44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 3, 2023 10:00AM
- Oct/3/23 1:45:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to congratulate you.
Mr. Speaker, are you sure you know what you have gotten yourself into? I know you have strong enough arms for the job because I had the difficult task of dragging you all the way to that chair. We thought for a moment that you had changed your mind when you took a turn to congratulate one of our colleagues on this side, but it is an incredible achievement to serve in the role that Parliament has bestowed upon you.
To serve here, in the House of Commons, is an honour for every member. Each of us should be proud to be responsible for working on behalf of some 100,000 people.
At times, however, we forget the order in which power is exercised. We think that the Prime Minister is at the top, with the House of Commons below, and the people down at the very bottom, but the opposite is true. In a democracy, the people have the power. We serve the people, and the government serves parliamentarians.
In fact, that is why Parliament was invented. The reason these floors and seats are green is that the first commoners met in fields. They were the peasants and farmers who were tired of having their crops taxed away by an impossibly cruel Crown. They gathered to force King John to sign the Magna Carta, the great charter, which of course restrained the power of the Crown.
Today, we have a similar circumstance, with a government that is excessively powerful and costly. It has overburdened the population and created unprecedented strain, particularly on middle-class and working-class people, who are now forced in many cases to live in tents and who are losing their homes and skipping meals. We have seven million people who cannot afford food because of the inflationary taxes imposed on that food by an overly greedy government.
Now, more than ever, the role of Parliament in restraining the power of the Prime Minister is primordial. We will continue to carry out that role proudly on the floor of this House of Commons because we will always remember that we are servants and not masters of the Canadian people. We will do it with common sense. Why is this important?
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
Hon. Pierre Poilievre: I hear that some members of the government do not like the sound of the words “common sense”. We can understand why they would not, but is it not interesting that this is called the House of Commons for a reason? Common wisdom, our common resources, our common heritage and our common future are determined by the people elected to serve in this place. We must always do it with common sense, the common sense of the common people, united for our common home: their home, my home, our House. Let us bring it home.
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- Oct/3/23 3:23:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we will keep the car on the right side of the road.
After eight years of this Prime Minister, prices are increasing to the point where it is just not worth the cost. The National Payroll Institute reports that 63% of Canadians spend their entire paycheque and 30% spend more than their paycheque each month. The institute is calling this a perfect storm and a national emergency.
Will the Prime Minister finally reverse his taxes and his inflationary deficits so that Canadians can eat and keep a roof over their heads?
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- Oct/3/23 3:25:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost of food. He has raised taxes and inflationary deficits on food.
He announced a month ago, with great fanfare, that he would bring down the cost of groceries by Thanksgiving. Today we learned that a turkey can cost up to $120. It is outrageous.
Can he bring down the cost of turkey before Thanksgiving, which is six days away?
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- Oct/3/23 3:26:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. According to the National Payroll Institute, there is a financial storm gathering. It also describes it as a national emergency, as 63% of Canadians are spending their entire paycheque and 30% are spending more than their paycheque, forced to eat up their savings or go into debt.
Will the Prime Minister reverse his inflationary debt and taxes so Canadians can eat, heat their homes and house themselves?
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- Oct/3/23 3:27:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I ask the Prime Minister to please not keep doing anything he is doing.
In fact, he talks about grocery prices. A month ago, he held a big photo-op where he claimed he would stabilize grocery prices before Thanksgiving. The news is out that a single Thanksgiving turkey now costs as much as $120. It is now six days until Thanksgiving.
Will the Prime Minister promise to bring the price of turkey back down to normal levels before people eat the turkey on Monday?
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- Oct/3/23 3:29:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that was not his promise. His promise was not to have meetings and to read off talking points. His promise was an affordable Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is now six days away and turkeys are going for $120 at some outlets. Canadians cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves.
Can the Prime Minister tell us, given that it was his promise to create an affordable Thanksgiving dinner, how much that dinner will cost an average family of four this Monday?
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