44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 13, 2023 11:00AM
- Feb/13/23 2:21:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if the Liberals do not want to listen to Canadians whom they do not know, perhaps they will listen to Liberals they do know. Random Liberal Bill Morneau said the federal government lost the agenda; Mark Carney, who is about to be a random Liberal, called inflation homegrown. The call is coming from inside the House. Will the Prime Minister finally admit what everybody knows and take some responsibility for the affordability crisis that the Liberals have created, or will he get out of the way so we can fix what they broke?
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- Feb/13/23 2:22:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government absolutely understands that many Canadians today are struggling with the cost of living. We also know that the best way to pay the rent and put groceries on the table is by having a job. That is why our government has focused relentlessly on jobs and why the job data for January, when 150,000 jobs were added, is so important. It is important for all of us to recognize that we have recovered 126% of the jobs lost to COVID compared with just 112% in the United—
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- Feb/13/23 2:22:48 p.m.
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The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.
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- Feb/13/23 2:22:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of this Liberal Prime Minister, Canadians are worse off than ever. Food inflation is at a 40-year high. People are being forced to eat less meat and fewer vegetables, foods that are essential to our health. According to the major grocery chains, it is not over. Prices will continue to rise in 2023.
Why is the Prime Minister looking down on the middle class and ignoring their pain and misery, rather than taking responsibility and helping them?
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- Feb/13/23 2:23:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that many Canadians are facing real challenges when it comes to affordability. That is why our government has an approach that is both compassionate and responsible.
This is our plan: We have doubled the GST credit, we have provided a $500 top-up to renters, and we have provided dental care to Canadian children.
The Conservatives voted against all of these measures.
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- Feb/13/23 2:24:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, what the Conservatives voted against were the government's inflationary policies, which are making absolutely everything more expensive in this country, making things harder and harder for every family. That is the reality. Students have to cram into tiny apartments with many others because they cannot afford to pay rent. It takes some nerve to say that everything is fine in Canada. Canadians are paying the price for eight years of inflationary policies under this government.
Will the government take responsibility once and for all so we can finally give Canadians some hope?
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- Feb/13/23 2:24:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives seem to need a lesson in economics. First of all, money does not grow on trees. It is not like cryptocurrency, which multiplies endlessly. If they believe we have spent too much, they need to say where they would make cuts. What are they going to cut? Will they cut assistance to students, to seniors or to families? Will it be in the child care program or the wage subsidy? Where will they cut?
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Mr. Speaker, according to what Chantal Hébert stated this morning, the anglophone Quebec wing of the Liberal government would rather see Parliament prorogued than pass Bill C‑13 as amended by the opposition, because, horror of horrors, it would recognize the Charter of the French Language. All House business would have to stop because a few West Island MPs do not want to protect the French language. Those members do not want to protect French on the West Island, in Quebec, in Acadia, or in the rest of Canada.
Can the Prime Minister assure us that Bill C‑13 will not end up in the circular file?
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite the opposite. We look forward to seeing Bill C-13 passed, as do stakeholders across the country. That is why we have introduced an ambitious bill that that will make a real difference in the lives of Canadians. We are the first government to recognize the decline of French across the country, including in Quebec. I look forward to the passage of this bill. As I said, it is a bill that will make a real difference for all Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, she needs to convince her crew of that. In the same column, it was suggested that anglophone MPs from Quebec who are opposed to the Charter of the French Language might go so far as to quit the Liberal Party rather than vote for Bill C‑13. To hear them talk, life as an anglophone Quebecker in Montreal is really tough. They make Westmount and Mount Royal sound like the gulag.
There are francophone and Acadian minority communities that are desperately waiting for Bill C‑13, but the Liberals might let it die in order to appease the West Island. Who is going to put these members in their place?
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Mr. Speaker, I advise my colleague to worry about his own caucus. He has enough to worry about. The Bloc Québécois is not the least bit interested in Bill C‑13. It has been stalling the bill from day one. It does not support the bill and will vote against it. I will say one thing: The members from Quebec will stand up and defend French in Quebec and across Canada, regardless what the Bloc does.
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- Feb/13/23 2:27:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians already pay some of the highest prices in the world for telecom services. The Rogers-Shaw merger will lead to decreased competition, a greater monopoly, job losses and higher prices for everyone. It is not too late to stop this merger which will only hurt Canadian families whose budgets are already very tight.
Will the minister side with major corporations or defend the interests of Canadians by blocking this merger immediately?
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- Feb/13/23 2:28:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent question. We will always side with Canadians. That is exactly what I said, because the goal is to lower prices in Canada. The best way to do that is with competition and with a fourth major player across Canada. I have already rejected the transfer of licences from Shaw and Rogers. As I indicated, I will be looking at the ruling by the Federal Court of Appeal in the interest of Canadians.
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- Feb/13/23 2:28:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if the minister is ultimately going to say no to the merger, why does he not just come out and say it? We already know that Canadians pay among the highest prices for telecom services in the world, and we know that less competition in the market is not going to lead to lower prices. The answer is pretty clear; he is hinting at it. When is he going to reassure Canadians who are already struggling with their household budgets and cannot afford to give up their cellphones? When is he going to do the right thing and say no to the merger?
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- Feb/13/23 2:29:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I will not take lessons from colleagues when it comes to fighting for Canadians. We do that every day on this side of the House. We understand that the best way we can do that is by making sure that we lower the price of cellphone bills in Canada, that we have more competition and that we have a fourth national player.
It is Monday today. Canadians watching at home know we stand on their side and will do everything to protect their rights by making sure the cellphone bill prices come down in Canada.
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- Feb/13/23 2:29:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of Liberal failures, families cannot afford groceries. Eight years ago, $200 went a long way at the grocery store. Today, after Liberal inflation, $150 barely gets three bags.
Not only are the Liberals going to take more in taxes, but they are going to drive up the cost of groceries when they triple their failed carbon tax. One in five Canadians is already skipping meals. Imagine how much worse things are going to get.
Will the Liberal Prime Minister finally take some responsibility for causing this inflationary crisis, stop breaking Canada and axe his failed carbon tax?
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- Feb/13/23 2:30:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as everyone in this House knows, as of January, fees for child care have been reduced 50% across the country. I asked families to tell me what that means to them. Let me give some examples. “Just paid our January daycare fees. Under $500!!!!! This is a 55% reduction from last year. This is going to make such a huge difference for so many families.” Here is another quote: “We are finally FINALLY seeing real reductions in our daycare costs. It's genuinely life-changing to see fees reduced by just over 50%—this is how you support families, this is how you achieve real equity in the workforce.”
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- Feb/13/23 2:31:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Dr. Seuss over there is living in fantasy world.
What the Liberal government really should be focused on is the price of corruption, like $15 billion going to Liberal insiders for cushy contracts, thousands of dollars going to ministers' besties and thousands and thousands going to racists like Laith Marouf. Random Liberals, like Bill “no more” and Mark Carney, also agree the government overspent and pile-drove Canadians with inflation.
Will the Liberals finally take some damn responsibility, rein in their spending and axe their failed carbon tax?
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- Feb/13/23 2:31:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I actually read Dr. Seuss quite a bit with my son at night, and he has some pretty good lessons that I think the Conservatives could learn if they want to open up his books. In fact, one of those lessons is about protecting our environment. When he talks about the truffula trees, it is about protecting what we have, like the clean air and clean water, and making sure we protect that for generations to come.
If my opposition colleague would like to learn more, I invite him to open the books. He might have more compassionate policies for Canadians.
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- Feb/13/23 2:32:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us skip the fantasy.
I am a numbers girl, so here are the numbers: eight long years under the Prime Minister, 40-year highs in inflation and food prices up 10%. Now the Liberals are going to triple the carbon tax. Do members know what that adds up to? It is 67. That is the percentage of people who think Canada is broken.
Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for breaking the country, or will he get out of the way and let us fix it?
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