with them, that we remember her, that we are with them in the fight against racism; against racism in all its forms, including within our institutions, as evidenced by so many accounts by first nations people.
Justice for Joyce, but also justice for all indigenous people in Quebec.
Let us continue to work together to ensure respect, dignity, security and empathy for everyone, whether Quebecker or Atikamekw, in society as well as in their relationship with the state.
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- Sep/28/22 2:22:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our new Conservative leader will put people first: their paycheques, their savings, their home and their country.
Trevor Neiman, director of digital economy and legal adviser of the Business Council of Canada, stated, “Immigrants often have the training, experience and qualifications to work in booming industries where Canada truly, desperately needs help, but newcomers are being denied a chance to contribute because of restrictive admission rules to these professions.” These are our doctors, nurses and engineers.
A combination of factors, such as the cost of living and recognizing core credentials and experience, is leading new immigrants to consider leaving Canada after resettling for only two years. Under our new Conservative leader, we will team up with the provinces to guarantee that within 60 days, an immigrant applying to work in their profession will get a yes or no based on their tested abilities, not based on where they came from.
Let us take action for all Canadians and remove these restrictions.
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- Sep/28/22 2:23:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to raise awareness today of a devastating disease.
Ovarian cancer is a difficult beast, yet I have met so many inspiring Teal Sisters who have faced it. This is the most fatal cancer disease for women in Canada. It is difficult to detect and uniquely agile, with variations, mutations and migrations that can complicate treatment. While 3,100 Canadians are diagnosed each year, outcomes for patients have not improved for decades, which is why supporting research and fundraising is critical.
In 2020, my provincial government invested $1 million in ovarian cancer research, building on our federal government's first-ever $10-million investment in 2019. Earlier this month, I heard first-hand how that funding is supporting pioneering research at Dalhousie University.
I encourage colleagues to register for Ovarian Cancer Canada's Fall Symposium in November and learn more about the disease until we find a cure.
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- Sep/28/22 2:25:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the cost of government is driving up the cost of living. The $500‑billion inflationary deficit has doubled our national debt. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said yesterday that Canadians will have to pay twice as much in interest on our national debt. They will end up paying $46 billion, which is more than the cost of the Canadian military.
The Liberals' solution is to increase taxes on seniors and workers. Will the government cap spending so that it can cancel its inflationary deficits and taxes that Canadians are paying for?
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- Sep/28/22 2:26:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as usual, the Conservatives are not bothering to even acquaint themselves with the facts. The facts show that the federal government is currently running a surplus of $6.3 billion. The IMF forecasts that Canada will have the lowest deficit in the G7 this year.
We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 and our AAA credit rating was reaffirmed this year.
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- Sep/28/22 2:26:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in fact, the Prime Minister has added more debt than all previous Canadian prime ministers combined and doubled the national debt. Those inflationary deficits have bid up the cost of the goods we buy and the interest we pay. Now, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, we will have to pay twice as much for interest on that national debt, $46 billion, which is more than the cost of the entire Canadian military. What is the Liberal solution? It is higher taxes on paycheques, gas, groceries and other expenses.
Why will the government not cap spending and cut waste so that it can cancel its inflationary deficits and taxes?
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- Sep/28/22 2:27:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as usual, the Conservatives are not bothering to even acquaint themselves with the facts. Had they bothered to read the latest fiscal monitor, they would know that so far this fiscal year, the federal government is actually running a surplus of $6.3 billion. The IMF forecasts that Canada will have the lowest deficit in the G7 this year. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 this year, and our AAA credit rating was reaffirmed earlier this year.
We believe in fiscal responsibility, and that is why we are doing this.
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- Sep/28/22 2:28:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, they are doubling what Canadians must spend on national debt interest, and they are tripling the carbon tax, tripling that tax on gas, heat, groceries and basically every good that has to be transported from one place to another. Now, at a time with 40-year highs in inflation, Liberals want to raise those taxes even further. Our young people who are going to school are living in homeless shelters because they cannot afford the cost of living.
Will the government cancel this heartless tax increase?
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- Sep/28/22 2:28:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, actually, for middle-class Canadians we have cut taxes and made them better off. Today, a single parent in Ontario with two kids under six and earning $60,000 a year pays nearly $5,600 less in taxes than she did under the Conservatives. She will receive nearly $8,900 more from reduced child care fees and the dental benefit. She will be more than $14,400 better off than she was under the Conservatives.
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- Sep/28/22 2:29:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals will tell Canadians they have never had it so good. They have never had it so good. Listen, the government is out of touch and Canadians are out of money. Here are the facts: “Food bank use triples, hits record almost every month: Daily Bread Food Bank”, “GTA food banks say they are facing the highest demand in their history”, “Inflation is driving Ottawa food bank use to record highs, with no end in sight”, and students are literally living in homeless shelters while they go to school.
The Liberals think that now is the time to raise their energy costs by tripling the carbon tax. Will they cancel this heartless tax hike now?
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- Sep/28/22 2:30:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, do colleagues know who is out of touch? A Conservative leader who thinks that now is a good time to slash pension savings. The reckless Conservative scheme would cost $3.8 billion a year, so that means the Conservatives are planning to either increase our deficit by $3.8 billion or slash the retirement income of our seniors.
They need to come clean. Do they plan to slash pensions and increase the deficit, or did they just not bother to think that far ahead?
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- Sep/28/22 2:30:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the answer is neither, just like when we were in government. We froze CPP taxes and protected the CPP, increasing its benefits to seniors every single year we were in office.
Now the government wants to raise taxes on those very same seniors. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, in every single province where the carbon tax applies, Canadians pay more in costs than they get back in rebates, and it is especially high in provinces like Quebec, where there is no rebate whatsoever and people will have to pay the increased costs the government is imposing.
Will the government cancel this heartless tax hike today?
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- Sep/28/22 2:31:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about a centrepiece of the Conservative economic agenda. Recently, the member for Kingston and the Islands asked the Conservative leader directly if he was finally ready to flip-flop on cryptocurrency and Bitcoin. In response, the Conservative leader could not even bring himself to utter the words “crypto” or “Bitcoin”. Maybe that is because since he offered his reckless advice, Bitcoin has fallen by 56%.
It is time for the Conservative leader to apologize to those Canadians who made the mistake of listening to him.
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- Sep/28/22 2:32:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I borrowed some lemons from the Governor General and have $150 worth of lemons in my glass.
More seriously, what is more humane: Welcoming tens of thousands of desperate asylum seekers knowing that most risk being deported after they have had time to make a life for themselves in Quebec, or investing an astronomical half a billion dollars in competent staff at the immigration department and sending claimants to a regular crossing and reducing processing times?
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- Sep/28/22 2:32:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we believe in the strength of our asylum and immigration systems. We are working closely with stakeholders on the border situation. We will always work closely with all of our partners to respect our national and international obligations towards asylum seekers.
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- Sep/28/22 2:33:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in the hope of receiving a more substantive answer, I will ask the minister a more direct question.
What is cheaper: Using existing infrastructure that is adequate for processing refugee claimants or spending between $500 million and $1 billion and hiding how much of this money is going to Liberal Party donors? Once a Liberal, always a Liberal.
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- Sep/28/22 2:33:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what the Canadian and Quebec economies need are workers.
There is a labour shortage right now, particularly in Quebec. We need to work together for our economy and welcome immigrants. We need to be a society that welcomes immigrants. That is what our government is going to do, and I hope that we can work closely with all the members of the House and all the members from Quebec.
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- Sep/28/22 2:34:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are experiencing the highest increase in food prices in 41 years. That means families are having a very difficult time buying groceries and putting food on the table. Do members know what else has gone up? It is CEO bonuses. Neither the Liberals nor the Conservatives are willing to call out greedflation, but we are.
Will the government support our demand to investigate food prices?
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- Sep/28/22 2:35:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that everyone in our amazing country pays their fair share. In fact, we are raising permanently the corporate income tax on the largest, most profitable banks and insurance companies by 1.5%, and we have put in place a 15% recovery dividend on the excess profits of these institutions during COVID. We have also implemented a 10% luxury tax on luxury cars, planes and yachts.
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- Sep/28/22 2:35:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the cost of pasta has increased by over 32%, which means it is getting harder for families to buy groceries.
However, it is not getting harder for the CEOs of major grocery store chains. They have earned record profits and big bonuses. Clearly, CEO greed is contributing to inflation.
Will the government support our demand to investigate food prices?
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