SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 178 - Apr/17/23

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Apr/17/23 12:04:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, within the budget, there has been great recognition of the significant achievement of the dental program and the expansion of the dental program, which is going to cover more Canadians in 2023. However, I want to add to that the grocery rebate program, which is going to help a good number of Canadians deal with the cost of inflation specifically for groceries. The Minister of Justice was recently in Winnipeg. We went to a local grocery store and experienced first-hand the degree of inflation on groceries. This aspect of the budget is very important for people of low income. Would the member provide his thoughts on both those things?

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Mr. Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP)

Apr/17/23 12:06:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, inflation certainly has been a real problem. That is no secret to anyone in the House, and it is no secret to any Canadian who has been out there trying to buy groceries in the last year or so. It is why another doubling of the GST rebate is important and why I think a larger conversation is important to have around a number of income support programs that were not designed to keep pace with this rate of inflation. We know that when inflation goes back down to the target level, whenever that is going to happen, whether it is going to be by the end of this year, next year or two years from now, those prices will still be up and will not be going down. This means that for those income support programs, whether it is the GST rebate or others that do not factor inflation in, and there are some of them, we need to have a discussion in this country about how we raise the floor so they recognize that we have suffered a period of incredible inflation and that the household budgets of Canadians have permanently higher costs. I am glad for what I see as a victory for the New Democrats, who have been pushing for a doubling of the GST rebate, first the initial one and then the second one. We are very much open to and feeling a sense of urgency about having conversations on other programs, including the establishment of the Canada disability benefit. The government has been promising that for a long time, but it has not given details of the idea for it. We know that people living with disabilities in Canada rightly feel an incredible sense of urgency and did so even before the pandemic, let alone this last period of inflation. Let us get down to work, roll up our sleeves and make sure we are supporting Canadians who need help. This doubling of the GST rebate is only a start. There is a lot more work to do, and the New Democrats stand ready to to do it and to do it expeditiously.

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Mr. Francesco Sorbara (Vaughan—Woodbridge, Lib.)

Apr/17/23 12:08:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member from the wonderful province of Manitoba has done a lot of work with private sector unions and public sector unions over the years. He is a great advocate for working Canadians. I was wondering if the hon. member could comment on the doubling of the tradespeople's tools deduction, which is another measure to help tradespeople and skilled tradespeople across the country.

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Mr. Daniel Blaikie

Apr/17/23 12:08:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is certainly important. Of course, one of the other places we have seen inflation that has been really meaningful in the Canadian economy is with respect to construction and the cost of inputs for building things. Of course, one of the inputs is the cost of tools. They have not been spared the effects of inflation in a period when supply has been very tight. I think recognizing for tradespeople that the cost of their inputs has gone up and ensuring that the mechanisms designed to provide some relief for that keep pace with inflation are important. That is why the New Democrats have been proud to also support the trade mobility tax credit, both in the budget bill and in a private member's bill, to make sure that tradespeople are getting some of the same tax treatment that white collar workers get when they run their own business. It is also why we are very proud to have fought for and won in this budget, and we are looking for the legislation to make it true as well, the measure that working people will be represented on the board of the growth fund, which is going to invest in the new energy economy in Canada. It is really important to have workers' voices at those tables, because the transition has to happen in a way that creates good-paying jobs for Canadian workers right here in Canada. Our efforts to ensure that workers have a voice on the board that will be making decisions about the growth fund is an example of that, as is our insistence to have real conditions about prevailing wages tied to federal investment in clean tech. There are a number of wins for workers. It is one of the differences that having the New Democrats at the table has made, and we will continue to advocate for benefits like these for workers.

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Ms. Marie-Hélène Gaudreau (Laurentides—Labelle, BQ)

Apr/17/23 12:10:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we spent two weeks in our ridings, and now we are back in the House for a long stretch together. When I met with the people of Laurentides—Labelle, I saw that they are worried about access to affordable housing. I would like to hear my colleague's views on that because, in my riding at least, people have been talking about the housing crisis for years. For more than 10 years, community organizations have been predicting what would happen. The Quebec organization FRAPRU has been saying the same thing. I do not know if the situation is the same in my colleague's riding, but I would like to know what he thinks of what is in the budget for housing.

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Mr. Daniel Blaikie

Apr/17/23 12:11:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for raising the issue of the housing crisis. Certainly, the people in Elmwood—Transcona are feeling the squeeze in housing, as are people across the country from coast to coast to coast. The feeling is different depending on where one is. The problems manifest in different ways, but there is no question that people across the country are feeling those pressures. That is why it was a very specific focus for me in the budget speech to talk about the housing crisis. Recently, I was attacked in the National Post for some of the comments I made in this place. I will wear it as a badge of honour, considering some of the positions that paper wants to take on a number of issues, let alone on housing. What I found curious about the criticism was that it said I was misrepresenting the housing crisis in order to defend the Liberals, which could not be further from the truth. My point was that the Liberals and the Conservatives have far more in common on housing policy than anybody else does. Why is this the case? It is because they fundamentally accept that housing is a commodity and that profit should be the ultimate focus of housing policy. That has been true in this country for over 30 years now since the Liberals originally cut the national housing strategy in 1993. That was my point. We are not going to get past the housing crisis or get to a point where we finally feel we are making progress if we do not centre housing as a public good in our housing policy, instead of a commodity. My opinion is that as long as we have Liberals and Conservatives running the country, we are not going to get to that point. Ultimately, they are very concerned about protecting profit-making in the housing industry and reluctant to accept the idea that housing is a public good or human right. While they may want to do that rhetorically, in their policy, they still do not do it. That is why a lot of housing policy is not working, even though the Liberals have done more in the housing policy space than any government since 1993. There is a reason it is not working. What is capitalism? It is a small number of people owning the means of production and everyone else being exploited. What is happening in our housing market is that a smaller and smaller group of people own the housing, and everyone else is being exploited. Unless we can be critical of capitalism as a model, we are not actually going to fix housing policy in Canada. That was my point, and they are birds of a feather when it comes to that. I am sorry the National Post column did not get the point originally. I hope it is much clearer now, and I am thankful for the opportunity to make that clarification.

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Mr. Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, NDP)

Apr/17/23 12:13:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I always have a bit of a chuckle when I listen to Conservatives talk about removing the gatekeepers. My community of Langford is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in all of Canada. All around Langford, there are construction cranes and new housing projects going up. Despite that, the costs continue to rise for the average family. I will ask the member to cite that as an example, which I am sure is replicated in many cities across Canada. There is a lot of construction going on, but it is not really the right kind. We need to make sure we are addressing the needs of Canadian families that cannot afford to buy in the market.

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Mr. Daniel Blaikie

Apr/17/23 12:14:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the point I take my colleague to be making there is that if we judge the success of housing policy by how much money developers are making, that is not the same as Canadians getting access to housing they can afford to live in. We need to drop this metric as the principal metric and adopt Canadians actually getting into housing they can afford. One thing I have not had much of a chance to talk about that I want to mention briefly is employment insurance. When interest rates go up and for-profit building stops, people get laid off. Right now, they do not have an employment insurance system that they can count on to support their mortgage payments, rent or groceries for their families. That is why the Liberals had better act with a sense of urgency that we have not seen. A major disappointment with this budget is that the Liberals continue to promise employment insurance reform, but it is not coming. They warn of a recession. That is coming; it is why we need the EI system to be fully reformed, and we need it now.

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Apr/17/23 12:15:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge. I would like to underscore Canada's remarkable recovery from the recession caused by COVID-19. In the past year, our country has had the strongest economic growth in the G7. An additional 865,000 Canadians are employed compared to prepandemic levels. In February alone, the labour force participation rate for prime-aged women in Canada reached a record high of 85.7%, supported by the Canada-wide early learning and child care system. Inflation has been falling for eight straight months, and the Bank of Canada expects it to continue falling to reach 2.6% by the end of the year. This is all encouraging news, but there remains much more work yet to do. Many people across the country are still feeling the bite of higher prices. Our health care system and frontline workers continue to need our support. We have to make sure that Canada remains competitive and that Canadian workers are at the forefront of the global change in economies taking place around the world. We want to make sure that Canada seizes the incredible economic opportunity of a net-zero future. Over the course of the last two weeks, other members of the government and I have had the chance to travel across the country and share with Canadians the difference that this will make in their lives. Let us talk about making life more affordable. Our budget proposes targeted supports and getting targeted relief to those who need it the most to help them make ends meet. Through the new one-time grocery rebate, we are going to support 11 million Canadians by putting money into their pockets and making life more affordable. This benefit will mean up to an extra $467 for eligible couples with two children, up to an extra $234 for single Canadians without children and an extra $225 for seniors on average. This will make a real difference for many people. Take, for example, the couple who earns $38,000 to support their two young children. Higher prices at the grocery store have strained their already tight budget, and right now, they are struggling to make ends meet. I heard these stories when I visited grocery stores in Gatineau, Edmonton and Kelowna. This grocery rebate will make it easier for them to put food on the table by providing them with $467 right into their wallets. This is on top of the enhanced Canada workers benefit, Canada child benefit and GST credit they already receive. When talking about a prudent fiscal approach, it is important to note that the new grocery rebate will help many Canadians make ends meet without adding fuel to the fire of inflation. Canadians obviously want inflation to continue to come down and want interest rates to drop, and we do, too. Canada has a proud tradition of fiscal responsibility, and budget 2023 allows us to continue that tradition. Budget 2023 maintains that proud tradition, and it is a responsible plan. The proof is right in the data. Budget 2023 ensures that Canada maintains the lowest deficit and the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the entire group of G7 nations. We are making sure that the very wealthy and our biggest corporations pay their fair share of taxes so we can look forward to keeping taxes low for middle-class families. We are reducing government spending by more than $15 billion, while taking great care not to reduce the services and direct supports that Canadians rely on, such as health care. Universal health care is at the heart of who we are as Canadians. Budget 2023 delivers the $198‑billion investment in public health care that the Prime Minister announced in February. From helping every Canadian find a family doctor to reducing wait times for surgery, we will ensure that every Canadian can count on a world-class public health care system. Not only are we reinforcing the public health care system, but we are also expanding its reach. In fact, since December our investments have helped almost a quarter million Canadian children receive the dental care they need. However, children are not the only ones who need to go to the dentist. The budget also ensures the creation of the Canada dental care plan. It will provide coverage for uninsured Canadians with an annual family income of less than $90,000. The state of one's smile should not be a symbol of how much money one or one's family makes. I can recall kids in school whose teeth told that story. I was not only the chubby kid, but I also had bad teeth; therefore, people made some assumptions about my family. Quite frankly, that should not be the case for anyone in 2023, so we are going to end that and deliver healthy smiles across this country. We will start implementing the new Canadian dental care plan this year. An effective health care system is vital to Canada's ability to prosper, and we will make it happen. When it comes to shifts in the global economy, we have to make sure that Canada continues to build a green economy. It is more important now than ever before. In the coming months and years, Canadians are going to navigate two fundamental shifts in the global economy. Countries are investing heavily into building clean economies and the net-zero industries of tomorrow, and this is the most significant industrial transformation since the Industrial Revolution. These changes in the global economy represent a unique opportunity for Canada and for Canadian workers. Last month in the House, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke of a future built on shared prosperity. He made it clear that the American economy needs Canada and Canadian workers. The United States, like so many of our partners around the world, needs the expertise our workers can offer. Our allies around the world need the ingenuity of Canadian companies. Canada also has a wealth of natural resources to draw on, and budget 2023 gives us the tools to seize this historic opportunity. It proposes a series of tax credits to make sure that we have sustainable investments in the long term. Whether it is in terms of electricity, hydrogen or clean manufacturing tax credits, we are going to make sure that Canada's economy is on the train to the 21st and 22nd centuries. We are improving the already critical tax credit for carbon capture and storage technologies to continue reducing the carbon footprint of our traditional sectors and engage all industries in getting our country to net zero. We are expanding eligibility for the clean tech tax credit. The Canada Infrastructure Bank will focus on clean electricity projects. We want to build a clean electricity grid that connects Canadians from coast to coast to coast. Such a network of electricity is going to protect our environment and make sure that we have sustainable low-cost electricity for Canadians and for Canadian businesses. We are going to make Canada a destination of choice in the world for businesses that want to invest in a net-zero future. Electricity capacity should never be a governor in terms of attracting foreign direct investment to our country. We are going to make sure that we have plentiful green electricity from coast to coast to coast. With budget 2023, we are going to make Canada a top destination in the world for businesses to invest in. I heard this, and I saw first-hand the difference these supports will make travelling to Saint John, New Brunswick, and to Kelowna, and speaking with entrepreneurs from Victoria. When I met with them over these last two weeks, I spoke with them and learned directly how it made sense to people that we support working Canadians and make sure that the unions that built the middle class can continue to thrive and deliver good wages and good benefits for Canadians. We are also going to make it easier for workers to learn the skills they need. Our plan means well-paying jobs, good careers and a great country. Budget 2023 is a direct response to the challenges and opportunities before us. We are proposing to help those who are most affected by inflation in Canada. We are investing in health care because that is important to all Canadians. We are investing in Canadian workers to ensure they have the skills they need to grow the economy. When I was at the Adonis grocery store in Gatineau, I met with families of all ages. I said, “Look, whether you're feeling the pinch of inflation or not, know that we're going to have a grocery rebate for you. We've got the dental care program in place. We've got the Canada child benefit in place.” They gave us their thanks for standing on the side of Canadians and helping working people. They also love shopping in that particular place. The produce is always fresh. We are going to take the pinch out of inflation. We are going to work with Canadians to see inflation keep coming down. We are going to get on the other side of this inflationary cycle together. We are investing in a stronger economy, a green economy, because it is the right thing to do now and for future generations. We are investing in a stronger immigration system and bringing to our country of Canada a record number of skilled workers because our growing businesses need that support. We have big things to do, and we are going to do just that.

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Mr. Scot Davidson (York—Simcoe, CPC)

Apr/17/23 12:25:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I know the tourism minister loves Lake Simcoe. I think he even ice-fished there. I wonder if he can square this circle for us. We have been waiting in York—Simcoe since 2017, when the Liberals cancelled the Lake Simcoe cleanup fund. We are still waiting. The government is all talk and no action on the environment. It has just approved an aerodrome, which is tantamount to a fill site, in the environmentally protected watershed of Lake Simcoe in my riding. Can the minister square the circle for the residents of York—Simcoe on that?

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault

Apr/17/23 12:26:20 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, Liberal members of Parliament leaned in very hard on this budget. There is money in this budget for the Lake Simcoe watershed. There is a whole Great Lakes strategy that is part of this budget. We take our healthy ecosystem and healthy water systems seriously, whether it is tourism, growing the economy, welcoming new businesses, or quite frankly, making sure that there are clean waterways for our residents to enjoy in Ontario, British Columbia or Atlantic Canada. Our clean water agency, the Canada water agency, is going to be set up coming out of this budget, and there is going to be money for Lake Simcoe.

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Ms. Marie-Hélène Gaudreau (Laurentides—Labelle, BQ)

Apr/17/23 12:26:48 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have a very simple question for my colleague about employment insurance reform. As we have already said and as we have often heard, the government first promised EI reform in 2015. It made that promise for the second time in 2019 and for the third time in 2021. Last summer, the government said that it was coming. Just before Christmas, the Liberals promised it was going to happen. What are we to tell workers who are dealing with the spring gap and who do not have access to EI because the rules have gone back to the way they were before? I am not looking for a statement about how there are 830,000 more jobs than there were before the pandemic. That is not what people who cannot get EI want to hear.

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault

Apr/17/23 12:27:48 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we fully agree that EI modernization needs to happen. The minister continues to focus on that issue. We are working in close collaboration with the workers of this country. It is important to modernize Canada's EI system. We are continuing this work, which is extremely important for workers. We will meet expectations. That is our duty as a government.

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Mr. Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP)

Apr/17/23 12:28:25 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the government has been consulting on changes to the employment insurance system for seven and a half years. In the meantime, we have had a global pandemic where we know, knew and still know that the employment insurance system was inadequate to the task; it had to be completely reimagined and changed for the duration of the pandemic. The government has since cancelled those rules, saying that the pandemic is over and that we do not have a problem. Then we experienced a period of very high inflation. Now the Bank of Canada, despite fanfare about having a different mandate in the fall of 2021, has actually not changed the mandate at all, as I said at the time. It is still an inflation-targeting mandate. That is what the leader of the Conservative Party wanted; it is what he got. Now we have Bank of Canada leadership who say the unemployment rate is too low and they need to raise it. They will actually continue raising interest rates until unemployment comes up. We have a government that continues to say it is consulting on employment insurance reform, when it has had over seven years and knows very well what needs to be done. When will it do it?

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault

Apr/17/23 12:29:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, there is work ahead of us on EI modernization. It is a complex and large file. It is a critical file for Canadians. That is why we stepped in during the pandemic with $511 billion invested in the lives of Canadians, including the CERB, including the CEWS and including the things that we needed to get through the pandemic. Those investments made a difference: 830,000 more people employed since the beginning of the pandemic; 126% recovery since the beginning of the pandemic, compared to only 112% by our colleagues in the United States; and doubling the workers benefit. We have invested now over this fiscal frame $13 billion in the Canada dental plan. From 2015 to 2023, the investments we have made for middle-class Canadians are making a difference in affordability every day.

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Mr. Francesco Sorbara (Vaughan—Woodbridge, Lib.)

Apr/17/23 12:30:28 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure and a privilege to rise in this honourable House to lend my voice in support of budget 2023, appropriately titled for our times, “A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong middle class, affordable economy, healthy future.” Before I begin my commentary on the direct measures in the budget, I wish to provide my perspective of where we are in the world today. In my view, today we are at a seminal moment in history, both economically and geopolitically. This happens every few generations, and it is happening today. As a result, we need responsible and bold leadership for the moment we are in, and measures that are up to the seminal moment as our citizens both deserve it and demand it. Let me explain briefly. The post-World War II order of multilateral institutions and the leadership of the United States is being reshaped and, in many cases, challenged by China and its alliances with countries like Russia, but also by its investments throughout the globe, from Africa to South America. Layered on top of that we have also seen a rise in populist governments from the far right to the far left, challenging their individual countries' democracies and, again, the multilateral institutions that were built post-World War II. Economic growth in advanced countries, absent the gyrations from exogenous shocks for decades over normal business cycles, has been slowing across all developed countries due to demographics or aging workforces, a decline in birth rates, slower productivity gains and, for many countries excluding Canada, high public debt levels. Thus, the policy choices we make as legislators today have an even greater impact on the standard of living of every single one of our fellow Canadians for years to come. Last week, I attended the World Bank and IMF Global Parliamentary Forum in Washington. I encourage all my fellow parliamentarians here at home to read the IMF's World Economic Outlook, entitled “A Rocky Recovery.” As it become abundantly clear that Canada, with its talented and entrepreneurial citizenry; bountiful natural resources; trade agreements, including CUSMA, CETA, CPTPP, that uniquely position our exporters; immigration system; and strong fiscal framework, including an AAA credit rating is positioned in an advantageous manner relative to our global peers in this seminal moment. Our government, through budget 2023, is building upon so much of what we have done in the last few years by making the targeted and fiscally responsible investments to create opportunities for Canadian workers in a challenging and changing global economy for today and tomorrow. We will strengthen Canada's public health care system, because Canadians demand it, with a $198-billion, 10-year investment including $46.5 billion in new investments. This investment is particularly important after the stresses seen post COVID-19. We will continue to rise to the challenge of this seminal moment in the world's economic and political history. On the economy front, I spent some time reviewing the IMF World Economic Outlook for April, and I wish to read a paragraph on the global prospects and policies: The global economy is yet again at a highly uncertain moment, with the cumulative effects of the past three years of adverse shocks—most notably, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine—manifesting in unforeseen ways. Spurred by pent-up demand, lingering supply disruptions, and commodity price spikes, inflation reach multidecade highs last year in many economies, leading central banks to tighten aggressively to bring it back toward their targets and keep inflation expectations anchored. What does that mean for Canada and how does that interconnect with budget 2023? In chapter 1, to achieve strong, sustainable and inclusive growth will require policy-makers here at home to stay agile and pursue the following policies. First, ensure a durable fall in inflation, which is now occurring through the actions of the Bank of Canada. Second, safeguard financial flexibility and maintain a strong banking system. We can all be proud, as parliamentarians, that Canada's banking system is well capitalized, has strong liquidity and is very well regulated by our regulatory agencies. Normalizing fiscal policy postpandemic we can check off, as we have seen in budget 2023 that fiscal consolidation and ending pandemic-era programs was the appropriate thing to do. Supporting the vulnerable, due to inflation, particularly with the cost of everyday essentials including food, is also important. The grocery rebate in budget 2023 will help 11 million Canadians, with a family of four potentially receiving up to $467 and our seniors up to $225. This measure follows after the $500 rental rebate and the prior GST rebate. In addition, the changes to the Canada workers benefit, which will provide $4 billion over the following six years, this year will provide up to $1,428 for single workers and nearly $2,500 for a family. We know that dental care equals health care, but that seeing a dentist can be expensive. With that, we will roll out a national dental care plan to help one-third of the Canadian population that currently does not have dental insurance. In my riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge alone, nearly 650 kids, the last time I checked, under the age of 12 have benefited from the temporary dental benefit. I have always stood up and advocated for the hard-working seniors in my riding and across this country, and I am so glad to see that when they retire, if they lack dental coverage post-retirement, they will be covered. We know that seniors on fixed incomes paying for dental visits can mean delaying food shopping for a couple of days or even weeks. We cannot forget the investments in our national early learning and child care plan, which is saving families across the country thousands of dollars and boosting the participation rate of women. For the longer term, for which I am even more excited, the IMF and the World Bank identify two major things to ensure strong, long-term economic growth and maintaining Canada's high standard of living. The first one is speeding up the green transition and, second, is increasing the economy's capacity, which means we would increase supply to certain inputs. Budget 2023's strategic investments in our infrastructure and in speeding up the green transition, which we know is creating literally thousands of jobs for Canadians today, is what this bold and responsible leadership calls for, which I alluded to earlier. We are seeing that within Canada's auto sector, with over $20 billion of investment that has been attracted in creating and maintaining thousands of direct and indirect jobs across this country, much like the plant I visited in Alliston, Ontario, the Honda facility, last week with the right hon. Prime Minister. We know that Canada is now positioned as a leader in the electric vehicle battery supply chain and in the global transition to electric vehicles, which is seeing over $500 billion in capital being put to use as we speak. The measures in budget 2023 include what I feel is the most important, an investment in a tax credit for clean electricity to ensure that our electricity system can meet the demand for energy consumption in the decades to come. We know that Canada's electricity system, the last time I checked, is at 85% or 90% from clean energy sources. We know we need to get to 100% and lower greenhouse gas emissions, which we are doing. Nuclear, solar, wind, energy storage and hydro are all part of this transition. This investment into Canada's electrical grid is one of the most transformational investments we have seen in Canada's infrastructure in decades. I would even argue it is akin to the building of the railroad in Canada many decades ago. An investment in a tax credit for clean technology manufacturing, supporting Canadian companies in the manufacturing and processing of clean technologies and in the extraction of critical minerals, will create good middle-class jobs for Canadians today and tomorrow. With that, we are proposing a tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of investments in new machinery and equipment used to manufacture or process key clean technologies. We are seeing that across the country today, whether it is in Alberta, Quebec, Ontario or any other province. Countries are innovating and, if I can use the example of the electric vehicle battery ecosystem, taking advantage of those systems. We know innovation and new energy sources will be crucial. During my time in the constituency, I visited the energy facility in York Region, the first of its kind in North America where hydrogen is being used in combination with natural gas to heat homes in York Region. That is groundbreaking. With that, our government knows that hydrogen is part of the future and that is why we will be putting in place an investment tax credit for hydrogen, which will be introduced to spur capital to invest in this critical future energy source. The United States may have brought in the Inflation Reduction Act in response to what Canada has been doing for the last 20 years, but we have also responded to ensure that private capital remains in Canada and that jobs are created in Canada. We are seeing that on a daily basis by either domestic or foreign corporations investing their dollars here in Canada to create a strong economy and a bright future for Canadians, such as my three children. We will continue to do that in a fiscally responsible manner to ensure that we can pay for the benefits that Canadians deserve while we create good, middle-class jobs for Canadians and help those who wish to join the middle class.

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Mr. Rhéal Éloi Fortin (Rivière-du-Nord, BQ)

Apr/17/23 12:40:46 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, obviously, there are some worthwhile measures in this budget. We are not going to say no to a good thing. However, I wonder whether some steps are being skipped in implementing these procedures. I would like my colleague to tell us more about two aspects. First, I see that $31 million will be allocated to establish a national counter-foreign interference office. Obviously, we agree with the idea. However, does my colleague not think that the commission of inquiry we have been calling for for months should take place before the national office is established, since the commission would obviously have some useful findings to contribute? Second, there is something in the budget that is dear to my heart, and that is the issue of planned obsolescence. The budget states that the government plans to work to implement the right to repair. How will it ensure that goods purchased in Quebec and Canada can be repaired when they break or require fixing?

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Mr. Francesco Sorbara

Apr/17/23 12:41:47 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question. It is very important. First, before getting to the foreign interference question that he asked and the $31 million, I would say I am completely for a foreign lobbyist registry. Whether it is modelled on the U.S. model, the Australian model or some other, we need that to happen. The world is quickly changing and has changed over the last number of decades. We need to ensure that the integrity of our electoral system is always maintained and that Canadians have full confidence in our election system. We need to move expeditiously, with consultation, on a foreign lobbyist registry.

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Mr. Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton Manning, CPC)

Apr/17/23 12:42:38 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, would the member be able to advise us on the debt service interest and he how he sees it going forward? It would be nice to know the exact number based on the budget. How does he see things developing further in the future?

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Mr. Francesco Sorbara

Apr/17/23 12:42:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would say that, within our fiscal framework, this budget moves us forward. We would still maintain our AAA credit rating. We would be making strategic investments into our economy while continuing to grow our economy and create those good middle-class jobs that Canadians depend upon day in and day out. Also, it would ensure that our fiscal framework remains strong, and that is very important to someone like me.

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