44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 2, 2024 10:00AM
- Feb/2/24 12:01:30 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on April 1 this Liberal-NDP government is going to automatically raise the tax on beer, wine and spirits for the eighth year in a row without even a vote from elected MPs.
When a simple treat like sharing a bottle of wine with a loved one becomes unaffordable, Canadians know that after eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. Will the Prime Minister stop this automatic annual tax increase and bring back happy hour for Canadians?
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- Feb/2/24 12:01:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, we will continue to work with the beer sector and vintners to ensure that they are competitive.
In fact, if we look at the wider Canadian economy, what do we see? We see a lower unemployment rate than existed before the pandemic. There are more jobs working now than before the pandemic.
That party continues to put forward an austerity agenda that would do what? It would cut pensions, cut EI and cut the Canada child benefit, dental care, child care, all of it. The Conservatives do not believe in the social programs that have upheld this country in so many different ways. They do not believe in Canadians by extension. That is what I have to say to that.
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- Feb/2/24 12:02:39 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the federal government can get more housing built by working with municipalities rather than insulting mayors like the leader of the official opposition does.
Through the housing accelerator fund, we are working with the District of Squamish to fast-track the construction of an additional 200 homes over the next three years and over 1,300 homes over the next decade, and these are not just any homes. These are affordable rental and missing middle homes that the municipality has determined are badly needed in the community.
Can the parliamentary secretary of housing, infrastructure and communities please tell residents of Squamish how we are working with local partners to get more housing built faster at prices they can afford?
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- Feb/2/24 12:03:22 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am happy to do exactly that, but let me first say that the member's tireless advocacy led to agreements like the one completed with Squamish. In fact, other MPs on this side have also worked to ensure outcomes through the housing accelerator fund.
I have talked about it before, but it bears repeating. This is a fund that ensures incentives on the municipality's part to change zoning, which will lead to more building in return for federal funding. What do we see as a result? We see duplexes, fourplexes, triplexes and mid-rise apartments. All of these will lead to 500,000 homes being built over the next decade and 78,000 homes built over the next four years. That is how we get housing going.
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- Feb/2/24 12:04:03 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, northern Manitoba is seeing temperatures above zero. We have had weather that is unheard of these last two months. Thousands of people in our region depend on ice roads to survive. Because of the warm weather, some roads have not opened and others will not last the season.
The Liberals have failed to act quickly to combat the climate emergency that is hitting indigenous communities the hardest. Investments in climate adaptation are needed now: an airport for Wasagamack and all-weather roads for St. Theresa Point, Oxford House and York Landing.
When will the Liberals finally act to deliver these life-saving investments?
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- Feb/2/24 12:04:42 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for her question and for her dedication to this file.
Indeed, indigenous people all across Canada, and especially in northern areas, are feeling the brunt of climate change faster than people in other areas. I was at the United Nations last year, where they told our government this. The government is willing to work with their community and indigenous communities to make sure they have all the services that all Canadians have in Canada.
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- Feb/2/24 12:05:14 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on December 2, 2022, and on February 15, March 23 and March 25, 2023, I asked the government a question concerning a 30-year old tax law that penalizes Canadian businesses,despite the fact that they use only local products that are good for our health.
Life is getting more and more expensive, and eating healthy is becoming harder and harder for families. By addressing this situation, the government would be helping people to buy healthy food that is less expensive while putting an end to an injustice that forces SMEs to compete unfairly with multinationals.
Will the Minister of Finance take action on this file?
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- Feb/2/24 12:05:58 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague. I am aware, and we are working together to try to come up with a solution. We want to help our local businesses to operate under the right conditions, in a good environment for doing business. This situation is a bit complex and we cannot change it overnight, but we will continue to work with him.
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- Feb/2/24 12:07:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of the people of Bow River, calling on the government to institute a national farmers' market nutrition coupon program. The number of families who experience food insecurity has increased by more than 12% since 2021-22. In March 2023 alone, nearly two million people visited a food bank.
The government must axe the tax to find solutions, and this is one of them: a national farmers' market nutrition coupon program.
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Mr. Speaker, volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers put their lives on the line for their fellow Canadians. They give their time, training and efforts, and they also allow municipalities to keep property taxes lower than if paid services were required.
I am presenting a petition calling on the government to increase tax credits for these essential volunteers and to support Bill C-310.
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Mr. Speaker, I am tabling today a very timely petition. Constituents in my riding have signed a petition asking for all parliamentarians of all political parties to get behind and vote in favour of Bill C-57, which would implement the Canada-Ukraine trade agreement.
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- Feb/2/24 12:08:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today, but prior to that, I have a point of order. There was a missing statement from ministers today, which is that the great prognosticator from Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, Wiarton Willie, predicted an early spring this morning.
The first petition is from constituents in my riding who are calling for the House of Commons and the Government of Canada to reverse the law extending eligibility for MAID to people with mental illness as the sole medical condition.
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition I am presenting is to do with online verification for access to pornography on the Internet. Petitioners are calling upon the House of Commons to adopt Bill S-210, which seeks to protect young persons from exposure to pornography.
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Mr. Speaker, I am here today on behalf of the amazing volunteer firefighters across my riding, as well as the search and rescue folks who volunteer a considerable amount to Canada. I want to thank them because we know that volunteer firefighters make up 71% of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders.
Right now, the tax code of Canada allows volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers to claim $3,000 in tax credit for 200 hours of service. Petitioners would like to see that raised to $10,000. The member who put forward Bill C-310, the member for Courtenay—Alberni, noted that municipalities and communities get to keep their property taxes lower because they do not need to pay for the services of these volunteers. People put their lives on the line for us; it is time we do the same.
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- Feb/2/24 12:10:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today on behalf of residents in my community.
To summarize, the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel measures were in place to help Ukrainians and their family members come to Canada as quickly as possible. However, the program excludes many Ukrainians who came to Canada under the program who do not have family residing in Canada.
Therefore, the petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to make available a specialized permanent residency pathway for Ukrainians currently in Canada that does not require them to have a family member in Canada who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
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Mr. Speaker, Sasamat volunteer firefighters protect Anmore and Belcarra. Coquitlam's search and rescue volunteers also put their lives on the line for their fellow Canadians. They give their time, training and efforts. This also allows municipalities to keep property taxes lower. If their services as required were paid, this would be optimum, but at the moment they are giving their time and their expertise as volunteers.
I am presenting a petition calling on the government to increase the tax credits, at the very minimum, for these essential volunteers, and to support Bill C-310.
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- Feb/2/24 12:12:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time.
The Deputy Speaker: Is that agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
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- Feb/2/24 12:12:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I suspect if you were to canvass the House at this time, you might find unanimous consent to call it 1:30 p.m. so we can begin private members' hour.
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- Feb/2/24 12:13:00 p.m.
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Is it agreed?
Some hon. members: Agreed.
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to address the chamber with respect to Bill C-352, which would amend the Competition Act.
I think we all agree in the chamber that a stronger competition enforcement regime would be good for all Canadians. The bill proposed by the New Democratic Party, while receptive to the need for change in competition law, and generally aligned with the government's overall direction to date, must, however, be examined in light of the vast number of changes that overlap with and have already been introduced by Bill C-56 and Bill C-59.
Bill C-56 became law in December 2023, while Bill C-59 remains under consideration by Parliament at the present time. Bill C-56 implements, and Bill C-59 would implement, an overhaul of the Competition Act following the extensive consultations undertaken in 2022 and in 2023. The government received a great deal of input throughout its consultations, bolstering the knowledge gained over the years of stewardship over this law. The amendment packages assembled in its two bills address most of the issues identified in the law that historically made it weaker than regimes of Canada's closest partners. That would no longer be the case.
Modernizing the Competition Act is a necessary step in making Canada's economy more affordable for consumers and more fair and accessible to business. The government's extensive commitment to competition law reform was led by Bill C-56, the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act, followed by Bill C-59, the fall economic statement implementation act, 2023. Both of these bills are directed at enhancing affordability and competition, and together they represent the most comprehensive reform package to the Competition Act in decades. They respond to the submissions of hundreds of very different stakeholders, including businesses, legal experts, academics, non-governmental organizations and the commissioner of competition himself.
Bill C-56 implemented a set of targeted but critical amendments, following especially from the Competitions Bureau's market study on Canada's retail grocery sector. As members already know, Bill C-56 brought much-needed changes such as allowing information to be compelled under court order in the course of a market study, helping to remove barriers when diagnosing potential competition issues.
Bill C-56 also repealed the efficiencies exceptions for anti-competitive mergers and collaborations, and in so doing eliminated what many observers consider to have been the single biggest contributor to corporate concentration in Canada. The bill further allowed for better prevention and remedy of the abuse by larger players of their dominant position by requiring only proof of anti-competitive intent or effects to prohibit certain forms of conduct. This more appropriately allocates the burden of proof, as compared to the previous test, which significantly limited the number of instances where the bureau could intervene.
Finally, Bill C-56 addressed harm from collaborations between non-competing parties that are designed to limit competition. Once this provision is in effect, the bureau would be able to review any type of collaboration whose purpose it is to restrain competition and seek a remedy, including an order to prevent the activity where competition is being substantially harmed or is likely to be. This would be especially impactful on restrictive covenants between grocers and landlords, allowing more grocers to set up shop near competitors.
Bill C-56 was, of course, amended in committee through a multi-party effort, incorporating several of the elements in Bill C-352 that now no longer require consideration.
Bill C-59 represents an even more substantial overhaul in our competition enforcement regime, addressing a large variety of aspects of the Competition Act. The amendments would give the Competition Bureau a longer period to detect and address anti-competitive mergers that are not notified in advance, helping to address “killer acquisitions” in the digital market. The bill would broaden the bureau's review of competitor collaborations to include those that harmed competition in the past, and would allow for financial penalties to be sought when necessary.
Importantly, Bill C-59 would facilitate private actions against a broader range of anti-competitive or harmful practices and empower those affected to seek financial compensation in many cases. This improvement would complement the bureau's work in protecting the marketplace. The bill would also ensure that costs awards would not be ordered against the commissioner of competition in the vast majority of circumstances, another element addressed by Bill C-352.
The bill also includes anti-reprisal provisions, which would ensure that co-operation with the bureau or participation in legal proceedings could not be punished by stronger businesses. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Bill C-59 would strengthen the law's testament of greenwashing the false advertising of sustainability claims while also facilitating environmentally beneficial collaborations that would not harm competition. Moreover, it would ensure that a means of diagnosis for repair could not be denied in a way that would harm competition.
All in all, little remains in Bill C-352 that has not already been addressed. On the contrary, Bill C-59 includes several elements missing from this private member's bill. The government's consultation saw over 130 stakeholders raise over 100 reform proposals. All submissions made by identified groups are publicly available, and the government published a “what we heard” report synthesizing them. This public process has been a key source of input to help us develop reform proposals. We are confident that the measures included in government bills comprehensively address the needs expressed by Canadians.
In conclusion, I think it is fair to say that the ambition of Bill C-352 correctly reflects the importance Canadians place on having a strengthened competition law framework. However, all of the major issues it raises have been or are being substantially dealt with through Bill C-56 and Bill C-59. As such, I would encourage members of the House interested in advancing competition reform to prioritize the rapid passage of Bill C-59.
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