44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 21, 2023 10:00AM
- Apr/21/23 11:31:59 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the cost of government is driving up the cost of living. After years of inflationary spending by the government, Canadians cannot afford to put food on the table or to heat their homes, yet the Prime Minister was off jet-setting to Jamaica on yet another luxury vacation. This is just another example of a prime minister who cannot or will not try to understand the realities of hard-working Canadians.
When Canadians are choosing between heating and eating, the Prime Minister is choosing between Jamaica and the Bahamas. When will the out-of-touch Prime Minister realize that money does not grow on trees, not that his government is competent enough to plant any?
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- Apr/21/23 11:32:43 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to affordability, no Canadian should be forced to make the decision between buying groceries and going to the dentist, but budget 2023 actually takes care of both. We are delivering a grocery benefit, which the member supported, and I thank him for it. It is going to help 11 million Canadians, and over 50% of our seniors are going to benefit. There is also a dental benefit, which has already benefited over 250,000 children. As we expand it through this budget process, millions of Canadians will benefit. That is something that even the Conservatives can smile about.
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- Apr/21/23 11:33:10 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are struggling with the rising cost of living, particularly with the impact of the carbon tax, which is making it more expensive for Canadians to heat their homes or simply go to work. Canadian families and businesses cannot afford the tripling of the carbon tax, and now the environment minister is musing about $265 a tonne. Canadians already cannot afford $65 a tonne. It is not an environment plan; it is a tax plan. Enough is enough.
When will the government stop punishing hard-working Canadians and axe its cruel carbon tax?
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- Apr/21/23 11:33:52 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight that pricing carbon pollution works. I mentioned earlier that we are seeing our emissions go down. At the very same time as we are bringing down emissions, which is a market mechanism, by the way, which is something I would think the Conservatives would support, but beyond that matter, I would also point out that individual Canadians in the federal backstop provinces are receiving a climate action incentive. In fact, they would have received one just last week. That helps to offset the cost of carbon pricing.
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- Apr/21/23 11:34:31 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadian problems require Canadian solutions. The cost of living crisis is hurting Canadians. The price of gas in Moose Jaw has risen to over $1.60 after the government tripled its inflationary carbon tax. Let us be honest: This is not an environmental plan; it is a tax plan. The Prime Minister has said that he has put a price on pollution. The fact is that he has put a price on people.
Here is a Canadian problem: the Prime Minister. Here is a Canadian solution: When will the government get out of the way so Canadians can elect a strong Conservative government?
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- Apr/21/23 11:35:11 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, beyond the fact that carbon pricing absolutely works to reduce emissions, which I mentioned earlier, let us talk about why that is important. If we do not take action against climate change, every single Canadian will pay the cost of the natural disasters that come as part of it, including in provinces like the member opposite's province.
We are making sure that we support Canadians. In fact, there is the grocery rebate, dental benefits, child care agreements. All of those are ways we are supporting Canadians, and at the same time we are fighting climate change.
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- Apr/21/23 11:35:49 a.m.
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TGIF, Mr. Speaker. Thank goodness it is Friday. Canadians have survived another week of unrelenting stress due to the Prime Minister's attack on their livelihoods, while he is living it up himself. Most Canadians could not dream of nine days at a luxury Jamaican estate with wealthy friends. One in four says there is no way they can even afford a vacation of any kind this summer.
The Liberal carbon tax will cost them up to $850 more after the rebate this year. Record numbers have turned to food banks and, for the first time, there are people diving into dumpsters who have never done that before.
The Prime Minister's curtain is about to fall when he gets the hook. Will he regret not listening to Canadians then, when they cancel his tax and him?
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- Apr/21/23 11:36:37 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is no question that there are Canadians across this country who have been having a hard time with the cost of living, but we should put this into perspective. Over the course of the economic recovery from COVID-19, we have now seen more than 850,000 people with a job today who did not have one before the pandemic. However, to help those people who are still struggling, we are making investments to offset the cost of groceries with a new grocery rebate. We are making investments on the issues Canadians raised with us as being important, to make sure they have access to a family doctor. We are making investments so that they can continue to have access to good jobs.
When it comes to putting a price on pollution, we have found a way to put more money in the pockets of households. The Conservatives want to take it from them so that they can make it free to pollute.
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- Apr/21/23 11:37:21 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there has been plenty of debate in this House on what the impact of the carbon tax is on Canadians. However, I want to put that debate to rest once and for all. I am going to read right from the Prime Minister's own parliamentary watchdog: “Most households in provinces under the backstop will see a net loss resulting from...carbon pricing.” If members do not believe me, it continues: “household carbon costs will exceed the [rebate]”. The Liberals have hit zero targets. It is clear that not only does the carbon tax fail to fight emissions, but it is also costing Canadians $1,500 on average.
When will the government finally just axe the tax?
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- Apr/21/23 11:38:02 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would point out that the exact same report from the PBO confirms that eight out of 10 Canadian households will receive more from the climate action dividend than they pay out in any fuel charge. What is fascinating is that if the hon. member actually considers the analysis behind the report, the only expenditure he is referring to assumes that the alternative is taking no further action on climate change.
This is par for the course for the Conservatives. We have been defending this policy for three election cycles. If they want to triple down on a losing strategy, I invite them to remain in opposition as long as they would like.
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- Apr/21/23 11:38:40 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if we want to talk about a losing strategy, they have hit zero emissions targets. That is a victory rate of 0%. That is just how out of touch they are. However, that is not surprising given that we have an out-of-touch government with an out-of-touch Prime Minister. He gets on a plane, goes to Jamaica and takes an $81,000 free vacation from a donor to the Trudeau Foundation. Moreover, we know that he will not pay that back because we know who he is. Maybe he will pay the carbon tax on the jet fuel. The jet fuel alone would add a carbon tax of $13,750.
Will the government finally admit it is a carbon scam and axe the tax?
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- Apr/21/23 11:39:22 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, talking about targets, when it comes to our emissions, I would remind the hon. member that the target we have set is for the year 2030. I would remind all members of this House that 2030 is seven years from now. We are going to continue to work to hit that target, as we have projected we would. However, it is telling that when the Conservatives are confronted with an analysis that they do not want to accept, they turn their guns onto the Prime Minister as a person.
The reality is that the more they are going to focus on him as an individual, the more we are going to focus on the Canadians who live in our communities. We will make sure they have access to good jobs, income support for families that need it and health care for those who deserve it. We are also going to continue to advance environmental policies to protect pocketbooks and reduce emissions.
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- Apr/21/23 11:40:05 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the interim Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has stepped down following the controversy regarding her family ties to the Liberal minister.
I would like to reiterate that we never questioned the integrity and competence of Ms. Richard, who is doing the right thing. The Liberal ministers should never have put her in this untenable position. Now, these same ministers have to appoint someone else. They have demonstrated several times that they do not have a good grasp of ethics, so this disqualifies them from moving forward on their own. Unfortunately, I am not available.
Will they finally propose a candidate that all parties can agree on?
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- Apr/21/23 11:40:44 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes the importance of the office and has very clearly indicated that we are actively seeking a replacement. The member can rest assured that it will be done in a proper form.
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- Apr/21/23 11:40:59 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the vacant Ethics Commissioner position is problematic. No investigations can be conducted until the position is filled.
However, the House is currently looking into the Chinese interference scandal, which could require clarifications about the role played by Liberal actors. The Prime Minister himself is embroiled in a scandal concerning his Christmas vacation with friends who make donations to the Trudeau Foundation. If the Liberals were to leave the interim Ethics Commissioner position empty much longer, questions would be raised.
Will the Liberals provide the opposition with a list of candidates on Monday?
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- Apr/21/23 11:41:36 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conflict of Interest office does critical, important work to ensure transparency and accountability at the federal level. As I have indicated to the member, we are actively looking for a replacement. It will be done in due course and through a proper process.
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- Apr/21/23 11:42:00 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, I received an email from Kim in my riding about the budget. Kim writes, “I'm stretched so thin I either pay bills or buy food because I can't afford both. Food costs are ridiculous. Gas and heating are going up. Is life better under this government? Not by a long shot”.
The carbon tax is crushing the affordability of everything that Kim buys and uses. The cost of everything is driven up by the carbon tax, making life unaffordable. Will the government finally do something to help Kim and the millions of Kims across Canada by cutting the carbon tax?
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- Apr/21/23 11:42:42 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that just this week, not only our government but also every member of this House stood up and did something for Kim and people in that situation by delivering the grocery benefit to the more than 11 million Canadians who need it the most.
Every day, I stand up in this place waiting for the Conservatives to come up with a plan to fight climate change. I wish that would happen. They deny the fact that eight out of 10 Canadians are actually better off with the climate incentive. They spend all their opposition days and their questions trying to make pollution great again.
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- Apr/21/23 11:43:14 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is astounding how the Liberals gaslight Canadians. Kim knows about the grocery rebate because Kim looked into the budget. Kim says, “Despite the grocery rebate, I have to choose between heating my home or buying food”.
The answer from the member and the arrogant, out-of-touch government suggests that Kim does not have a problem and that we should not be asking the question. It is audacious and despicable of people to gaslight and diminish Canadians who are struggling to make ends meet. Will they finally show they actually give a damn about Canadians and cut the carbon tax?
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- Apr/21/23 11:43:55 a.m.
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We should be judicious in our words.
The hon. parliamentary secretary.
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