SoVote

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

Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP)

Jun/21/23 9:43:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I actually really enjoyed the hon. member's speech, especially at the beginning when he talked about how incredible the NDP has been in balancing provincial budgets. It is because, at the time, the NDP ensured all people were paying their fair share, including CEOs and corporations. The share they paid was equal to what they owed. Considering the NDP's incredible record of good fiscal management, building a social safety net and ensuring there was balance while supporting people, I want to ask the hon. member this. Why will the Conservative Party not follow our lead and call on this government to implement a windfall tax on excess profits?

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Mr. Marty Morantz

Jun/21/23 9:43:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, only the NDP members could think that increasing taxes on Canadians will make life more affordable for Canadians. I do hope they pay attention to Mr. Doer's record, and come around and support our motion.

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Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP)

Jun/21/23 9:44:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, to be fair, the question was not on raising taxes on the average person but on the largest oil and gas companies in the country, which have made over $38 billion in profit this year alone. Is the hon. member not supportive of making sure that kind of money goes to support Canadians who need it most?

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Mr. Marty Morantz

Jun/21/23 9:44:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, only the NDP and obviously the Green Party could think that increasing taxes will make life more affordable for Canadians.

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Mr. Greg McLean (Calgary Centre, CPC)

Jun/21/23 9:44:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think I am the last speaker in this session of Parliament before we take a summer break, and it is my pleasure to be serving here for the constituents of Calgary Centre. I hope I have represented what I said I would represent in the House for them. If I have let them down in anything I have done or said in the House or anything I have done publicly, I apologize to them for that. I hope to represent them well on all these things, with the highest regard for this House. Let me take 10 minutes, and this will be as concise as I can make it, to talk about where we are going in the financial future of this country. We need to link here exactly what is happening with the government. It is about truth and consequences. The truth, of course, is that we are running bigger and bigger deficits. Our debt is getting higher and higher. There are consequences to this going forward, and those consequences are going to be borne not by the government in power here but by the Canadian people, who are going to continue to face mounting debts, deficits, interest payments and household debts going forward. Three months ago, we had a Liberal finance minister deliver a budget. In it, there was a lot that she put in front of Parliament, including another $40 billion-plus deficit added to Canada's debt, which has now reached $1.3 trillion. That is only federal government debt. Layer the provincial government debt on top of that, of all the combined provincial governments, and there is another $900 billion. We are talking about a society that, from a government perspective, is very much in debt. The government, in its fiscal wisdom, says that the provincial governments are starting to actually get more money. There is one provincial government that received money last year, and that was my home province of Alberta, because of a boom in oil prices that led to a whole bunch of royalties. This translated into over $21 billion being forwarded to various governments across Canada as a result of a prosperous industry. We need to make sure we understand what is happening here. This is an industry that suffered for a number of years before it actually made any profit. This is the economic basis of what is holding up the social welfare of this country at this point in time. I am going to go back to the finance minister's speech. There was federal debt and provincial debt, but she was also facing an inflation regime at that point in time that was around 4%. It had come down from last summer from about 8.2% to 4%. How did that happen? It happened because the Bank of Canada, an instrument of the Government of Canada, had raised interest rates from 0.25% to 4.5%. It had done its job in trying to control inflation. This is the mandate of the Bank of Canada. It performed that mandate, but it had to do so because of government overspending. The Bank of Canada did what it had to do to bring that rate back down. It came down to 4%. What happened in April? The consumer price index went back up. Inflation in Canada's economy went back up. Why did it go back up in April? It is because the government imposed a 30% increase on the carbon tax upon the backs of Canadians. Of course, that rippled all the way through the economy and caused inflation at the pumps, inflation at the food stores and inflation in everything we do that involves energy. There is something the government does not seem to have a hold on. If it increases the costs in the economy, it is going to increase inflation. It is doing this in two ways. It is increasing the costs to Canadians, and it is increasing deficits. These are all monetary mechanisms, fiscal mechanisms, that increase inflation. The government asked the Bank of Canada if it could come in and fix its mess from imposing more costs upon Canadians. When the minister delivered her budget, the Bank of Canada rate was 4.5%. That went up this month, on June 7, to 4.75%. What was declining in both respects has gone up. The cost of inflation has gone up, and the cost to Canadians has gone up again. They are all refinancing their mortgages, and it is another 0.25%. Where will this end? We do not know at this point in time. It is costing Canadians more and more. What is the principal cause of this inflation? The number one cause of inflation in the economy is money printing. The government continues to print money. It has doubled Canada's debt in eight years. The government is going to say that we had to do that to keep people safe during the pandemic. I say to my friends on the other side that the pandemic is over. We have to get back to some sort of balance, where we are actually paying for the goods we consume in society today with today's dollars. We keep taxing the future generation of Canadians to pay for our spending today, and that is something that has to change. That is something my party is asking the government to change, because it is a necessity for the future of this country. Now, I will talk about this recipe for inflation that the government has imposed upon this country at this point in time. It has asked the Bank of Canada to come in and fix our mistakes again and again. What is the consequence of the Bank of Canada coming in and raising the interest rates throughout the economy? It is having higher mortgage rates. This means that the actual cost of maintaining the mortgage on the same house has risen by 122% in the last eight years, which is significant. I will explain what the issue is. When mortgage rates are low, as they were up to a year ago, people buy houses. However, we have a saying in finance that we do not really buy the house that we need; rather, we buy the house the payment will afford. A 25-year mortgage at 0.25% with a $100,000 down payment, for instance, will equate to a bigger house than if the mortgage payment is around 4.75%-plus, which is what we have done to Canadians. We have added four and a half points of interest to mortgages, which is hundreds of thousands of dollars to the average Canadian. We have actually picked their pocket here, or pulled a bait and switch as to the house they can buy. The end result for many Canadians is that they are going to have to walk away from their house, because the equity in their house is not going to equal what it was when they bought the house. They are losing value in their house because of the current government. However, there is not enough housing in this country anyway. We have to get building again, and we have to make sure we get back to balance. We have to ensure that we serve Canadians to make sure that they have the ability to build a life in Canada going forward. Canada's GDP is $2.3 trillion at this point in time, and the consumer debt of Canadians equals 107% of that; therefore, it is over $2.3 trillion, and about 75% of that is mortgage debt. This is the most indebted ratio in the G7. We are more exposed to a downturn in the economy than any other economy in the world is at this point in time. This is on the cusp of danger. We call it moral hazard. The government has not faced the fact that, in supposedly good times, it is supposed to balance the budget, pay back some of the debt and bring down interest rates so that people can actually get the economy going. However, it continues to spend more money, ramp up the cost of everything and make sure that Canadians are bearing it on their backs. The back it is going to bear the most on is mortgage rates, which are going to push many Canadians out of their homes as the rates rise and Canadians have to refinance. That is the great tragedy we are visiting upon Canadians without balanced budgets. My party has actually been pushing the government for a long time to show us a plan where it gets back to balance, because in every budget it has shown us so far, it says, “Well, you know, we are going to continue to spend more and more.” A $10-billion temporary budget deficit in 2016 has turned into hundreds of billions of dollars per year. There is another $40 billion-plus this year and more of that going down the road. This is to say nothing of the debt service charge, which has doubled in the last two years. We are up to $44 billion that we are going to have to pay as interest. All of this is contributing to inflation. We have to get back on track. I will tell the government to please bring us a plan so Canadians can see that they will actually get back on track.

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Ms. Leah Taylor Roy (Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, Lib.)

Jun/21/23 9:54:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, through you, I would like to ask the member opposite some questions. First, I thank him for that very fact-filled discourse. He spoke authoritatively on a number of fronts, and I would just like to check some of those facts. He started off by saying that we were running bigger and bigger deficits every year. In 2021, the deficit was $328 billion; in 2022, it was $90 billion; and it is projected to be $40 billion this year. Could he reconcile his statement with these facts? Second, he said that we do not know where this is all going to end, and it is true, we do not; the future is always uncertain. However, the Bank of Canada expects inflation to come down below 3% by the end of the summer and interest rates to follow in decline. Third, he said that printing money was the cause of inflation. I understand that this is one economic theory, and it is the economic theory that the Conservatives follow. However, many economists have said that, in fact, the war in Ukraine and the COVID pandemic have been the causes of inflation worldwide. Could you comment on a few of those apparent contradictions to what you said?

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The Speaker

Jun/21/23 9:55:42 p.m.
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I would remind hon. members that when they ask questions or make comments, they should do it through the Chair and not directly to each other. It makes things run a little more smoothly. The hon. member for Calgary Centre.

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Mr. Greg McLean

Jun/21/23 9:55:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have been corrected. The member is correct that there were larger deficits during the pandemic than there were after the pandemic. Every year, we look at the deficit the Liberals put on the table for the next year, and it always rises. This is the point I was trying to make, and if I misspoke in that respect, I owe her an apology. There were three questions, but the member talked about economists, Conservative theories and all this stuff. These are not Conservative theories; these are economic theories. I know that, sooner or later, the Liberals will have to start paying attention to economics and finance. The numbers will actually matter at the end of the day. I apologize to the member because I have forgotten her second question out of the three. If she could ask me again later, I would appreciate it.

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Ms. Monique Pauzé (Repentigny, BQ)

Jun/21/23 9:56:54 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the Conservative Party stated in its motion what is wrong, and I think it has a good read on the situation. The problem is the solutions it proposes, because it seems to think they would magically solve all the problems. I want to talk about one problem in particular, and that is the price of oil. History has shown us that the biggest factor in price fluctuations is the price of oil, over which we have no control. It is a global price. It depends on wars, like the war in Ukraine. It depends on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, which just said it is going to reduce output. It depends on all sorts of things. Does the member not think that the best way to stabilize prices would be to end our dependence on oil as soon as possible?

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Mr. Greg McLean

Jun/21/23 9:57:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the theory that there is no more need for oil is very interesting. The world uses a lot of energy, and over 80% of it comes from fossil fuels. I am sure that Canada's oil companies do not have much say over the price of oil. That is determined by global markets, which set world oil prices. The prices of other forms of energy also depend on the price of oil.

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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

Jun/21/23 9:58:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we keep hearing from the Conservatives about their corporate and free market-driven housing policies. Nowhere in the world has the free market solved an affordable housing crisis. We even heard from the member that his own city council rejected the Conservative Party's Ottawa-knows-best proposals. Will the Conservatives get on board with building non-market housing to solve the housing crisis to ensure that people have affordable, safe and secure housing in the long term?

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Mr. Greg McLean

Jun/21/23 9:59:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know where my colleague got that fact about the city council in Calgary and Conservative policy, because we are all about building affordable houses. I will point out to the member that there was a solution before there was a problem. There was not a housing crisis for either affordable housing or housing for Canadians who had the money to buy houses eight years ago. How did this problem arise? Let me figure it out. What happened eight years ago? I will ask my colleague who asked that question why he is supporting a government that has created the problem that Conservatives need to get in power to solve.

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The Speaker

Jun/21/23 10:00:00 p.m.
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The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby is rising on a point of order.

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Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby, NDP)

Jun/21/23 10:00:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since we have already passed the motion to adjourn the House this evening, on behalf of our leader, the member for Burnaby South, and the entire NDP caucus, I would like to take a few moments to praise the people who work here in the House. These people make our democracy work. I am talking about the pages, who do an exemplary job—

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The Speaker

Jun/21/23 10:00:50 p.m.
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That is very kind of the hon. member, but it is not really a point of order. It sounds more like a speech. I will give the hon. member another chance. If it has something to do with the Standing Orders, I will let him continue.

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Mr. Peter Julian

Jun/21/23 10:01:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is a tradition at the end of the session that each of the parties takes a moment to thank the people who really make our democracy work, so I would ask you for unanimous consent for two minutes to do that on behalf of the NDP.

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All Topics

The Speaker

Jun/21/23 10:01:26 p.m.
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Does the member have unanimous consent to move the motion? An hon. member: Nay.

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Mr. Chris Bittle (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Lib.)

Jun/21/23 10:01:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. While I am on my feet and before I get to the point of order, I want to thank all staff and all hon. members and wish them a very happy summer, including the Minister of Seniors and the member for Kingston and the Islands. I believe you have received advance notice, and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding Standing Order 28 or any other usual practice of the House, the following proposed calendar for the year 2024 be tabled and that the House adopt this calendar.

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The Speaker

Jun/21/23 10:02:11 p.m.
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I have received a notice from all recognized parties that they are in agreement with this request. All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay. It is agreed. The question is on the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay

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

Jun/21/23 10:02:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to stand in the House this evening on the final day of this parliamentary session. I am extremely happy to take part in today's debate to speak to our country's economic situation and the measures we are taking to make life more affordable from coast to coast to coast. Before I do that, I have two things to say. Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day, so I would like to recognize that. I would also like to recognize all first nations, Métis and Inuit people across the country who are celebrating their heritage, culture and language. We must do more to ensure those are upheld in this country. As it is the longest day of the year, being the summer solstice, it is an appropriate day to celebrate that. I was at the flag-raising this morning and heard lovely speeches from a lot of elders, the Prime Minister and the Governor General, who is the first-ever indigenous Governor General in this country, which is certainly something to celebrate on a day like today. Also, like members before me, I would like to take a moment to recognize family and staff, such as my partner Emily, who when I am away a lot is in charge of the dog, and oftentimes when I am there too. I miss Cairo and I miss home, so I am looking forward to going back to the riding for a couple of months and spending time with my family, my dog and my girlfriend, as well as my mom, my brother and my dad, of course. I miss my staff too and I am looking forward to getting back there. I thank them for holding down the fort in Milton over the last couple of months. There has been a lot of Ottawa time, and I am really grateful for all of the great work my constituency team does, as well as the people here in Ottawa. We really would not be able to do any of the work we do as members of Parliament without our extraordinary teams. With respect to the substantive debate this evening on the Conservatives' opposition day motion, our government understands that many Canadians are struggling right now. These are tough financial times, with rising interest rates and global inflation, as well as quite a lot of uncertainty in the economic markets. We recognize that it is tough to make ends meet these days, and in these times of high inflation, our government has been there to support Canadians. We have been witnessing a gradual decline in inflation in Canada, which is worth acknowledging is happening because we want to ensure that it continues to occur. The OECD predicts that it will return to its target level by the end of 2024, which is good news. Inflation in Canada reached a high of 8.1% in June of 2022, and has now fallen to the mid-fours, which is good news. The inflation rate is still too high, but it is lower than what we are seeing in many comparable economies. For example, the inflation rate is 6.1% in the eurozone and 8.7% in the United Kingdom. In fact, as we continue navigating through these difficult times, our country is faring much better than most other G7 countries. Canada is facing the same global economic headwinds from a position of fundamental economic strength, thanks in large part to our government's targeted investments to support Canadians and our economy. Since 2015, our government has been making investments to make life more affordable. The most recent federal budget tabled by our colleague, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, is an excellent example of that. In budget 2023, our government introduced new targeted inflation relief supports for Canadians who are still struggling to make ends meet. When I knock on doors in Milton, I talk to my neighbours often and I recognize that these are tough financial times, but things like investments in child care, an enhanced Canada child benefit and supports for seniors, families and dental care are making a huge impact in ridings like mine and ridings right across this country. The support has been carefully designed to avoid exacerbating inflation and is aiming to support those who need it the most when they need it the most. Very soon, Canadians who need it the most will be receiving their grocery rebate, which is a fantastic initiative that will not encourage any more inflation, recognizing that the toughest bills are those found at the grocery store and for rents and mortgages, and we have been there on those examples. Through the new one-time grocery rebate, budget 2023 delivers targeted inflation relief for over 11 million lower- and modest-income Canadians and families, with up $467 for eligible couples with two children, an extra $234 for single Canadians without children and an extra $225 for seniors, on average. Eligible Canadians will receive their grocery rebate payment in just a little less than two weeks, on July 5. We are also working hard to crack down on junk fees, which could include things like higher telecom roaming charges and fees for events and concerts. Pretty much every time someone swipes their credit card, there are added costs associated with that, and we want to crack down and make sure those little things do not add up. We are also helping small businesses with their credit card charges. It is a good time to look at some of those little things that really do add up, because it is an easy way to save a bit of money. I would like to talk about our supports for seniors and how they are felt in Milton. When I talk to seniors at Allendale or at any of the seniors homes or I talk to seniors who live at home, which is something we are supporting by making sure that seniors can live at home more comfortably and safely for longer, they recognize that the OAS increases and the GIS increases are having an impact, but so is the New Horizons program for seniors. One of the most important things that we can do as a government is combat loneliness and isolation that a lot of seniors experience, particularly when they are single. One of the reasons we chose to increase the OAS for older seniors is that they are disproportionately single, and they are more often disabled and far less able to work when they are over 75 as well. Making sure that financial support goes to people who really need it has been a priority for our government, and it has had a really great impact. Those supports are also indexed to inflation, and that indexing is important in times of high inflation, given that we have been experiencing high inflation over the last little while. Speaking of interest and inflation and the relationship between the two, I was at a graduation ceremony in my riding recently. I was talking to some high school students who were going on to college, university and apprenticeship programs next year. They were thrilled to hear that Canada's student loans and Canada's apprenticeship loans would not include any interest on the federal portion any longer. This is a cost burden that students will never need to experience. They are not going to see a minus symbol or a red colour on their invoice. They will just never know that cost burden. That is an investment I was very proud of. I am glad to know that students in the future, whether they are pursing an apprenticeship, a university degree or a college diploma, will not have to pay federal interest on their student loans. This evening we have been hearing a lot from Conservatives. Oftentimes, Conservatives will talk as if they are stewards of the economy and Canada's experts on things such as balanced books. I think it is important to examine their record and look back at the Harper years. Those are the years when I started getting involved and more interested in politics personally because I recognized that it had started affecting our lives, and it was a tough time. I was travelling a lot internationally, and Canada did not have the greatest reputation internationally, specifically when it came to climate change and action on it. We also were not encouraging any international investment. We were considered a low-competitiveness nation at the time. There was really stagnant economic growth, and we had really high unemployment. To compare it to today's numbers of 4.8% unemployment, back in the Harper years there was 7.3% unemployment. We are talking almost double the number of people who were not working in this country. We had low competitiveness, low exports, low international investment, higher rates of poverty and lower rates of economic growth. I would question what the Conservatives got for all that. They might say they balanced the books; they in fact did not. They ran deficits year after year, deficits as high as almost $60 billion. Over the course of the six years that they ran deficits, they ran a deficit of, on average, $24.1 billion. For the Conservatives to suggest that the books would be balanced if we could just flick a switch and have them in power is actually absurd, because their record disproves that idea entirely. The other topic that the Conservatives have been focusing on a lot, and I think it is a good thing, is talking about inflation, but they have not been talking about the root causes of inflation. Their only speaking point with respect to inflation is to say that government spending is causing inflation. I would challenge that assertion. Is the government's spending on dental care programs causing inflation? No. Is the government's spending on COVID, buying vaccines and making sure that businesses could stay open, causing inflation? No, it is not. Is making sure that students do not have to pay interest on their student loans causing inflation? No, it is not. Some of the things that are causing inflation that the Conservative side does not want to talk about, for some reason, are climate change, the pandemic, supply and demand, and Russia's illegal war on Ukraine and its invasion of that country. How about the fact that inflation continues to be global, and that Canada's inflation numbers are actually lower than those of all our peer nations? Despite all that, we also have the strongest economic position in the G7. We are expected to grow at a higher rate than all of our counterparts in the G7. We have the lowest unemployment in the G7. Our economy is working, and that is because Canadians are working. More than 900,000 more Canadians are working today than before the pandemic. Our economy is growing despite the economic headwinds globally. Our Canadian economy is working because Canadians work hard. They push through hard times. I think about it like paddling into a headwind. I had the opportunity to get on the water this afternoon, while over at Petrie Island Canoe Club to talk about some of our investments in community-level sport. I was lucky. I got on the water with some young paddlers in the riding of Orléans. It was windy. I was thinking that paddling into a headwind is tough, but we have to keep paddling; otherwise, we get pushed backward. That is something relevant. If people do not push forward when they are working in a headwind, they will actually get pushed backward. That is what the Conservatives want us to do; they want us to stop investing in ourselves. Confident countries invest in themselves. We invest in our future. We believe that a stronger Canada is possible if we are willing to make sure we lay the economic groundwork and the foundation for that better future, and that is something the Conservatives have never understood. They have never been courageous enough to invest in our own country, our own sectors, our industries, and our future. However, Liberals will not apologize for making sure we are laying the economic groundwork for a better future for all our children. I thank the hon. members for the encouragement; it is nice. I feel very well encouraged. As members can see, we have delivered a lot of new support in budget 2023 to help make life more affordable throughout our country. However, the reality is that we started introducing such measures as soon as we formed the government. We go back a couple of years, and I will give a few examples. We have provided one-time inflation relief payments to about 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians— Mr. Peter Julian: Thanks to the NDP Mr. Adam van Koeverden: Mr. Speaker, it is now worth up to $467 for a couple with two children, and up to $234 for a single Canadian without children. My hon. NDP colleague down the way pointed out that it required a little collaboration, and I think that is actually the best part about this place. We come together, find solutions and talk about things that are going to help Canadians. I thank the New Democratic Party for contributing to the conversation, making sure its constituents' voices are heard, making sure we have good policies that actually help people, rather than just dragging people through the mud, talking down the Canadian economy and our workers, and ignoring things like climate change and Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine. It has been a tiresome spring hearing from the Conservatives about all the ways that Canada's economy is just not working, because it is not true. Canada's economy is working, and that is because Canadians are working. Let us talk about the Canada workers benefit. The Canada workers benefit means that new families could receive up to $2,616, and single Canadians without children could receive up to $1,518. Another thing we collaborated on in the House, and I am very proud of it, is the Canada disability benefit. Just in the last couple of days, we have made it a reality. We are taking steps towards ending disability poverty in this country, and it is about time. Some members will say that we should do less for people who need more. Some members on the Conservative side do not understand the idea of equality versus equity and what we are actually trying to fight for when we invest in people and make sure they have the supports they need. I will say that members of the Bloc Québécois, the NDP, the Liberal Party and the Green Party do understand the difference between equity and equality, and how we fight for those individuals who need a little extra support because of their circumstances. We have also provided direct, tax-free payments of up to $1,300 per child over two years to eligible families, to cover dental expenses for their children who are under 12, and work is under way to make sure that the age goes up to 18, so that children under 18 could receive dental care. Also, because a lot of provincial governments do not adequately fund their social safety net with regard to dental care for seniors, our government is looking at solutions to ensure that seniors are also covered under our Canada dental benefit. We have also provided a tax-free payment of $500 to help low-income people who are struggling with the cost of rent, through the Canada housing benefit. It is important to recognize that, when parties work together, we make progress happen for our neighbours. If more parties would come to the table with great ideas and solutions, then we could probably make even more progress happen. I love democracy. When people vote for parties that care about people, we make good progress, so I thank the NDP for that progress, and, indeed, I thank my colleague from British Columbia. We have also increased the old age security, as I mentioned earlier, which is providing over $800 in new supports to full pensioners just in the first year. We are going to launch the tax-free Canada child benefit to support some 3.5 million families a year. That means that families will receive up to $7,000 per child under the age of six and up to $6,000 per child between the ages of six and 17 per year. In order to fight climate change while making life more affordable, we put a federal price on pollution that puts more money back into the pockets of eight out of 10 Canadians in the provinces where the fuel charge applies. We spent a lot of time in the chamber talking about carbon pricing. I think there are some members in the House who perhaps do not believe in the institution of the Nobel Prize. I, however, think it is an institution that is fairly good at identifying when huge steps forward in progress and innovation have occurred. That prize was given to somebody named William Nordhaus for his excellent work on pricing carbon and recognizing a price on pollution is just the foundation for fighting climate change around the world, which is an existential threat, and the climate emergency is causing a public health emergency in many places, including here in Ottawa. Just a couple of weeks ago, despite the fact that the clouds of fire smoke were rolling in, the Conservative side was still talking about how we could do less to fight climate change in this country. It was very disappointing. However, I am glad we are making progress. We are fighting climate change in various ways, from promoting green technologies and ensuring that we are investing in the right ways for green jobs of the future, to promoting more tree planting. We are also ensuring that we are reducing emissions. We are putting a cap on emissions for the oil and gas sector. We are creating solutions so people can afford to put in a heat pump to get off home heating oil. They can more adequately afford an electric vehicle because of our zero-emission vehicle subsidies. These are all important programs that invest in Canadians and make sure solutions for existential threats like the pandemic or climate change are less of a burden for Canadians. I know that the Conservative side will stand up in a moment or two to ask me a couple of questions about my speech, and I welcome that. Before they do, I would ask them to maybe identify one or two of the programs they think are superfluous. Which program is it that they would cut? Which program would they think is not helping Canadians? Is it dental? Is it the old age security? Is it our Canada child benefit, which supports families in my riding with $106 million every year back to the families who need it most, in a cost-effective and means-tested manner? It is a great program and it has pulled over 400,000 children out of poverty. I stand behind it. I know that all members of the House do stand behind great programs, like our child care subsidy, for example, which I was thrilled to see pass through the House unanimously. I would like to thank my colleague from Burlington for all her extraordinary hard work on that program. As a parent of a young one, she knows full well how important it is to make sure that there is good, high-quality child care available to parents across the country. My mom relied on our neighbours. I went next door when I got home from school, and then, when I was a bit too old for a babysitter but too young to take care of myself, she relied on the canoe club. My colleague says that was two years ago; that is probably true, actually. The canoe club was our solution to child care, but I am glad we have something that meets the needs of Canadians. Before Conservatives stand up and say that all these programs should be cut so we can balance the books, I would ask them why they voted unanimously for something like child care. In closing, we recognize that times are tough. Financially, families are struggling right now. It has a lot to do with inflated costs and global inflation, but we are meeting the moment. We are meeting Canadians where they are and finding solutions with an open mind. We are fighting inflation, and it is slowly going down. I want to recognize that it is still too high, as are interest rates for many Canadians. That is why our government is investing and finding ways to provide inflation relief to those who need it most: the most vulnerable and those who are most exposed to inflation. Mr. Speaker, I wish you a great summer. I look forward to spending some time back in my riding and maybe taking a little vacation. I am looking forward to getting home after a long spring here in the House of Commons. I want to congratulate everybody on passing so much legislation this spring.

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