44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 20, 2023 11:00AM
- Nov/20/23 2:34:01 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that he and I will both wait for tomorrow to see the details of the fall economic statement.
However, I want to signal my intent to continue to the pattern of investment in affordable housing in particular that is going to make sure that everyone in this country has a safe and affordable place to call home. Over the 30 years that preceded our time in government, governments of different stripes chose not to make the necessary investments to ensure that we had sufficient, affordable housing stock. We are going to continue to make the investments that are necessary in affordable housing to restore something to the ecosystem, and that is a level of affordability that we desperately need.
125 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:34:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight long years, the Governor of the Bank of Canada confirmed that the Prime Minister and his scam of the century, the carbon tax, are not worth the cost. Scrapping this scam would put a massive dent in inflation and help lower interest rates faster, all at a time when Canadians are choosing between eating and heating their homes, because of Liberal inflation and the carbon tax.
Will the finance minister accept our Conservative leader's common-sense ask to axe the government's plans to quadruple its carbon tax in tomorrow's false-promise update, yes or no?
102 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:35:31 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am truly glad to hear the Conservative member opposite be so excited for tomorrow's fall economic update.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance will be in the House at 4 p.m. tomorrow to reveal our books and to show the plan we have prepared for Canadians. This is an important moment of transparency for Canadians to see where we are at and where we are going. It is an important moment as well for Conservatives to actually see the numbers and use the facts in order to have intelligent debate in the House.
101 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:36:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, more photo ops are not going to help anyone here in Canada. What we will not do, as a Conservative government, is create two classes of Canadians like the Liberal-NDP government did by giving 3% of Canadians in Atlantic Canada, where the Prime Minister's poll numbers were tanking, a break while the rest of Canadians get absolutely nothing and have to freeze and starve in the dark. Two million Canadians are visiting a food bank in a single month. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost after eight years.
Will the Liberals cancel their plan to quadruple their carbon tax in tomorrow's false-hopes update, yes or no?
114 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:36:57 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member says is both factually incorrect and grossly misleading. We have put a price on pollution in this country, one that actually helps us to address the existential threat that is climate change, but have done so in a manner that is affordable. Eight out of 10 Canadian families get more money back than they pay in the carbon price. It is a manner that is affordable for Canadians while at the same time taking on and addressing what is a clear threat to the future of our children. It is such a shame that in this country, we still have a political party that does not believe that climate change is real.
118 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:37:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of out-of-control spending by the Liberal government, experts at Scotiabank now say that two percentage points of interest rate increases are due to government spending. An extra 2% on mortgage costs means over $8,000 a year for Canadian borrowers. Canadians are realizing the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. When Scotiabank says, “You're richer than you think”, it did not mean spend like drunken sailors.
On what date will the government balance the budget?
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:38:17 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let us speak about balance, because our government believes that we can balance compassion with fiscal responsibility, and that is what we have shown to date.
Canada continues to have the lowest deficit among all G7 countries. Canada continues to have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio among all G7 countries. The very report that the member is citing states that the major drivers of interest rate increases were COVID supports and provincial spending. It was not federal spending, but provincial spending.
We will not apologize for having Canadians' backs while being responsible.
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:38:59 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, my message for any provincial premier is the same as the message for the Prime Minister: Take responsibility for government spending because it is driving inflation and making interest rates unaffordable for Canadians.
The Bank of Canada says that all governments need to spend less than 2% growth in order to keep inflation under control. The government's own projections in the budget in the spring says that the government will spend over 3.5% growth next year versus this year.
When are Liberals going to get that they are part of the problem and they have to balance the budget so Canadians can keep their homes?
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:39:38 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite talks about responsibility. It is this government that took its responsibility seriously. When times were tough, when COVID hit and even today we continue to have Canadians' backs. We do not just talk about compassion, we act in that manner by being there for vulnerable Canadians, by being there in order to lift over 2.3 million Canadians out of poverty, by ensuring over one million more Canadians have a job today than before COVID.
We are there for Canadians while being fiscally responsible, and I am certainly looking forward to tomorrow's fiscal update.
100 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:40:24 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, all we have been seeing for the past eight years is out-of-control spending by the NDP-Liberal government, with the help of its Bloc Québécois friends. That has created the following problem: Experts at Scotiabank have calculated that the government's excessive spending has added two percentage points to Canada's interest rate. That represents more than $8,400 a year in interest on the average mortgage. The government can help Quebeckers deal with the cost of living by getting its spending under control.
Will the government listen to the experts? Will it stop spending? Will it announce a plan to balance the budget in tomorrow's budget?
116 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:40:59 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased to see how enthusiastic members are about tomorrow's economic statement.
However, I would like my colleague from Quebec to tell us what his austerity plan looks like. Will the Conservatives make cuts to the child care spaces we just created or do they want to cut support for seniors? I think the time has come to be specific, and we are listening with great interest.
72 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:41:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the first thing we are going to cut is wasteful spending, like the $54 million for ArriveCAN, the $200 billion in COVID-19 spending, since the Parliamentary Budget Officer cannot even tell what that money was used for, and the $135 million that Frank Baylis got for nothing.
The government has done a lot of spending over the past eight years. There is a long list of things it has spent money on. If we start by cutting that, we will get back to a balanced budget and Canadians will be much better off.
Does the minister plan to return to a balanced budget in tomorrow's economic update, yes or no?
117 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:42:16 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, our colleague here has just told us that he intends to cut COVID spending. I think it is important to inform him that COVID spending is over.
He also wants to make cuts in other areas because that is the Conservative policy. Where are they going to cut? Day care? Seniors? The fight against climate change?
Some things are clear. They want to set us back on everything: firearms, women's rights, fundamental rights. They want to send us back to the Stone Age.
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:42:56 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, once again, we need to talk about the federal government's management of the borders. Radio-Canada has reported that Mexican cartels are taking advantage of the government's lax border control to make a fortune. They are forging Mexican passports and using them to smuggle people into Canada and the United States.
Both the RCMP and CSIS alerted the Minister of Public Safety in the spring. What has the government done since then to get its borders back under control?
83 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:43:35 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we obviously share the concerns of all Canadians when it comes to the integrity of our borders.
That is precisely why we have invested additional funds in strengthening our border security posture. This is why I visited Washington a month and a half ago. I spoke with the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security about specific ways that we could collaborate more. I also had an important discussion with my colleague, Quebec's public safety minister. We are going to keep increasing personnel as required to ensure that the border remains secure.
94 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:44:17 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, let me say it again. There is a human trafficking network being run by Mexican cartels at the Canadian border, all in full view of the federal government, which was told about it by intelligence services.
The Government of Quebec is worried. It says that Ottawa needs to wake up. It also says that the federal government is unfortunately not doing its job, and Quebec is being left to shoulder the burden.
When will this government regain control of its borders?
83 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:45:01 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I do not want to disagree with my colleague, but we have not lost control of our borders.
On the contrary, we are working with Canada's intelligence and security services. We share as much intelligence as possible under Canadian law so that our partners, whether American, Mexican or Canadian, including those in Quebec, can explore what more we can do to secure the border. I look forward to continuing my very positive discussions with Minister Bonnardel on this matter.
82 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:45:39 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we have to put ourselves in the shoes of the people who want to leave Mexico.
They are prepared to go to great lengths to get out of their country, not least because of the cartels. These cartels have tentacles all over the place and no respect for human life. Now imagine how these people must feel when they realize that even in Canada, those same cartels are controlling the border. Even in Canada, those same cartels are still getting rich at their expense.
When will this government show some humanity and take back control of its borders?
100 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:46:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I said a few moments ago, as a government, we have been taking action since the first months of our term to ensure the integrity of our borders. We have spoken with our partners in the U.S. and Mexico about the importance of controlling irregular migration.
We have invested more in border security and in our intelligence services so we could do whatever it takes to keep our borders secure. Obviously, we are always open to good ideas for further enhancing this important responsibility.
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/20/23 2:47:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government and two years of its housing accelerator, photo ops are up exponentially, but investment in housing construction is down 14%.
The Prime Minister promised to make housing more affordable. What has he delivered? Nothing but photos of suits in boots. Canada has the lowest number of housing units per capita in the G7. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.
When will he put aside his photo-op obsession, and focus on roofs over heads and keys in doors?
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
