44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 29, 2023 02:00PM
- Mar/29/23 2:16:21 p.m.
- Watch
Order.
I just want to remind everyone that S. O. 31s are taking place. I know there are some people talking, and it is great to see everyone talk among themselves, but let us keep it down to a whisper and not talk loudly. If members want to talk louder, they can just take it out to the lobby until we are done.
The hon. member for Calgary Rocky Ridge.
70 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, yesterday’s budget tried to fool Canadians into thinking the Liberals had capped the tax on beer, wine and spirits, but they did no such thing. If it was actually capped, the tax would not be going up on Saturday. Canada already has one of the highest excise duty rates in the world, and the tax is still going up on Saturday, and it will still go up automatically next year.
New spending in the budget will cost $4,300 per Canadian family. The budget promises Canadians more taxes and more deficits, which means more inflation. Taxes and inflation are crushing Canadians to the point that having a beer with friends or enjoying a bottle of wine with a loved one are becoming unaffordable luxuries for the middle class and those desperately trying to cling to it.
I call on MPs to support my private member's bill to repeal the automatic escalator tax and bring back happy hour for Canadians.
164 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:17:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness but much hope that I join all Franco-Ontarians and my colleagues in the House to pay tribute to an extraordinary man and journalist for the past 32 years at Le Droit, a man beginning an unprecedented battle against an enemy—cancer—he characterized as Goliath in his latest, but not last, column.
I am referring to Mr. Denis Gratton, a proud Franco-Ontarian and passionate man who works tirelessly to defend the French fact here in Ottawa, in columns that we read with interest, despite, at times, a touch of friendly sarcasm.
Today, we want to send a message of hope and courage to dear Mr. Gratton. Our thoughts are with him during this time. We encourage him to stay strong as he has always been while defending our right to speak French. We eagerly await his next column.
I wish Mr. Gratton much strength.
159 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, seniors across Canada are facing significant challenges. I hear from seniors, largely single women, who are struggling to make ends meet. They cannot afford housing, basic food, medication and heat. Almost 600,000 Canadian senior women are living in poverty. Far too many of those women are further marginalized because of who they are: indigenous, Black, persons of colour and those from the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Others are widows of veterans who married their spouse of after 60 years of age and are left without a pension because of a sexist, outdated gold-diggers clause.
In Canada, we should have a guaranteed livable basic income, as Bill C-223 by my friend, the member for Winnipeg Centre, would do. It is an amount that would would allow no one in this country to fall below the bar of basic dignity.
Canadians must ask themselves about the expense of abandoning those most in need and of their suffering. It is time to do better for seniors.
166 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:20:13 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker,
In the Quebec of days gone by, English stole the words “French” and “Canadian”.Quebeckers were born.Out of a dream, anger, the street and words.Michèle Lalonde voiced the indignation of our nation in the Americas,of hard-working Quebeckers and African slaves. Speak white!Speak white!Speak the language of whites!Speak the language of the conqueror!Speak English! Speak white!An insult that Quebec neither chose,nor appropriated.An insult that the English, this House!threw in the face of Henri Bourassa when he spoke French here...to the French-speakers of the country,to the Africans of the continent.History identifies what happened,literature records it.A people that lies to itself has neither history nor literature.If censorship wins,Speak white, a poem, will become a symbol of racism.The n-word is not for me. It belongs to those who suffer from it.Poetry is the weapon of Justice.
163 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:21:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day, and a quarter century since my son, Jaden, was diagnosed.
Over the years, I have focused a lot of my public words on Jaden’s strengths. This is not because he does not need help but rather because, all too often, all people see is the help he needs.
To be clear, as incredible as Jaden is, he needs a lot of help. He has considerable strengths in the concrete world, but they are inhibited by his struggles in the abstract world. He does not understand danger, so he literally needs help to survive every day.
In other ways, Jaden's differences are healthier than our societal “normal”. He is obsessed with pictures, not because of how many “likes” they get on Instagram, but because of how much he loves the people, pets and places in them. He is honest with his expressions: giggling, yawning, crying or “tongue-out” intense. He rarely feels pressure to be something he is not. He is unwaveringly loyal, trusting, forgiving and trusting again, seemingly without hesitation.
Yes, Jaden needs help, but for those who give him that help, invariably they receive much more in return.
207 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:23:09 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, today I want to take advantage of the fact that Ms. Poirier‑Rivard is visiting Parliament and pay her the tribute she deserves. She has a long list of accomplishments to her name, and her life partner, Jean‑Paul, has been by her side for all of them.
At the age of 40, this mother became a farmer, purchasing a farm and starting up a cheese business called Ruban bleu. She earned the admiration of her peers and received numerous honours, including the UPA's female farmer of the year award in 2003.
This distinguished businesswoman served as the Bloc Québécois member of Parliament for Châteauguay—Saint-Constant from 2004 to 2006, but her political and social involvement did not stop there. She was also a municipal councillor, vice-president of the Fondation Anna‑Laberge and president of La Rencontre Châteauguoise.
I wish to join my friend and mayor of Saint‑Constant, Jean-Claude Boyer, who is also here, in thanking Ms. Poirier‑Rivard from the bottom of my heart for her contribution, which has left an indelible mark on our wonderful community.
200 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:24:29 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, the Minister of Finance admitted that deficits add fuel to the fire of inflation.
She promised four things. She promised that the debt-to-GDP ratio would decline, but it is going up. She promised that the deficits would be reduced, but they are going up. She promised that the debts incurred due to COVID-19 would be paid down, but they are going up. She promised that the budget would be balanced in 2027, but now she is promising that it will never balance itself.
How can Canadians believe anything this minister and the Prime Minister say about money?
105 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:25:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, during a challenging time in the world, this budget will ensure that Canadians can continue to count on their government being there for them. We are meeting the challenges of today and tomorrow by introducing a new grocery rebate that will deliver targeted support to 11 million Canadians, lowering credit card transaction fees for small businesses, increasing investments in our public health care system, making transformative investments in our economy.
This is a budget of hope and ambition. We are putting in place the building blocks today so that we can realize today's dreams tomorrow.
98 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:25:55 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is a pipe dream.
A year ago, the finance minister said, “We are absolutely determined that our debt-to-GDP ratio must continue to decline.” It is going up. She also said, “Our [pandemic] deficits must continue to be reduced.” They are going up. She went on to say, “The [extraordinary] debt[s] we incurred...must...be paid down.” They are not only not being paid down, but they are going up. She said as well that the budget would be balanced in 2027. Now the Liberals admit that the budget will never balance itself.
Given these four falsehoods, how can Canadians believe anything the minister or the Prime Minister says about money?
122 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:26:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we are going to take no lessons from a Leader of the Opposition who tells Canadians to hedge on inflation by putting money into crypto.
Let us look at fiscal responsibility. Canada will have the lowest deficit and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. The deficit is projected to decline every year. Public debt charges, as a share of the economy, will remain historically low. We have the strongest economic growth in the G7, with 830,000 jobs created since the beginning of the pandemic, and a record 85.7% participation of Canadian women in the labour force.
The future is bright for Canada, and this budget delivers that future.
116 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:27:21 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, they are so out of touch.
They have presented a budget containing $60 billion in additional inflationary spending, which represents an extra $4,200 for every family in Canada. That is insane. Canadians can no longer foot the bill for a government that has lost control of spending in our country.
Canadians are struggling to pay their bills, feed their children and buy a house. How will they survive this budget?
74 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:28:01 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canadians who are watching us from home today saw a disconnected Leader of the Opposition.
We listened carefully to Canadians. They asked us to do three things: take action to tackle the cost of living and, of course, the cost of food; invest in health care and dental care; and invest in the green economy to create the jobs of the future.
That is exactly what Canadians said. That is exactly what we are doing. We are building the future with Canadians to be a leader in the economy of the 21st century.
96 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:28:39 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, they admitted that deficits drive inflation and promised restraint. Instead, what they delivered was $60 billion of brand new spending. That is $4,200 for every family in Canada. These are families that are already skipping meals because they cannot afford food, and 35-year-olds are living in their parents' basements because they cannot afford housing.
How will Canadian families carry on their backs an extra $4,200 in government costs when we are already going broke as a country?
83 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:29:16 p.m.
- Watch
What is really disappointing, Mr. Speaker, is that the Leader of the Opposition has already told Canadians that he is voting against this budget and he is voting against them, because what he is voting against is a grocery rebate for 11 million Canadians. What he is voting against is dental care for nine million Canadians, including children, seniors and people with disabilities. What he is voting against is a tax-free savings account for first-time homebuyers.
He is not there for Canadians. We are.
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:29:53 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we had eight years of these multi-billion dollar government programs, and what has it given us? We have 40-year highs in inflation, one in five Canadians skipping meals because they cannot afford groceries, nine in 10 young people stuck in their parents' basements because they cannot afford housing, and students living in homeless shelters because the cost of living has risen so fast. These hard-working Canadians who do the work deserve a country that works for them, not an out-of-control tax-and-squander NDP budget like the one we have before us today.
When will they rein in their spending so Canadians can pay their bills?
113 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:30:32 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians deserve is a government that is going to respond to them in their time of need. That is exactly what we are doing with this budget, and that is exactly what we have been doing for the past seven and a half years. Just as the Conservatives voted against the Canada child benefit, which provides up to $7,000 a year for vulnerable families, they are voting against Canadians who need help in this difficult time. They are going to vote against a grocery rebate that is going to help 11 million Canadians. If they care about these issues, they have a simple option: reverse course, support this budget and support Canadians.
116 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:31:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as it stands, carbon capture is not green, grey hydrogen is not green, nuclear energy is not green and Arctic offshore oil is not green.
Will the government admit that the big news in yesterday's budget, approximately $17 billion, is intended exclusively for oil companies?
50 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:31:46 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the short answer for my colleague is no. We will admit no such thing since that is not the case.
I would like to quote the David Suzuki Foundation, which said yesterday that investments in renewable electricity in budget 2023 could position Canada as a global leader in the clean economy.
I could also quote Greenpeace Canada, which talked about “unprecedented federal investments” in greening the grid, which will allow us to end our reliance on fossil fuels.
We agree with the Suzuki Foundation and Greenpeace but not with the Bloc Québécois.
101 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/29/23 2:32:23 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the National Assembly, which speaks for Quebec, adopted a unanimous motion asking that no more money be invested in subsidies for the oil industry. However, that is just what Ottawa is doing.
Incidentally, Quebec also asked that the federal government not interfere in provincial jurisdictions, including dental care. That is exactly what Ottawa is doing.
Will the government admit that the budget it has tabled—which essentially caters to oil companies and the NDP—is a budget that does not work for Quebec?
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
