SoVote

Feb/5/24 2:37:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there was a 41% increase in business bankruptcies last year, and 61% of those are in Quebec. It is the highest increase ever recorded. It is in that context that the federal government set the January 18 deadline for SMEs to pay back the emergency business account loan without penalty. In a Radio-Canada news report, trustee Stéphane Leblond warned that insolvency cases have been on the rise for the past month. Of course the Liberals just added $20,000 of debt to the SMEs most at risk. Why not show these businesses some flexibility instead of continuing to kick them while they are down?

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Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)

Feb/5/24 2:38:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the purpose of the Canada emergency business account, or CEBA, was to help keep businesses afloat during the pandemic and give them some room to recover. Nearly 80% of small businesses have paid back the CEBA loan and were able to take advantage of the refundable portion of the loan. We are also reducing credit card transaction fees by up to a quarter to help small businesses keep more money in their pockets.

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Mrs. Julie Vignola (Beauport—Limoilou, BQ)

Feb/5/24 2:38:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are bragging about the fact that 80% of SMEs paid back their CEBA loans on time, but that is not good news. That means that 20% of SMEs are at high risk of bankruptcy. We are not talking about multinationals. We are talking about small business and restaurant owners in our communities. The government needs to do three things: Deal with each case on a case-by-case basis, guarantee loans from financial institutions and reinstate the $20,000 subsidy. Why is it so hard for the government to be flexible in helping the business owners in our communities? It does not take a rocket scientist to figure this out.

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Hon. Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, Lib.)

Feb/5/24 2:39:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I would like to remind her that this was not the first but the second extension that we gave to all businesses, and that there is no business that cannot get support from the government. If they cannot pay back their loan, we will guarantee that loan for three years at an interest rate of 5%, which means that they have to reimburse about $250 a month. Not only that, but Canada Economic Development is looking to the future. I just made announcements in Drummondville, Sherbrooke and a number of regions in Quebec. We will continue to support businesses in making the much-needed green transition.

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Mr. René Villemure (Trois-Rivières, BQ)

Feb/5/24 2:40:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last week I was talking to a restaurant owner in Trois‑Rivières. When he applied for the emergency account years ago, he could not have foreseen that inflation would increase by 10 % every year. He could not have foreseen that business would decline to such an extent. Before the January 18 deadline, he asked his bank for a loan to repay the federal government, only to be denied, precisely because of the uncertainty in the restaurant industry. The banks do not want the risk that the federal government should be taking on. Since he could not pay up, the federal government is now demanding another $20,000. How many restaurants like this do the Liberals intend to close?

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Hon. Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, Lib.)

Feb/5/24 2:41:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, if the government had not been there to support them in the first place, these businesses would not have weathered the biggest pandemic crisis this country has ever known. It is now time to look to the future. We need to support companies in meeting the challenges of the future. What are the challenges of the future? It is all about starting the energy transition and improving productivity to counter labour shortages. That is exactly what we are going to do on this side of the House. We will continue to support all businesses.

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Mrs. Rosemarie Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster, CPC)

Feb/5/24 2:41:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Prime Minister is costing Canadians more than they can afford. His punishing carbon tax is already driving up the cost of groceries, heating and gas. On April 1, the NDP-Liberal government wants to increase it once again. Conservatives introduced a common-sense motion to cancel the planned carbon tax hike that would cost Canadians even more on gas, groceries and home heating. Will the Liberals support our motion and cancel their April 1 carbon tax hike?

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Cancel

Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson (Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Lib.)

Feb/5/24 2:42:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again we hear misleading rhetoric from the other side of the House. Folks in Canada know that 80% of Canadian families get more money back than they pay. It is an affordability measure as well as something that actually addresses the climate crisis in front of us. It is something that helps the poorest Canadians. In fact, what he wants to do is take away the rebate. He wants to take away, from poor and modest-income people, money that actually helps to pay for groceries, rent and transportation. Shame on you for trying to target those folks and benefit only the wealthy in Canada.

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The Speaker

Feb/5/24 2:42:57 p.m.
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I know there are many things I must regret; I am hoping this is not one of them. I would invite ministers to please make sure that the answers are directed through the Chair. The hon. member for Battlefords—Lloydminster.

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Mrs. Rosemarie Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster, CPC)

Feb/5/24 2:43:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the minister can manipulate the facts all day long, but that is not going to change the painful reality that Canadians across this country are experiencing. Let us not forget that the PBO has said that Canadians will still be paying hundreds of dollars in carbon tax even after the rebate. Canadians who are already struggling to afford gas, groceries and home heating cannot afford the NDP-Liberal government's carbon tax increase. Will the Liberals show some compassion and cancel their April 1 carbon tax increase?

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Carbon

Ms. Jennifer O'Connell (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs (Cybersecurity), Lib.)

Feb/5/24 2:43:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives are truly concerned about the price of groceries, why do they not just ask their top adviser to pick up the phone and talk to Loblaws, or perhaps the next time she goes to pick up her paycheque, she could just ask Loblaws to join in our work to bring down grocery prices, to bring in more competition and to get rid of predatory practices. If the Conservatives are truly concerned for Canadians, I know just the person they can have give their buddies at Loblaws a call.

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Mr. Richard Lehoux (Beauce, CPC)

Feb/5/24 2:44:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, Canadians have had enough of this government's inflationary policies and excessive tax rates. The Bloc Québécois fully supports the Liberals when it comes to drastically increasing the carbon tax. Two million Canadians are using food banks each month. Farms are going out of business because the carbon tax is crushing them. Will the government wake up, do the right thing and cancel their April 1 tax hike?

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Hon. Steven MacKinnon (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Feb/5/24 2:45:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is a whiff of hypocrisy wafting over from the other side of the House today. Perhaps it has not been translated into French yet for the member opposite, but the Leader of the Opposition's campaign manager, his spiritual leader, is the chief lobbyist for Canada's largest grocery retailer, and yet he has the nerve to talk about prices. He should call her to—

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The Speaker

Feb/5/24 2:45:26 p.m.
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Order. The hon. member from Wellington—Halton Hills is an experienced member and a very respected member. He knows full well that he should wait his turn before he is able to address the House. The hon. member for Edmonton Griesbach.

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Mr. Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach, NDP)

Feb/5/24 2:46:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Danielle Smith is denying trans kids their basic human rights by denying their access to life-saving health care. It is not the role of politicians to tell doctors how to treat patients. Meanwhile, the leader of the Conservative Party remains shamefully silent on attacks on trans rights. The hate and prejudice of some should never override the fundamental rights of others. Will this government commit to using the powers of the Canada Health Act to intervene in any denial of life-saving care for trans youth?

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Lib.)

Feb/5/24 2:46:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a warm fuzzy video hiding daggers at my community in Alberta came out last week on social media. I spent hours on the phone consoling people who were crying on the phone and who were asking how we can stand up for the rights of 2SLGBTQ people in Alberta. We are going to continue to work on this, and I have one message for Albertans and people across the country. Legal challenges notwithstanding, the one way we can stop this is to kill the bill before it gets to the legislature. Write to one's UCP members. Get fired up. Mobilize, because kids' rights matter.

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Ms. Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre, NDP)

Feb/5/24 2:47:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, parents deserve affordable, quality child care, and child care workers need livable wages, but the Liberals are letting the $10-a-day child care program fail by not giving workers fair pay and benefits, leaving parents without child care spots. What about the Conservatives? They want for-profit child care. This means—

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Ms. Leah Gazan

Feb/5/24 2:48:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, parents deserve affordable, quality child care, and child care workers need livable wages, but the Liberals are letting the $10-a-day child care program fail by not giving workers fair pay and benefits, leaving parents without child care spots. What about the Conservatives? They want for-profit child care. This means higher fees for parents and lower wages for workers. Liberals and Conservatives do not care about care workers. When will the Liberals finally enforce livable wages and benefits for child care workers so they can live in dignity?

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The Speaker

Feb/5/24 2:48:07 p.m.
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I hate to interrupt the hon. member, but, colleagues, sometimes we can clearly hear the question and sometimes we cannot. This is one of the opportunities where the Chair cannot hear the question. I ask all members to please keep their conversations private so that I can hear the hon. member. Could the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre start her question again from the top?

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Hon. Jenna Sudds (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Lib.)

Feb/5/24 2:48:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our national child care program is making life more affordable for thousands of Canadian families, as is the Canada child benefit. We continue to work with the provinces and territories to ensure that the five-year agreements are upheld and that we do see improvements to wages and benefits for the essential caregivers who we all rely on for the child care that our kids need. On this side of the House, we continue to do the hard work that we continue to see the Conservatives oppose every step of the way.

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