44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 29, 2023 02:00PM
- Mar/29/23 2:27:21 p.m.
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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?
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- Mar/29/23 2:46:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister of inflation said she did not want to add fuel to the inflationary fire, yet in yesterday's budget she literally threw a $43-billion jerry can on the inflationary fire that she created in the first place and literally put $4,300 of extra cost on each and every Canadian household. Inflation is at a 40-year high. Gas, groceries, home heating, mortgages and rents have all doubled because of the failed policies of the Liberal-NDP government.
In what world is it fair to add an extra $4,300 on the backs of hard-working Canadian households?
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- Mar/29/23 2:47:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it will be adding $4,300 on the backs of each and every household. The Liberals think everyone is stupid, that we should join in on their war on work and on paycheques, that we should support their failed inflationary policies. We are not gullible like the NDP. We are going to stand up for Canadians every single day. This is a government that says it is fiscally prudent, then turns around and pile-drives Canadians with an extra $4,300 of cost.
The Liberals claim that they care about the pain of Canadians, yet they are going to increase the costs of their failed carbon tax this Saturday. Again, in what world is it fair to add an extra $4,300 on the backs of hard-working Canadian families?
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- Mar/29/23 2:56:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's new spending spree in this year's budget would cost every Canadian family more than $4,300, and Canada's food price index is showing that groceries for a family of four are going to be more than $1,000 in 2023, yet the Prime Minister wants to make food even more expensive by increasing the carbon tax on April 1.
Why is the Prime Minister choosing to increase taxes and fan the inflationary flames, rather than make food more affordable for every Canadian family?
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- Mar/29/23 4:10:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is insane.
The government has already caused the highest inflation in 40 years by doubling the national debt and adding more to our debt than all the other prime ministers in the history of this country combined. He admitted that government spending is increasing the cost of living for ordinary Canadians.
For three years, I have been warning the House of Commons. The so-called experts, including the Governor of the Bank of Canada, former finance minister Bill Morneau and others, have admitted that the government's spending is driving up inflation. The minister herself finally came to that same conclusion. Two weeks ago, she said that she did not want to add fuel to the fire of inflation, so yesterday, we expected the government to introduce a budget that would curb the inflationary spending that is harming ordinary Canadians. What we got was the exact opposite.
The Liberals made four promises, but they broke them all. They said that the debt-to-GDP ratio would decline, but every year, it goes up. They said that the deficits would come down but they are going up. They said that the pandemic debt incurred would be paid down. It has not been and it continues to rise. Finally, they said that the budget would be balanced in 2027. Now, they admit there will never be a balanced budget.
We realize that the government can only give what it has taken. The government has no money. Every cent spent by the government must come from taxpayers. There are three ways to pay for expenditures: through inflation, by printing money; through debt; and through taxes. This government has chosen those three methods.
I am going to share some shocking figures about government expenditures with my colleagues. I would like to thank the official opposition's innovation, science and industry critic, the member for South Shore—St. Margarets, for this data. The budget sets total expenditures for the next five years at a record $3.1 trillion.
An hon. member: Billion.
Hon. Pierre Poilievre: Mr. Speaker, it is not a billion; we are talking about a trillion. We have a problem here. There is not actually a word for trillion in the French language. It does not actually exist. The government's debt is so big it violates the Official Languages Act.
Today I am announcing that we will be filing a complaint with the Commissioner of Official Languages.
The reality is that it is 3,000 billion dollars. That is how much the Liberals are going to spend over the next five years. That is more than this country's annual economy.
Then, if these numbers are to be believed—but their numbers are never to be believed—and if they do not increase spending until the end of their term, the projected deficits will add another $130 billion to the national debt. The national debt will reach a record $1.3 trillion. Interest on the national debt will increase from $44 billion today to $50 billion in five years, if the interest rate calculations are correct.
That is not all. The Prime Minister laughed when a reporter asked him how we were going to pay for all this debt. He said it was not an issue, that interest rates were low, that we were never going to have to pay for this spending. That was two years ago. Two years ago, he said interest rates were going to stay low for the rest of our lives.
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- Mar/29/23 7:12:11 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's concern for Canadians dealing with the rising cost of living.
It is true that throughout the world, people are living in times of economic uncertainty. Inflation is driving up the price of necessities like groceries and rent and Canadians have been feeling it greatly. I certainly agree with the hon. member.
Canada Post was there for us as the needs of Canadians changed dramatically in recent years, connecting this country from coast to coast to coast. We know that Canadians continue to rely on the essential service that Canada Post provides us.
The inflationary pressures are happening across the board, including at Canada Post, where the cost of its operations has risen. It should be noted that this Crown corporation is funded by the sales of its products and services. This government has consistently worked with Canada Post to ensure that Canadians get the services they need. Those actions include searching for opportunities to improve the financial sustainability of its operations, which are so vital to us all.
While Canada Post operates at arm's length from government, as the Minister of Public Service and Procurement stated in this House, we are monitoring this issue of fuel surcharges closely. Canada Post manages the largest transportation network in Canada and fuel surcharges are applied year-round, which is a standard industry practice for parcel shippers.
I can say that fuel surcharges are being reviewed every week and are lowered and raised based on the average price of diesel across the country.
We know that Canada Post greatly values its relationship with all Canadians and the investments that are being made in its operations and client service are all in the name of meeting its mandate to serve every address in Canada while remaining financially self-sustaining.
When it comes to dealing with higher costs of living, the Government of Canada is working hard to make life more affordable for Canadians. That is what the budget was all about.
For example, our government is supporting about 3.5 million families annually, through the tax-free Canada child benefit. We have increased old age security benefits for seniors over 75 by 10%.
We have reduced the cost of regulated child care by 50% on average across the country. We are also strengthening the Canada pension plan and enhancing the Canada workers benefit for our lowest paid and often most essential.
Let me conclude by saying that we are building on these supports in our latest budget, for example, through the newly proposed grocery rebate that I know the hon. member will support. Budget 2023 will deliver targeted inflation relief for 11 million Canadians and families who need it most.
Our government will continue to be there for Canadian families.
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