44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 22, 2022 10:00AM
Mr. Speaker, I will never feel remorse about voting against measures put forward by the government.
Canadians, looking back over the last seven years, are asking themselves if things are more affordable than they were seven years ago, or if they are better off financially than they were seven years ago. I think virtually all Canadians are saying no. There may be a few exceptions. There may be individuals who have benefited from various government contracts, but the vast majority of everyday Canadians, who do not have access to government largesse, will clearly realize that the government's policies, when it comes to allegedly creating affordability, have failed.
The government also has a regular habit of giving with one hand while taking away with the other. People are paying substantially more. Unless the government changes course, we are going to see increases to the carbon tax and payroll taxes next year. When the government was first starting out, it reduced the amount people could save through the tax-free savings account.
We have seen multiple instances where the government said it was giving people money over here, but taking that away and more. In particular, we are seeing that now with inflation. The escalation of inflation under the government is gobbling up any of the other so-called gains that it says it is giving to people.
If members ask people in Winnipeg North or anywhere, I think they will find that the middle class is not better off as a result of measures taken over the last seven years. In fact, they are much worse off.
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- Nov/22/22 2:09:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are struggling right now. Our affordability crisis is a mental health crisis. Many Canadians are living day to day. Some are living moment to moment. However, there is hope.
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- Nov/22/22 2:09:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are struggling right now. Our affordability crisis is a mental health crisis. Many Canadians are living day to day. Some are living moment to moment. However, there is hope. There is always a peak among the valleys.
In my community, there are many examples of amazing people and organizations who give their time and kindness to make a difference. We have dedicated volunteers who step up and help those most in need, like the Porch Pirates for Good, who in one day collected 16,000 pounds of food for food banks; or the countless Lions and Kinsmen service members who make Christmas parades a reality; and the Santas for Peterborough Seniors who make sure every senior gets a Christmas gift. The list goes on.
Every day there is a volunteer showing up and making a difference in someone's life. If people can volunteer, please do it. It truly does help. I would ask all the members in the House today to join me in acknowledging the volunteers across this country who go the extra mile. The power of one is the power of many. I thank them, from all of us, for their service, their kindness and, most important, their time.
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- Nov/22/22 2:33:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we have said many times in this House, addressing climate change as an existential threat to the future of the human race is of critical importance to our children and our grandchildren, but we must do so in a manner that addresses the affordability issues and actually has a plan for creating a prosperous future in a lower-carbon environment. We have put into place a number of measures, not simply the $250 million we announced with respect to heat pumps, which is very important, but the green buildings program and a whole range of other things that are ensuring Canadians can make the transition in an affordable way. Climate change is real. We need to fight it with thoughtful and effective plans.
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- Nov/22/22 2:45:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, certainly, affordability is extremely important. We have taken significant steps to address affordability issues, including the investment of $250 million for heat pumps yesterday.
It is also the case that no matter how much the Conservatives try to mislead the House, eight out of 10 Canadian families actually get more money back than they pay with respect to the price on pollution. Certainly in Newfoundland and Labrador, it will mean money in the pockets of folks there.
As I said before, and it bears stating again, every member of that side of the House campaigned on putting in place a price on pollution in the last election. What do they say to their constituents? My goodness.
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