SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 272 - Jan/31/24

Mr. Bob Zimmer (Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, CPC)

Jan/31/24 2:09:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, northern Canadians have learned the hard way that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Northwest Territories Premier R. J. Simpson recently said, “The costs are already high—higher costs are not the solution up here.” Adam and Chris from Yellowknife handed me their monthly heating bills that were $1,400, $1,700 and $2,100 because of the Prime Minister's carbon tax. Northerners have a choice next election. On one side, they have a costly coalition NDP-Liberal government that has driven up heating costs in the north because of its carbon tax, broken housing promises because there were zero homes built in Nunavut last year, doubled the national debt with little northern infrastructure to show for it and doubled the violent crimes across Canada. On our side, we have a common-sense plan that we, along with our leader, will axe the tax, build better homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. We will bring it home.

170 words

Context: House Hansard - 272 - Jan/31/24

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Jan/31/24 3:13:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the question was about rent and instead he turned and made false attacks against me. Apparently, I am living rent-free in his head. Here is the reality. Rent is going down in the States while it is coming up in Canada. Housing costs have risen 40% faster compared with the incomes of Canadians. Canada has the worst record in the G7 and the second worst in the OECD. If the Prime Minister's plan were really working, why is it that housing costs have doubled and our housing is becoming less affordable than that in almost any developed country in the world?

105 words

Context: House Hansard - 272 - Jan/31/24

Ms. Anita Vandenbeld (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development, Lib.)

Jan/31/24 9:01:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to participate in tonight's debate and to once again explain to my colleagues why we need to put a price on pollution. I appreciate the opportunity to explain why a price on pollution is the right thing to do, not only for ourselves but also for our children. When we consider all of the extreme weather events that have impacted Canada recently, it appears quite clear that the time for action is now. Just last year, as a result of climate change, Canadians had to deal with the catastrophic impacts of historic tornadoes, ice storms, wildfires, floods, etc. We could see the smoke right here in the chamber. Of course, these severe events that are becoming more and more frequent also take a toll on our infrastructure. The truth is that we have to act now to prevent the situation from getting even worse. The good news is that we know what to do and how to do it. The experts also agree that our approach, putting a price on pollution, is the best solution. It sends a clear message that pollution is not free. Pollution has a cost. Without a price on pollution, what incentive would there be to pollute less? The best part of our plan is that in provinces where the federal fuel charge applies, we return the bulk of the proceeds from the price on carbon to Canadians. In fact, eight out of 10 households in these provinces are getting more money back through their quarterly climate action incentive payments than they pay as a result of our price on pollution. Under the government's plan, this means that a family of four living in one of these provinces can receive up to $1,500 while also fighting climate change. At the same time, we understand that it continues to be a tough time financially for many Canadian families, as elevated global inflation is unfortunately still a reality. However, we can see that things are slowly getting better. Inflation is at 3.4%, down from its peak of 8.1%, and wage growth has now outpaced inflation for 11 months in a row. In addition, private sector economists now project that Canada will avoid the recession that many people were expecting. The International Monetary Fund and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development are both forecasting that Canada will post the strongest growth in the G7 in 2025. Nevertheless, many Canadians still need help to make ends meet. That is why we are implementing new measures to make life more affordable. As we made clear in our fall economic statement, our government continues to deliver an economic plan that supports a strong middle class, from building more homes faster to taking concrete action to help stabilize prices, make life more affordable and protect Canadians with mortgages. Let me give an example. The government understands that Canadians are getting really frustrated with the price of groceries, and we want to give them some relief at the checkout. That is why we amended the Competition Act to enhance competition in the grocery sector. This will help bring down costs and ensure that Canadians have more choice in where they buy their groceries. We also amended the Competition Act to empower the Competition Bureau to block collaborations that stifle competition and consumer choice, particularly in situations where large grocers prevent smaller competitors from establishing operations nearby. This will help save money for Canadians for other priorities.

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