44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 15, 2024 11:00AM
- Apr/15/24 2:08:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight long years of the Prime Minister, residents in my community are struggling. I have received countless emails, phone calls and letters from residents, and the message I am receiving is clear and consistent, life is unaffordable.
Under the Liberal government, people are losing their homes, they are struggling to feed their families and they cannot afford to heat their homes or drive their vehicles. While life has gotten worse for Canadians, the Liberals are spending more than ever. This year, Canada will spend over $52 billion to service the Prime Minister's debt. This is more money than the government is sending the provinces for health care.
In response to the Liberal-made affordability crisis, my common-sense Conservative colleagues and I have three simple demands for this year's budget: number one is to axe the tax; number two is to build the homes; and number three is to fix the budget. The Conservatives will not support tomorrow's budget unless it provides relief to struggling Canadians.
Will the Prime Minister commit today to axe the tax in tomorrow's budget?
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- Apr/15/24 2:19:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. This Prime Minister is not worth the cost of interest rates after eight years. The government is going to spend more on interest on our national debt than on health. That is more money for bankers and less money for nurses.
When will the Prime Minister accept my common-sense plan to fix the budget by finding a dollar in savings for every dollar of new spending to lower the interest rates for Canadians?
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- Apr/15/24 2:21:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. This Prime Minister is not worth the cost of interest.
According to Scotiabank, the Prime Minister's deficits are adding two full percentage points extra in interest costs for the average family. That works out to about $6,000 for a modest mortgage of $300,000. That is six grand in extra mortgage payments from these deficits alone. Will they finally wake up to the fact that this NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost?
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years, this Liberal-Bloc Prime Minister is not worth the cost of the carbon tax.
Quebec farmers are in revolt against the Prime Minister because they are facing mountains of paperwork, a blatant lack of financial support and the carbon tax, which is crushing the agricultural industry across Canada.
Axing this tax on farmers is the fastest way to make food more affordable and to keep our farmers in business. However, the Bloc Québécois wants to drastically increase the carbon tax.
Will the Prime Minister commit to passing Bill C-234 in its original, unamended form in tomorrow's budget?
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- Apr/15/24 3:03:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, through eight years of NDP-Liberal deficit spending, the Liberals caused the higher interest rates, which are causing people's mortgages to go up. Families are slashing their budgets just to be able to afford their mortgages in order to hang on to their homes.
This year, Canada will spend $54 billion servicing Liberal debt. This is more money than the government sends to the provinces for health care. A dollar-for-dollar rule would fix the budget and bring down interest rates. The NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is just not worth the cost.
Will the Prime Minister reverse eight years of deficit spending and implement a dollar-for-dollar rule?
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- Apr/15/24 3:04:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we know how to ensure that we have a prudent fiscal situation as well as to support Canadians, especially in their time of need. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, with historically low unemployment, and we also have a AAA credit rating. Our upcoming budget will build on that work by putting forward new funding for housing and by ensuring that we have a national school food program for 400,000 children. We ask everybody in the House to vote with us.
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- Apr/15/24 8:12:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let me remind my colleague that the numbers are very clear: Carbon pricing is not what is causing increases in grocery prices. Economists estimate that as of December, the carbon price contributed less than half a percentage point to grocery price increases. However, I think we can all agree that many Canadians are suffering from the cost of living crisis. That is why we are addressing it with our affordability plan and many of the new actions we will hear more about in tomorrow's budget.
It is categorically false to claim carbon pricing is causing major increases to grocery prices. Let me remind my colleagues of a few other facts. Households in Alberta received their Canada carbon rebate today. A family of four receives $450 today and $1,800 over the course of this year, with rural households getting a 20% top-up if the Conservatives support it, which it seems they will not. Eight out of 10 households get more money back than what they pay, on average, which is exactly what it says in the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report, and lower income households benefit even more.
I am not sure where the $3,000 number that my colleague is citing comes from, but the Parliamentary Budget Officer's March 2023 report indicates that for 2024-25, the net average cost per household after the Canada carbon rebate is actually $558 in savings, not costs. My colleagues in the House should know that when a policy does not generate any revenue for the government and the money is given back to Canadians, we are talking about a regulatory charge that is essential to reduce pollution, not about a tax.
Making it free to pollute will not save Canadians money. It will cost them more in the long run while endangering Canadians and jeopardizing the natural environment we all depend on. We know that there are better ways to make life more affordable for Canadians without destroying the environment and incurring more devastating costs farther down the road.
Putting a price on carbon pollution reduces emissions, yes, but it also encourages innovation, and this is what we need in order to make significant strides in fighting climate change. It encourages reductions across the economy while giving households and businesses the flexibility to decide when and how to make those changes. It creates incentives for Canadian businesses to develop and adopt new low-carbon products, processes and services, and when it is done right, as we are doing here in Canada, it is both effective and affordable for consumers. That is because the bulk of the proceeds from the price on carbon pollution go straight back into the pockets of Canadians in provinces where the fuel charge applies.
Our actions today are for everyone's tomorrow. The Government of Canada's plans are making a difference. We have successfully bent the curve on emissions and are fully committed to reaching our 2030 emissions reduction goals for a secure and prosperous future for all Canadians.
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- Apr/15/24 8:16:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will talk slowly so the member might understand. According to the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer, the average family will be hit with $2,943 in carbon taxes this year. This is coming from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, where their “eight out of 10” statistic comes from. Yes, the Parliamentary Budget Officer did state that, but it refers only to the fuel charges. Once one includes everything else the carbon tax is charged on, such as groceries, then over 60% of Canadians are worse off. If the member would only read the entire report, not just the sections the Liberals want to promote, then we would actually get the truth out of them for a change.
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