44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 7, 2023 10:00AM
- Mar/7/23 2:58:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadian brewery workers are worried. Labour unions representing them, including Unifor and SEIU, are sounding the alarm because the federal government plans to increase beer taxes by 6.3% on April 1. This would be the largest federal beer tax increase in the last 40 years, and it is happening with no debate in Parliament.
Beer production costs are soaring and sales are declining. This tax will have a huge impact on jobs in Canada. Will this government help to protect brewery jobs by cancelling this unprecedented and automatic beer tax increase?
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- Mar/7/23 2:59:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we understand the work that brewers do in our country. Whether it is small craft brewers or the large producers, this is an important industry for our tourism sector but also for Canadians for recreational purposes.
We cannot comment on what is going to be in the budget. We have heard from the brewery industry and we are taking this matter under advisement.
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- Mar/7/23 2:59:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the inherent rights of the Métis were confirmed in the Constitution Act of 1982, and 40 years ago today, the Métis National Council was officially formed. Since its inception, the MNC has been a fierce advocate for Métis across Canada.
Could the Minister of Northern Affairs please update the House on the federal government's partnership with the MNC and the important work we are doing together with Métis?
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- Mar/7/23 3:00:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Yukon for all of his hard work on all these issues.
I congratulate the Métis National Council for 40 years of hard work for the rights of Métis across the homeland, building on the legacy of our ancestors. I commend Cassidy Caron for her stewardship of the council. I also commend and congratulate all the previous presidents of the Métis National Council over the last 40 years.
Our government is working hand-in-hand with MNC on issues such as reconciliation, housing and the environment. There is a lot of work to do, but we are making progress.
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- Mar/7/23 3:00:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of Liberal failures, the Liberals continue to break records, just not ones many can celebrate. Not only are one in five Canadians skipping meals, but food bank usage is at a record high. A Mississauga food bank saw a 41% increase in usage, serving more than 13,000 people in January alone. That is the average attendance of an Ottawa Senators' game.
Why does the Prime Minister continue to brag and celebrate his failed policies that sent 1.5 million Canadians to a food bank, or was that his plan all along?
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- Mar/7/23 3:01:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadians are going through a hard time. There is an inflationary cycle that has gripped the world. The fact is that in our country, our inflation is lower than the average in the G7 and in the EU. It is not good enough for Canadians and that is why we have a robust set of affordability measures in place.
The other side provides no hope, no plan and no vision for the future. We do; that is our job. We have the backs of Canadians.
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- Mar/7/23 3:01:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have the back pockets of Canadians, and we would never vote for policies that would make housing double. After eight years of their failures, rents and mortgages have doubled since 2015.
Random Liberal Bill Morneau said that the government overspent. That made the Bank of Canada jack up its rates to counter that. Now the CIBC is saying that 20% of its mortgages are at a point where monthly payments do not even cover interest anymore.
Therefore, will the most expensive housing minister in Canada's history stop patting himself on the back for a job well failed and admit that he broke housing in our country?
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- Mar/7/23 3:02:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite wants to erase everything that has happened in Canada and around the world over the past few years, including the pandemic. It is important to remember that the government has been there for the people who need it most.
It is also important to remember that after years under the Conservatives, when our government took office, we lifted two million people out of poverty and created more jobs in the last ten years than the Conservatives did when they were in power.
This government is doing more for Canadians than the Conservatives will ever do.
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- Mar/7/23 3:02:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal Prime Minister, Canadians are struggling.
Seniors are being pulled out of retirement and forced to re-enter the workforce to pay for food and housing costs. Grocery prices are out of control. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment across Canadian cities is $2,000 per month, compared to $1,200 per month in 2015.
Will the Prime Minister step aside and let the Conservatives fix what Liberals have broken?
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- Mar/7/23 3:03:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is really important to look at the facts.
The fact of the matter is that, when that party, the Conservative Party, was in power, the plan for seniors was to raise the age of retirement to 67. The first thing we did was to reverse that back to 65. We then enhanced the old age security and enhanced the guaranteed income supplement.
Every step of the way the party opposite has opposed measures to support Canadians and has stopped us from doing the work for seniors. We will not take any lessons from the Conservatives. We will continue to make sure we deliver for seniors.
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- Mar/7/23 3:04:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this year, Canadians will feel the brunt of the 4.25% increase in the Bank of Canada's base rate.
According to Statistics Canada, 35% of Canadian households reported that it was difficult for them to meet their financial needs in the previous 12 months. What is more, 44% of respondents said that they were very concerned with their household's ability to afford housing or rent.
Will the Prime Minister admit that his out-of-control spending caused inflation and created conditions that are impoverishing Canadian families?
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- Mar/7/23 3:04:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, inflation was not caused by all of the support measures that we put in place to help people get through the pandemic, regardless of the Conservative Party's far-fetched economic theories. What we are not going to hear from the other side of the House is a plan.
The Conservatives do not have a plan for the economy. They do not have a plan for housing. They do not even believe in climate change, so they definitely do not have a plan for that.
On this side of the House, we believe in Canadians. We believe in having a plan and we are going to follow our plan to support Canadians.
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- Mar/7/23 3:05:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs voted in favour of an independent public inquiry chaired by a commission member chosen with the agreement of all the parties represented in the House.
The Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Conservatives were able to set partisanship aside. What is important here is public confidence in our electoral system, not partisanship.
Does the government really believe it will restore public confidence with a secret committee and a rapporteur who reports directly to the Prime Minister?
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- Mar/7/23 3:05:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said a few moments ago, we share the concern of all our colleagues over the importance of strengthening our democratic institutions with respect to interference by foreign states, including China.
We have taken action on several fronts and put a number of measures in place. We will continue to further reinforce our democratic institutions, precisely as Canadians expect from a responsible and transparent government.
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- Mar/7/23 3:06:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in a democracy, candidates are not guaranteed to win an election, but they must be assured that the election is conducted by the book, without cheating, without money received on the sly, without people being bullied into voting, and without foreign interference. That is democracy.
These conditions make it possible to accept the results of elections. If the public loses confidence in the electoral system, democracy is weakened. That is why we need an independent public inquiry.
Why is the Prime Minister stubbornly refusing this inquiry?
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- Mar/7/23 3:07:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I share my hon. colleague's concerns.
That is why we created two independent panels that verified that the 2019 and 2021 elections were free and fair. Now, we will follow a process managed by a special rapporteur. The rapporteur will table recommendations that the government will follow.
Yes, this is very important. We will continue to protect our democratic institutions.
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- Mar/7/23 3:07:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, CIBC is the first bank to show that, on 20% of its mortgages, the monthly payment does not cover interest and increases what the borrowers owe on top of their original mortgages. Does the Minister of Finance agree that, inevitably, these higher debts must be paid down?
That is something that borrowers cannot afford now, let alone at a higher cost later. If she believes that is true, why does she continue to relentlessly borrow and spend when it is not only inflationary but also a debt that Canadians cannot afford today, let alone tomorrow?
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- Mar/7/23 3:08:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are going to continue on our prudent fiscal track that we laid down in the fall economic statement and in budget 2022.
It is intriguing that the Conservatives are having a little laugh fest today because—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Mar/7/23 3:08:48 p.m.
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Order.
The hon. minister can take it from the top so we can hear the whole answer, please.
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- Mar/7/23 3:08:57 p.m.
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Perhaps we should go back to the past, Mr. Speaker, and talk about nine years of stagflation during the Harper government, when the Canadian economy did not grow more than 1% or maybe 1.2%. Which country in the world is positioned to lead the G7 in growth next year? It is Canada. Is that good enough for Canadians who are struggling with inflation? No. That is why we have affordability measures in place.
They voted against them. We are voting with Canadians. They can hem and haw. We are here for Canadians.
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