44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 24, 2022 10:00AM
- Nov/24/22 2:20:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last weekend, I attended a church Christmas bazaar. I stood behind a senior who was putting five for $3 raffle tickets into a cup for a $50 dollar grocery store gift card. She turned to me and said that she hoped she would win because she could not afford groceries anymore. What a sad indictment of how the Liberals and the Prime Minister, helped by the NDP, have broken our country in so many ways.
Inflation is at a 40-year high, 1.5 million Canadians rely on food banks since September and housing affordability and rental costs are out of control. Young Canadians feel they have been lied to and let down by the Prime Minister and are despondent about their future.
The problems that exist are structural. They are self-inflicted wounds created by a government so blinded by its ideology that it is impossible for it to come up with the solutions needed, and one-time bribe payments will not solve anything.
The only solution is a change in government to give Canadians control of their lives, to restore their hopes, to restore their dreams and to restore the dignity of that senior who stood in front of me last weekend.
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- Nov/24/22 2:22:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Governor of the Bank of Canada said that, had the government shrunk its deficit, inflation would not be as high. Because of today's exorbitant deficits, inflation is costing every Canadian an extra $3,500.
Now that the Prime Minister can confirm that the deficits caused inflation, will he shrink them so Canadians can pay their own bills?
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- Nov/24/22 2:28:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, maybe to the Leader of the Opposition, hundreds of dollars in Canadians' pocket is a tiny amount, but I know that it matters to Canadians.
Hard-working families receiving support for the carbon price they are paying is making a huge difference, as is the $500 top-up to the Canada rental benefit and delivering on dental care.
All of those things are things the Leader of the Opposition thinks Canadians should not get. He voted against them. Instead, he moves on recommending that they invest in Bitcoin to avoid inflation. Well, that would have destroyed half their savings.
We will continue to deliver support for Canadians while he plays rhetorical games.
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- Nov/24/22 2:35:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Governor of the Bank of Canada confirmed that getting rid of the carbon tax will reduce inflation. This is the same carbon tax that has driven up the cost of groceries, gas and home heating. This is the same carbon tax that has not helped the Liberals meet a single emission reduction target. The more they keep charging for it, the more emissions keep going up.
Why will the Liberals not stop forcing their failed carbon tax scheme on Canadians?
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- Nov/24/22 2:36:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Governor of the Bank of Canada estimated that the price on pollution would add marginally to the impact on inflation, perhaps 0.1%. That is one cent for every $10. On the other hand, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, eight out of 10 families will get more money back than they pay at the pumps. That will help with affordability and inflation.
Unfortunately, the opposition wants to take this climate action incentive away.
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- Nov/24/22 3:04:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since 2015, the Prime Minister has doubled our national debt to $1.2 trillion. Over $100 billion of that was even prior to the pandemic. He has incurred more debt than all other prime ministers combined. Just yesterday, the Governor of the Bank of Canada told me that, but for this massive spending, inflation would have been less.
This is a very important question: Will the Prime Minister finally admit that his failed fiscal policy is costing Canadians more for everything?
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- Nov/24/22 3:05:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the reality is that 40% of spending that took place during the pandemic, according to the government's own appointed Parliamentary Budget Officer, had absolutely zero to do with the pandemic. The member's response is cold comfort for those who cannot afford to heat their homes because of the carbon tax or cannot afford to stay in their homes because of interest rates, or cannot afford groceries because of inflation. The fact of the matter is that the Governor of the Bank Canada has now confirmed what we all feared: excessive government spending is the cause of made-in-Canada inflation.
Will the Prime Minister stop this problem, stop the spending and get inflation under control?
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- Nov/24/22 3:06:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, moms and dads who used the CERB to stay home and take care of their kids did not cause inflation. Businesses that wanted to keep their doors open so they could serve Canadians in 2022 for the Christmas season did not create inflation. This government took the steps it needed to support Canadians, to support businesses and to support provinces. What we have done in the fall economic statement is support the economy so that it can grow and make sure that our fiscal position is strong.
What are we doing? We are responding to the needs of those Canadians who need help when they need it now. What are the Conservatives doing? They are suggesting that people invest in crypto. That is irresponsible.
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- Nov/24/22 3:09:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, inflation is stuck at a 40-high year and the cost of groceries is up 11%. Rural Manitoba seniors like Suzanne are skipping meals. Suzanne is skipping meals so often that she is actually not eating two or three days each week. She is wearing her winter jacket in her home so she does not have to turn up her heat and she is struggling to put gas in her car to drive an hour and a half to Winnipeg to see her doctor.
When will the Liberals stop hurting our seniors and axe the carbon tax increase on heating and eating?
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- Nov/24/22 3:18:01 p.m.
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Yes, Mr. Speaker, it is the best part of Thursday. It is the Thursday question. I just want to ask the government House leader if he can inform the members as to the business for the rest of this week and for next week as well.
I would like to take the opportunity to make a couple of suggestions for government business. We had the Bank of Canada governor admit at committee that deficits fuel inflation, so I was wondering if there would be an opportunity for the government to introduce another fall economic update where it would lower its deficits.
Also, I was wondering if the government might schedule a take-note debate at some point next week so that the House can really study the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report that concludes, based on numbers that the government has provided, that the vast majority of Canadians pay far more in the carbon tax than anything they hope to receive in the form of a rebate.
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Mr. Speaker, far be it from me to ruin the best part of Thursday, although the opposition House leader and I may be alone in the opinion that this is the best part of Thursday.
I am beginning to think, and I could be wrong in this supposition, that the hon. opposition House leader is making statements and not asking questions. However, in the event that there is a question, I would be happy to respond.
First, it is not enough, of course, when we take a look down the list, that we have lower inflation rates than many countries, whether it is the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, the entire eurozone, Iceland, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, Mexico, the United States or Ireland. I could go on and on. It does not matter that we have one of the lowest inflation rates in the world. That is cold comfort to somebody who is working hard and trying to pay the bills. That is why—
An hon. member: Oh, oh!
Hon. Mark Holland: Mr. Speaker, we are not going to stop the supports we have for Canadians. In fact, I would suggest to the member opposite that making sure our most vulnerable are protected is critical. That is why we have a number of things we are going to be doing in that regard, which I will illuminate in a moment.
As to the other question that was put, I do seriously want to ask, if the Conservatives are opposed to action on the climate, whether they have reflected about what the costs are. These are not costs that will be borne for a year or two but for all time. It is something to reflect on regarding the questions that were posed to me.
I am pleased that this afternoon we are going to complete the second reading debate of Bill S-4, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Identification of Criminals Act and to make related amendments to other acts. Tomorrow, we will go back to the second reading debate of Bill C-20, concerning the public complaints and review commission act. On Monday, we will resume second reading debate of Bill C-27, the digital charter implementation act, 2022. For Tuesday and Wednesday, we will call Bill C-29, an act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation, which was reported with amendments from committee earlier this week.
Mr. Speaker, I see you moving in your chair, so you will be happy to know that, finally, for next Thursday, our plan is to commence second reading debate of Bill C-26, the critical cyber systems protection act.
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- Nov/24/22 5:45:17 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to be here in the House today to ask a question that I initially asked back in June about inflation.
Members will notice that inflation has not abated as much as the government thought it would. In June we were at 7.7% and the latest number is 6.9%, so if people think we are moving down, we are still sticking around that 7%.
One thing about inflation in Canada is this. When the government trumpets that it is less here than in the rest of the world, it is because of how we measure inflation in Canada versus the rest of the world. If I ask Canadians and my colleagues outside of the House if they believe inflation is lesser here than elsewhere and why they think that would be, the answer is because we measure it differently. We do not count as much for housing in Canada. We use a thing called owners' equivalent rent, which has consistently, over 30 years, underestimated what the inflationary effects of housing are in Canada.
However, in June it was at 7.7% and it continues to go up. It is 6.9% now. The minister wants to increase taxes on fuel. We hope the minister would drop the taxes on fuel. I know a lot of the members in the House say that the issue around petroleum is that the companies that produce petroleum are earning excess profits. They are earning profits for the first time in seven years because the commodity has gone up in price.
However, the last time the commodity cost this much on the world market, gas in my province was worth $1.40 a litre. Now it is worth $2.10 a litre, so there is a disconnect here. Where is that extra 70¢ per litre, that extra 50% uptick, in gas? I will tell members right now that it is in the extra taxes and the extra regulatory costs that the current government has imposed upon Canadians to get the fuel they need to get to work, fuel their homes and get things done, because energy is essential to getting everything done in Canada, especially with respect to our food.
Seven years ago was a long time, but Canadians need to ask why things are getting so much more expensive when the actual cost on the world market is the same as it was seven years ago. Again, it is taxes. These are inflationary effects. I know the current government has a number of taxation measures that are built into gasoline now, which includes the clean fuel standard. The new clean electricity standard is going to add more costs for Canadians. However, the big one here of course is the carbon tax.
Seven years ago there was no carbon tax. It was zero. Then it went to $20 a tonne. In the election in 2019, the Prime Minister said that it would remain at $20 a tonne and then immediately moved it to $50 a tonne. Now it is going to move up to $170 a tonne, but this will not be inflationary of course. Let me give members a quick education here. Inflationary taxes are designed to be inflationary. They raise the cost of everything. That means that things are going to go up in price and consumers are going to feel it, no matter what the current government says.
I know the Liberals will say that they give a whole bunch of it back to Canadians anyway. They give a bit of it back. Yes, there are some Canadians who get some of the money they spent back. Let us think about that, the churn and burn the government goes through with respect to this. Let me ask it to actually think about it.
I am going to pre-empt my respondent here to get past the doublethink that will be part of his notes when he says that we can have our cake and eat it too, because I heard the minister say again in the House the other day that the government is going to raise taxes on all the things Canadians consume and that it will not make it financially punitive to Canadians. That is absolute hogwash. When the government increases taxes on Canadians, it is going to make things inflationary. Things are going to go up in price and, therefore, it is causing a problem where we are going to pay more for everything we have to buy in Canada. That is a fact. We cannot get over it.
I have a lot more to say on inflation, but I know my time is up. I also know that my colleague across the way has some kind of response for me on this.
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Madam Speaker, I take a lot of time writing my notes, but to get off that for a second, at the request of my colleague, there was in fact a carbon price seven years ago, just not in his home province of Alberta. In my home province of B.C., there absolutely was a price on carbon, and guess what. During that period, British Columbia had the fastest-growing economy in the country at the same time as we had a carbon price. That is just some food for thought before I get into my extensive notes.
Our government understands that many Canadians are worried about our country's economy and that we are facing a global slowdown due to global challenges of high inflation and higher interest rates. However, it is important to remember that inflation is in fact a global phenomenon. Indeed, it is a lingering result of the COVID pandemic, Putin's illegal war on Ukraine and the snarled supply chains that are affecting so many people and businesses right around the world. The good news, though, is that no country is better placed than Canada to weather the coming global economic slowdown and thrive in the years ahead.
Canada's inflation rate is less severe, at 6.9%, than those of our peers, like the United States, at 7.7%, the United Kingdom, at 11.1% and Germany, at 10.4%. We rely on Stats Canada to do those calculations. Also, our country has a AAA credit rating and has had the strongest economic growth in the G7 so far this year. That is alongside the lowest deficit- and net debt-to-GDP ratios in the G7. In fact, we have strengthened that advantage over the course of the pandemic. Our unemployment rate is also near its record low, and 500,000 more Canadians are working today than before the pandemic.
We do appreciate, though, that this is a difficult time for families, friends and of course our neighbours. That is why we are now moving forward with targeted measures, including new ones introduced in the fall economic statement. For example, Bill C-32 would make the federal portion of all Canada student loans and Canada apprentice loans permanently interest-free, including those currently being repaid.
We are also continuing to implement our government's affordability plan, which includes targeted measures worth $12.1 billion. For example, with Bill C-31 having recently received royal assent, we are moving forward with the creation of the Canada dental benefit for children under 12 in families with annual incomes of less than $90,000 who do not have access to a private dental plan. Also, individuals and families receiving the GST credit started receiving an additional $2.5 billion in support earlier this month, and I thank my friend opposite for supporting that measure.
These are targeted measures that help make life more affordable for Canadians who need it the most, while being careful not to add fuel to the inflationary fire.
When it comes to pollution pricing, we know that a national price on pollution is the most effective and least costly way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while putting more money back into the pockets of most Canadians. Climate action is no longer a theoretical political debate; it is an economic necessity.
Earlier this month, the Parliamentary Budget Officer published an analysis showing climate change has negatively impacted and will continue to negatively impact the Canadian economy. The Conservatives regularly conflate the increased cost in global commodity prices with a price on pollution, but this is a fundamental error in practice. In B.C., for example, the carbon price has increased by only two cents per litre over the last three years while the price of gas has increased by over a dollar. That means the Conservatives are regularly ignoring 98% of the real problem. They also ignore the fact that the federal carbon price is revenue-neutral and that it actually makes life more affordable for eight out of 10 Canadian families through the climate action rebate.
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- Nov/24/22 5:52:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the first thing I asked for in this debate was for my colleague across the way to pull his head out of his Liberal notes and actually do some thinking on this, but a bunch of what he said is malarky. In any event, let us go through the actual numbers.
He talked about the G7. He talked about how Canada performs on a net debt basis. His numbers, his government's numbers and his speaking point narratives are far different than those of any other body in the world that measures where we are economically in the world, including the IMF, which has recently ranked Canada far lower than his vaunted expectation of where this country is. That is because some people know how to count. I do not think anybody on that side of the House knows how to do the math on this.
On the G7 countries he talks about, Canada is the only G7 country that has not either reduced its carbon taxes because of inflation or done away with them completely. How does he respond to that?
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- Nov/24/22 5:59:06 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am glad to be addressing a large variety of topics this evening.
Our government understands that the elevated global inflation we are experiencing is a major issue for all Canadians, including seniors, and that many are struggling to make ends meet. There are higher food and energy costs due to the Russian invasion in Ukraine, as well as longer lasting impacts from supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic.
That said, I am sure the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound has noted that inflation is decelerating in Canada. It was 8.1% in June. It is now at 6.9%. This is lower than the United States at 7.7%, the United Kingdom at 11.1% and the euro area at 10.6%. Still, at 6.9%, inflation in Canada is high and we know that Canadians are experiencing higher costs of living when they go to the grocery store, when they fill their tanks and when they pay their rent.
This is why our government is supporting Canadians who are affected the most by inflation. For example, we doubled the GST credit for six months. I thank my friend opposite. He gave a speech supporting that particular measure.
This will deliver $2.5 billion in additional targeted support to roughly 11 million households and, interestingly enough, over 50% of our seniors in Canada, those who need it the most, will benefit from this particular measure.
I am certain that my friend opposite will agree with me when I say that Canada owes our seniors a great deal, which is why our government takes retirement security so seriously. It is also why I get nervous when the Conservative Party of Canada repeatedly asks for us to reduce the cost of government by shrinking the future pension benefits of seniors. This is simply not a responsible policy.
On the other hand, we think it is very important that the Canada pension plan, the old age security pension and the guaranteed income supplement continue to be indexed to the consumer price index. This means that seniors do not have to worry about the value of their benefits keeping pace with inflation because, as costs increase, so will their benefits. This is very helpful for seniors, especially if they are on a fixed income.
Small changes in income can make a big difference. That is why the Conservative plan to increase the age of eligibility for OAS and GIS from 65 to 67 was so harmful. It literally took thousands and thousands of dollars away from seniors right when they needed it the most. Fortunately, our government reversed these measures that were introduced by the Conservatives and Canadians can count on receiving their benefits at 65, as previously promised.
We also increased the maximum GIS benefit for single seniors aged 65 and up who needed extra help, and we permanently increased the old age security pensions by 10% for seniors aged 75 and older. That will be waiting there for all of us when we get to that age. This means increased benefits for more than three million seniors and more than $800 in new support for full pensioners over the first year. This is in addition to numerous programs that support seniors and our health care system right across the country.
While there is still more work to do, Canadians should know that there are 25% fewer seniors living in poverty today than when we took office in 2015. I think that is a trend that we can all support in the House and that every party can support.
I look forward to working with the member opposite to do even more to support our seniors and to further strengthen retirement security for future generations of Canadians.
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- Nov/24/22 6:03:41 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am happy to address those particular questions.
We are focused on making life more affordable, especially for our seniors. The point of talking about the GST benefit was pointing out the specific point that, while it is going to 11 million households, disproportionately, the seniors who need that benefit are getting it. In fact, over 50% of seniors in Canada are getting it.
I also talked about how OAS and GIS and other important benefits are all indexed to inflation. One gets that at whatever age one is when one is collecting that. As people are dealing with the price of gas going up and the price of food going up at the grocery store, they can trust that those benefits are, in fact, going up as well.
When it comes to CPP, if one is putting forward a policy that is reducing the benefits that are going into CPP, then one is putting at risk the future benefits that we worked so hard with premiers all across the country to put in place so that we can increase future pensions by up to almost 15%.
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