44th Parl. 1st Sess.
January 31, 2023 10:00AM
- Jan/31/23 2:22:01 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I remember my time in opposition looking at the member opposite, who sat in a government that had a poverty rate of 14.5%. Do members know how often the Conservatives talked about poverty or people in food banks then? It was never. In fact, what has happened under this government is that rate has been reduced by 56%. We have lifted literally over 1.5 million people out of poverty. I would point out that in the worst period of growth since 1946, which his government presided over, this government has seen more than 1.5 million jobs created since the Conservatives left office.
107 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jan/31/23 2:23:24 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, when the world is going through something incredibly difficult, we have a choice of what we can do. We can look people in the eye and tell them straight that they are in the most difficult time that humanity has gone through since the Second World War, or we can retweet what is going wrong in the world and make YouTube videos.
It is time for serious leadership. Do members know what has happened over the last eight years? Every time we put concrete solutions in place, the party opposite has obfuscated. The Conservatives tried to block supports for dental, supports for rent, supports for child care and supports for OAS.
113 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jan/31/23 2:24:49 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite had an opportunity to be in government and do something on poverty. The Conservatives did not have any targets. They did not talk about poverty. They did not talk about homeless shelters. They did not move on those things at all.
I have talked about what this government has done. The IMF is now saying that Canada will have the second-highest GDP growth in the world. As we work hard to lift Canadians up and do critical things like child care and dental care, instead of just amplifying anxiety and fear, why will the Conservatives not be part of the solution? I would say they have not been in this House. All they have done is block and obstruct real solutions.
127 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jan/31/23 2:26:38 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we are plain and straight about the difficult times that we are going through as a planet. I would suggest that when the member opposite had the opportunity to suggest, as an example, how people could deal with inflation, he recommended cryptocurrency.
This is the party that at every opportunity is actually not offering any solutions. In fact, the Conservatives are ignoring the fact that when they had a chance to act on poverty and when they had a chance to act on creating jobs, their party had such a bad record on the GDP that there were 14 times in history when there was more growth in a single year than the Conservatives had in their entire government.
121 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jan/31/23 2:46:00 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, in all things, the government ensures that the contracts it enters into are efficacious and get good value for money and ensure we deliver services to Canadians. The questions that are being posed are fair. We will get an opportunity in committee to be exhaustive and get answers. However, understand that Canada has a reputation around the world for the quality of the contracts it enters into. That is absolutely something we are committed to continue to ensure we get value for money for Canadians.
87 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jan/31/23 2:47:09 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I have to take exception to this notion that Canadians have never done worse, and talking down our economy. I would point out that when the members opposite, the Conservatives, were in power, the economy had 1.5 million less jobs; there were over a million and a half more people in poverty; Canada was at the bottom of the G7 across about every single indicator and, in fact, had the worst growth rate in terms of GDP of any government since 1946. Next year, Canada will be number two, as projected by the IMF, in GDP growth. When Conservatives talk down our economy, they should be careful they do not get reflected back to their own record.
120 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jan/31/23 2:50:43 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, Canada has a reputation around the world as having the highest degree of excellence in the way it conducts its business and contracts. That is something of which we are deeply proud.
I understand that members in opposition want to foment issues, but there is an excellent opportunity in committee to ask these questions directly. If members want to have real answers, then there will be the opportunity for mature, reasonable discussions during that period of time. However, talking down the way in which we conduct contracts does not behoove anybody.
98 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jan/31/23 2:54:13 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, again, saying that Canadians have never had it worse is an absolutely ludicrous statement. There have been all kinds of instances in history where Canadians have faced hard times and dealt with difficult situations. Whether it was in great wars or in difficult economic storms that took the world, Canadians rose to those occasions and met them with strength and determination to build a stronger future thereafter. The notion, as Canadians are facing anxiety and as they are looking at global tumult, that they should think they are in the worst position they have ever been is simply irresponsible.
101 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jan/31/23 2:55:38 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that we all watch the language we use, and I would be interested to see if the member opposite would use a term like that outside the chamber. This chamber should be met with the same decorum inside as out.
The party opposite had the opportunity for 10 years to care about the issues it is now talking about. I would ask those members, if they said they were there, where they were for those 1.5 million Canadians who now have jobs who did not under the Conservative government. Where were they for over a million individuals who were in poverty and suffering when the Conservatives were in government and never talked about poverty?
It is a bit rich, and they should reflect on their rhetoric.
132 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jan/31/23 2:58:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I ask what the member opposite means when they say that Canadians have never had it so bad. What would they say to Canadians who for the first time are having universal child care, are seeing their costs cut in half and that it is going to be $10 a day? What would they say to those who have children and who, for the first time, are going to be able to make sure that they have dental care for every single child across the country? What would they say to the seniors, whom the Conservatives cut off by raising the eligibility age to 67 and are now collecting it at 65? What would they say to the 1.5 million people who have a job now, who did not when the Conservatives were in power?
138 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
