SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 218 - Jun/21/23

Jun/21/23 7:26:08 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I was saying that the current government is a minority government and that, in my opinion, the NDP will probably never again have the power it has right now in this 44th Parliament. It is rather odd and a bit disappointing to us, Canadians, who work hard to save our money and make the best use of it. This government is reaffirming its commitment to reducing the federal debt and thinks that it will do that by wasting our money. I am asking this question again because here we are near the end of the session before the House adjourns for the summer. That is likely not news. I think that Canadians noticed that it was possibly our last day. I want to take this opportunity to wish a very good summer to the 337 other parliamentarians who worked hard for many hours. I think Canadians should know how many hours we all spend on serving them. I wish my colleagues a very good summer. I hope they take care of themselves and their family and that they come back in September in full form. I was saying that it is unfortunate to see that nothing has changed on the Liberal side. Canadians are still stretched to the limit with inflation. They are drowning. What is really unfortunate is that it is getting worse because of this government's policy. Six months ago, the Deputy Prime Minister was saying that we should not run deficits or that we should minimize them because they would have a direct impact on inflation. That was six months ago when she tabled the November economic statement. Then she tabled the budget in March. When I look at this massive budget, unfortunately I do not see an approach or a target date for balancing the budget. That is rather unfortunate. We are caught in a downward spiral. The problem is that the cost of living is going up. Companies need more revenue. Employees need more income. The government is increasing taxes, which means that there is no way out, no escape. The housing situation is a tragedy. I have before me an article that was updated in today's Journal de Montréal. In Quebec, rent prices have risen by 13.7% in just one year. I am not talking about food or heating or consumer goods. I am talking about something that every Canadian cannot do without, namely housing. Worse still, the increase in some cities is as high as 44%. That is huge. There was another article posted online whose headline read, “I'm prepared to sleep in the living room: this mom of two teens has 10 days left to find a place to live”. It is tragic. It is no joke. We need to give ourselves the means to be rigorous and to get our public finances in order. The members across the aisle are telling us that everything is fine, that the outlook is good, that they have received a good report card from the international community. Unfortunately, it all depends on how one looks at report cards. I could go on and on about housing statistics, but I will go back to my original text. Businesses are no longer able to make good deals. Everything costs more. There is a labour shortage. We need to increase wages. At the end of the day, there is only one payer and that is the Canadian taxpayer. It is important to be able to strike the right balance. There is no sign of that from this government, however. As my economist colleague from the Bloc Québécois said, this government has no vision. It is reactive. Foreign interference is one example of the government being reactive. That went on for quite a while. Because of the situation, the special rapporteur resigned. We do not know whether he resigned willingly or was forced to. We told the government that an independent public inquiry was needed. They played with words about the process, and they might wait until the last minute, when they have no other choice, before they reach that conclusion. We are wasting time. As my grandfather said, time is money. I was talking about businesses. It is very important to give them the tools they need, which brings me to another topic, the carbon tax. The government has been in power for eight years. It brought in a first tax and took certain measures. Looking at the results after eight years, we see that there have been no reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. I am told that there was a drop at one point, but that was during the pandemic. The pandemic certainly did reduce consumption, but it reduced a lot of other things too. When we look at the projections, we can see that we are going to hit a wall. The first carbon tax did not work. Now we will wave a magic wand. We will solve the greenhouse gas problem by introducing a second carbon tax. If the first tax did not work, then the second likely will not either. No one needs to take a university class to understand that. Instead of taking care of the environment, this government is taking money out of taxpayers' pockets and making them even poorer. However, I would like to remind the government that Canadians cannot take any more. They have been bled dry. They are no longer able to pay their bills. The fact that 1.5 million Canadians have to use food banks is very serious, yet the government is saying that we do not have to worry, that everything is fine and the situation is under control. I have some data from the OECD. We are being told that Canada is doing well when it comes to the real GDP growth projections for 2023-24 and that we are among the leaders. I do not know about that. I did a search earlier while I was waiting for my turn to speak. In terms of the real GDP growth projection for 2023-24, the average for all countries is 2.7%. The projection for Canada is 1.4%, but the government is saying that things are going well and that everything is under control. We are on the right path, the results are good and we need to trust the government. For 2024, the real GDP growth projection for all countries is 2.9%. That is an average. The projection for Canada is not 7% or 5.1%. It is 1.4%. On that note, I want to wish everyone a good summer. I will be pleased to answer my colleagues' questions.

1123 words

Mr. Darrell Samson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Jun/21/23 7:34:54 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. As always, his speech was energetic and to the point. I appreciate his speeches. However, I would like to mention the one thing I find problematic. He said that we are wasting money. The difference between the Conservative Party and our party is that we are investing in Canadians. We are investing a lot of money to help them. Since 2015, we have created 1.2 million jobs. Since COVID‑19, we have created 900,000 jobs. That is huge. What did the Conservatives do? I would like to know where they are going to make cuts. Before the hon. member was elected, the Conservatives closed nine veterans offices and cut 1,000 positions at Veterans Affairs Canada. Are there any other places where the member plans to make cuts?

143 words

Mr. Joël Godin

Jun/21/23 7:35:51 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by saluting my colleague, whom I sincerely appreciate. We have the privilege of working together on issues related to the international Francophonie. I had the opportunity to work with him on Bill C‑13. It is a good thing that he was the Liberal representative for the study on Bill C‑13, because without him, we would have had even less to show for all our efforts. I would like to acknowledge him and thank him for the work that he did, although he could have done more. Now, as for the situation in 2015, all I can say to my colleague from Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook is that we had a time horizon to balance the budget. We left the books in great shape, whereas this government has run up a deficit larger than the deficits of all prime ministers combined since Trudeau senior.

157 words

Mr. Luc Thériault (Montcalm, BQ)

Jun/21/23 7:36:51 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, in 2022, environmental disasters caused by climate change cost $275 billion. The five biggest oil companies made $220 billion in profits in 2022. Oil companies received $20 billion in funding from the government. I rounded these figures. As my colleague claims, we know that the government spends unwisely. Does he believe that the $20 billion the government spent on an industry that made $220 billion in profits that year was a bad investment? He seems to be concerned about climate change and the environment, so does he not think that this money could have been better spent on the energy transition?

108 words

Mr. Joël Godin

Jun/21/23 7:37:54 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I would like to salute my colleague from Montcalm. That is definitely a concern for me. As the member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, I am concerned about two things, namely official languages and the environment. His question contains the answer because, when it comes to the energy transition, we need to take a gradual approach and have a vision. We must not be reactionary. That is what the Liberal government is doing, by always acting at the last minute and improvising. Yes, we must commit to the energy transition, but we need to do it intelligently. We do not need to get too drastic, we simply need to improve the situation. We need to set a target and create a plan to meet that target. The Liberal carbon tax plan fails to meet any targets. All it does is fill the government's coffers and leave Canadians poorer.

151 words

Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

Jun/21/23 7:38:58 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague. I hope he has a great summer ahead of him. This motion is misguided. Cutting help to people is not the solution. In fact, we have seen corporate taxes go from 28% to 15% under the Liberals and the Conservatives. What has happened? Real estate trusts, banks, and oil and gas companies are raking in record profits. We also keep seeing increases in bank fees and oil and gas prices. When are the Conservatives actually going to have the courage to stand up against corporate welfare and make sure corporations pay their far share so that people get the help they need?

113 words

Mr. Joël Godin

Jun/21/23 7:39:46 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, once again, I salute my colleague from Courtenay—Alberni. I hope he has a great summer too. I appreciate his kind words. I think it is important to act like a responsible parent. When a parent has a budget to manage, they have to manage it intelligently. If we, as parents, acted like this government, we would all be bankrupt and lining up at food banks. The answer I would give my colleague is that we must do things intelligently.

83 words

Mrs. Kelly Block (Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, CPC)

Jun/21/23 7:40:26 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I rise in this place today to speak to the opposition motion put forward by the Conservatives to address the cost of living crisis facing Canadians. This is a crisis that the government has done nothing to fix. In fact, it is the Liberals' inflationary policies that created the crisis in the first place. What has their response been? They have continued to run high deficits, pushing inflation to 40-year record highs. The Prime Minister excused this reckless spending by claiming that interest rates were at record lows and would remain there for many years to come. Now we have record debt, record inflation, and interest rates that have continued to rise despite the Prime Minister's prediction. This is causing pain for Canadians across the country, as their household budgets are being stretched thinner and thinner under the Liberal tax-and-spend plan. While Canadians are struggling, the government continues to increase taxes, making the essentials more expensive. The Liberals have been persistent in their misinformed statements that the carbon tax is a net positive for Canadians. The Parliamentary Budget Officer's reports on the two carbon taxes have rejected this notion. The first carbon tax the government introduced will end up costing Canadians up to 41¢ per litre of gas. The added second carbon tax will cost another 17¢ per litre. Adding GST, this comes to 61¢ per litre. This will cost Saskatchewan families an extra $2,840 each year, but some Canadian families will pay up to $4,000 for the combined Liberal carbon taxes in other parts of the country. This is a slap in the face to Saskatchewanians and Canadians. The carbon taxes have only made life more expensive for Canadians and have cost them more money for no results. The carbon taxes were never an environmental plan; they were a tax plan to fuel government spending. Even while Canadians are struggling, the government cannot show fiscal restraint. It has no respect for taxpayers, as it continues to ramp up its inflationary spending. When the Prime Minister formed government, the national debt was $612.3 billion. By the end of this fiscal year, the federal debt is projected to reach $1.22 trillion. This means the Prime Minister has doubled the national debt in just eight years. The national debt will break down to $81,000 per household in Canada. Additionally, debt-servicing costs have been growing just as fast as the government's deficits. This fiscal year, it is projected that the cost to service the national debt will be $43.9 billion. This cost is quickly approaching the amount of money given to the provinces through health transfers. Canadians are deeply concerned about the economic policies of our country, except, it would seem, those sitting on the government benches. Most Canadians do not have a trust fund to fall back on, so they need to be careful with their money. The government needs to start demonstrating respect for hard-working Canadians by being good stewards of the public purse. Without a plan to eliminate the deficits and balance the budget, inflation and interest rates will continue to rise and hurt Canadian families across the country even more. The Liberals have not put forward a plan to do this. Instead, they poured more gasoline on their inflationary fire by adding more than $60 billion in new spending. That is $4,200 per Canadian family. This spending is driving up deficits and consequently increasing inflation. The Bank of Canada, which was widely predicted to lower interest rates, instead raised them from 4.5% to 4.75% following the tabling of the Liberals' budget. That is why the Conservatives are now calling on the government, through this opposition motion, to return to balanced budgets and give Canadians a break. Now we are receiving warnings from the International Monetary Fund that Canada is the country most at risk of massive mortgage defaults. Across Canada, average mortgage payments have increased by 122% since the Prime Minister took office. Despite this warning, we see no plan from the government to get inflation under control to avoid a potential mortgage default crisis. Instead, the Liberals are burying their heads in the sand, leaving Canadians to their own devices as they spend away their future. This is not sustainable and is pushing Canadians closer to the edge. Canadian households now have the most debt as a share of GDP of any country in the G7. This is not a record we want to hold. There is a solution. The Liberals must eliminate the deficits and balance the budget in order to bring down inflation and interest rates. I know this may not be easy for them, as they seem to know only one economic policy, which is to raise taxes and print money, but the fact is that if the Liberals were to put together a plan to return to balanced budgets and eliminate deficits, lower inflation and interest rates would follow. However, this is not something they can wait to do. We are already at a crisis point. Just last month, the food bank in Saskatoon held a food drive, as the usage of food banks has reached a new record of 24,000 people a month. Across Canada, there are 1.5 million more people using food banks on a monthly basis, not to mention that one in five Canadians is skipping at least one meal a day because they cannot afford to eat. This is because food price inflation is also at a 40-year high. “Canada's Food Price Report 2023” has predicted that a family of four will spend up to $1,065 more on food this year. With many Canadians struggling paycheque to paycheque, the rising cost of food is breaking their banks. The dream of home ownership is also fading fast. When the Liberal government took power, Canadians spent 39% of their paycheques on their monthly housing payments. Now they spend 62% of their paycheques. This is reflected by the growth of average rental and mortgage costs. Mortgage payments have doubled, from $1,400 per month to over $3,100 a month. Rent across Canada has doubled, from $1,172 to $2,153 for a two-bedroom apartment, and it has more than doubled in Canada's largest cities. This is why we must get interest rates under control. For years, the Conservatives have warned the Liberal government that its out-of-control spending has consequences and hurts Canadians across the country. However, it responded with the infamous quote from the Prime Minister that budgets will balance themselves. We are now eight years into the government's tenure and have seen the effects of the Prime Minister's so-called self-balancing budgets. It has been a disaster for Canadians. According to an article last month from the Financial Post and the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, over 10 years, real GDP per capita growth has been at its lowest since the 1930s. The article states, “This extended period of slow growth has widened the gap between per capita growth in the United States and Canada, demonstrating that the causes of our slumping growth are domestic, not external.” The Liberals can no longer blame external factors for their own failures. The economic troubles our country now finds itself in are a result of the failed economic policies of the government. In conclusion, I think it is in the best interests of every Canadian that this House call on the government to rein in its spending. It is time for the government to show the fiscal restraint that was promised by the Minister of Finance prior to the introduction of her latest budget. Instead of cancelling Disney+, let us cancel the deficits, axe the taxes and balance the budget.

1312 words

Mr. Adam van Koeverden (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, Lib.)

Jun/21/23 7:50:15 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, Conservatives love to stand up in the House and claim to be the stewards of the economy and to have presided over the previous government with balanced budgets, but they only balanced the budget once and it was a fake balanced budget. It was at the expense of a lot of infrastructure in Canada. The member opposite ran on a commitment in the last election to both price carbon and run deficits. I do notice there has been a little change of heart of late on the other side, but there is a lack of a plan. It would be great to hear directly from the member on this. Any balanced budget would require program cuts. What specific programs is she suggesting the government cut?

127 words

Mrs. Kelly Block

Jun/21/23 7:50:59 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, there are a number of things that we might decide not to spend Canadian taxpayers' money on. Let us talk about the carbon tax. We would cut the carbon tax. We would stop paying high-priced consultants. We would not allow the Prime Minister to consider exorbitant spending on vacations. We would not provide sole-source contracts to Liberal insiders that have cost Canadians millions of dollars. We might get rid of the infrastructure bank.

77 words

Ms. Monique Pauzé (Repentigny, BQ)

Jun/21/23 7:51:45 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I have to say that the motion paints an accurate picture of the difficulties faced by Canadians and Quebeckers. However, there is a problem with the solution. For the Conservatives, the solution is to eliminate deficits. They think that when the deficits are eliminated, all the problems will be magically solved: The cost of housing will drop, and households will have less debt. We really do not agree with that. We are going to vote in favour of the need to table a plan to return to balanced budgets. We agree with that because governing requires planning. To govern is to anticipate. Tabling a plan to return to balanced budgets is the least a government can do. However, we do not agree with the measures that the Conservative Party is promising to take. Eliminating the carbon tax is the wrong thing to do. I would even say that it should be increased. Could the Conservative Party propose more realistic solutions?

162 words

Mrs. Kelly Block

Jun/21/23 7:52:49 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I believe that at every step of the way, Conservatives have been providing solutions to this place and to the current government. The fact of the matter is that after eight years under the Liberal government, Canadians are struggling. We are hearing from our constituents in our ridings. Although the government assures Canadians that they have never had it so good, it only really shows how out of touch it is. It is time for the government to take economic policy seriously and return to balanced budgets. It needs to start paying attention to monetary policy.

98 words

Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)

Jun/21/23 7:53:35 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I always like to point out where we have common ground. One thing on which I definitely agree with the member is that people are struggling to make ends meet. However, the solutions seem to be where we differ. For example, why do we never hear from the Conservatives about taxing the ultra-rich large corporations? With consecutive Liberal and Conservative governments, we saw the corporate tax rate decrease from 28% in the year 2000 to 15% today. When will we see the Conservatives finally call out large corporations and the ultra-rich to pay their fair share so that we can see that money go where it belongs? This seems like a good, tangible solution to move forward with.

122 words

Mrs. Kelly Block

Jun/21/23 7:54:26 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, as the official opposition, we have been very clear about what Conservatives would do. The priorities of the Conservative plan are to make Canada work for the people who work. We want to see powerful paycheques with lower taxes so that hard work pays off again. We want to bring home lower prices by ending inflationary carbon tax 1, carbon tax 2 and deficit spending that drives up inflation and interest rates. We want to bring in homes people can afford by removing government gatekeepers to free up land and speed up building permits. I know that only Conservatives can bring home a country that works for people who work and is a place for people to invest in.

121 words

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

Jun/21/23 7:55:18 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, it is always wonderful to rise in this most honourable and esteemed House and be with my wonderful colleagues. Before I begin, I would like to take 40 seconds, as I understand we are nearing the end of the session, just to say some thanks. First I will thank my wife Rose at home, and our three daughters Eliana, Natalia and little Leia, because there is a bit of an age difference there. I want to thank them. We can only travel to Ottawa and do our jobs and be away from our families with the support of our families, so I want to give a quick shout-out to them and tell them that I love them very much and that daddy will see them soon back home. Second, I say thanks to Pina and Evelina and Francesco and Dima, my team back in Vaughan. I will see them tomorrow at our job fair, where we will be together. I want to say thanks as well to Natalia, Anthony and Sashalie, the team here in Ottawa. Sashalie has been with me for a number of years and has seen me at my best and worst and in my ups and my downs. I want to give a special shout-out to this individual, because she is exceptional in every way. My wife and I treat her like family, and she is a very special individual for our family. As I begin this evening to speak to the opposition party's opposition day motion, I need to reflect on what our party has put in place since day one in 2015, when I was elected and we formed government. I reflect on everything we have done to move Canada forward, to invest in Canadians, to strengthen our middle class and to assist those working hard to join the middle class. I think about the Canada child benefit and what we have done there. I think about the Canada workers benefit, which we have strengthened three times now. Cheques will be arriving to the hard-working, low-income and middle-income Canadians who will benefit from this. I will be splitting my time with one of the the most honourable and learned scholars I have the pleasure to work with, the member for London North Centre. Getting back to the measures we put in place, I reflect on the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty, and the Canada workers benefit, which benefits working-class and lower-income Canadians. This measure was first introduced prior to our government, but we have strengthened it so much. I reflect on the climate action incentive plan, on the $10-a-day child care plan, on eliminating interest on student loans and apprenticeships, and the list goes on. It includes raising the basic personal exemption amount to $15,000, which is a tax cut literally in the billions of dollars for Canadians. In 2015, the government lowered the tax rate for middle-income Canadians, which was billions of dollars back in the pockets of Canadians, and asked the most wealthy in our society to pay a bit more. That is how we build an inclusive economy. We signed trade deals. We completed CETA and got it across the finish line to see trade between Canada and Europe. We signed CUSMA, ensuring that we came out with a strong free trade deal with the United States and Mexico. We completed CPTPP, again putting measures in. We lowered the small business tax rate from 11% to 9% for small businesses across this country. We put in place a volunteer agreement and then a second agreement to lower credit card user transaction fees for small and medium-sized enterprises across this country, saving business owners literally billions of dollars in the coming years so they can invest back into their businesses. Since day one, our government has been focused on investing in Canadians and investing in Canada, ensuring we have a strong, favourable investment climate to create jobs. We have seen over 900,000 jobs created here in this beautiful country since the pandemic ended. We have seen our GDP recover. We have had the backs of Canadians and we will continue to do so. I thank my colleagues for providing me with the opportunity to participate in today's debate. First, I would like to point out that, contrary to what the opposition would like us to believe, Canadians are not the only ones facing this economic reality. Inflation is a global phenomenon. With the key investments in the economy that were announced in the 2023 budget and also in the 2022 fall economic statement, the government is ensuring that those most in need get support. I would also like to remind the official opposition that well before this tough economic time started, our government was already investing in the middle class in order to grow the economy and enhance Canada's social safety net, all with a view to making life more affordable for Canadians. We brought in the Canada child benefit, which has helped lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. Yes, we lifted Canadians and children out of poverty with the Canada child benefit. We increased the guaranteed income supplement for single seniors, increased old age security for seniors 75 and over, and enhanced the Canada pension plan with provincial partners to allow more seniors to have the secure and dignified retirement they deserve. Yes, we came to an agreement with all 10 provinces to enhance and expand the Canada pension plan, which will benefit Canadian workers for generations to come. Unlike the official opposition, which views the Canada pension plan as a tax, we have used it in investing in hard-working Canadians so that they can have a secure and dignified retirement. In 2021, we made an historic investment in a Canada-wide early learning and affordable child care system. This has already helped reduce the fees for regulated child care by 50% on average and lower fees to only $10 a day in six provinces and territories. In the province of Ontario, we have already seen a reduction of 53%. The education minister in the Province of Ontario applauded this agreement. We have worked together on this. Our investment is saving families thousands of dollars of after-tax money. That is their money, and we are going to help them out. We are going to ensure that kids have the best start in life and we are going to ensure that the national day care plan, with the bill that was passed, will ensure it for generations. To ensure that every Canadian has safe and affordable housing, we proposed a plan that will help double the number of new homes built in Canada within a decade, help more Canadians buy their first home, and stop the unfair practices that are driving up prices. With the time I have today, I want to focus on this last point, housing. We know that for too many Canadians, including young Canadians and new Canadians, the dream of home ownership is drifting further and further out of reach, while rent is now more expensive across the country. This shortage of affordable housing is affecting our economy. Without more homes in our communities, companies have a hard time attracting the workers they need to grow and succeed. When people spend more of their income on housing, they spend less in our communities. The problem is complex and long-standing, and a solid plan is needed to tackle the many different factors that are making housing more expensive in Canada. First, we believe that homes should be for Canadians to live in, not a financial asset class. The federal government remains concerned with the financialization of housing across Canada, and introduced important measures in budget 2022 to address it, including a two-year ban on foreign investment in Canadian housing, a tax on underused foreign-owned homes, the taxing of assignment sales, and ensuring that property flippers pay their fair share. Although investors own a significant share of Canada's rental units and will play an important role in building new homes, the government recognizes that too many Canadians have experienced excessive renovations. I look forward to questions and comments, and I want to wish all of my hon. colleagues a wonderful and safe summer for them and their families and all of their loved ones.

1420 words

Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jun/21/23 8:05:29 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I believe you have received advance notice, and that if you seek it you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House, when the House adjourns later today, it shall stand adjourned until Monday, September 18, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Orders 24(1) and 28(2), provided that, for the purposes of any standing order, it shall be deemed to have sat on Thursday, June 22, 2023, and Friday, June 23, 2023.

94 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Jun/21/23 8:06:09 p.m.
Watch

I have received notice from all recognized parties that they are in agreement with this request. All those opposed to the hon. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons moving the motion will please say nay. It is agreed. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

60 words

Mr. Dan Albas (Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, CPC)

Jun/21/23 8:06:40 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the Liberals seem to have two contrary positions. In budget 2022, it talked about a strategic policy review, and said, “These efforts would target savings of $6 billion over five years, and $3 billion annually by 2026-27.” That is coincidentally when, in last year's fall economic update, the Liberals showed there would be a return to balance. Could the member say whether he supports a return to balance and believes we need to have those guardrails in place? Does he also think that the Prime Minister's characterization of anything that denotes a responsible spending review as austerity is a bad situation for a Canadian government?

112 words

Mr. Francesco Sorbara

Jun/21/23 8:07:36 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague is someone I have known for many years in the House, and I have travelled with him. I can say the member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola is a dear friend. That is a very important question that I, as an economist, would definitely like to address. I have always believed in Canada maintaining its AAA credit rating. Our deficit-to-GDP ratio should always be on a declining trend, as our deficit-to-GDP ratio is now and is being maintained. I also believe that we must always review our spending. I think that is a natural thing to do. In the budget, we have identified a number of savings, and that was in budget 2023, so we should continue to do that. We have maintained fiscal prudence in our government. We have done the right thing in having the backs of Canadians during the pandemic. That is why we have recovered so quickly. That was the right thing to do, and any economist I ask would state that. At the same time, we must be fiscally prudent. I have always believed in that. I will continue to believe in that, and I will continue to advocate for that. That is the path we are going on, and we will continue to be on that path.

224 words

Ms. Monique Pauzé (Repentigny, BQ)

Jun/21/23 8:08:54 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. However, I would like to talk to him about something he did not cover, namely the fiscal imbalance. The Liberal government has too much money for its budget items, so it is spending like there is no tomorrow in areas under the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces. Then it tells us it has no money for critical expenses like health transfers. I hope no one will try to tell me that Quebec and the provinces wanted it this way. In classic style, they were given no alternative. What does my colleague think about the fiscal imbalance?

106 words