An Hon. Senator: On division.

(Motion agreed to and bill read second time, on division.)

[Translation]

An Hon. Senator: How many pages?

Senator Loffreda: Two and a half pages. This is an important bill.

Colleagues, no bill is ever perfect, particularly with these massive bills that focus on the economy and address a number of issues. I have tried to address the most important issues, and will do so at third reading. As an independent senator, I am proud to sponsor this bill because I feel many of the measures in Bill C-32 will help address affordability challenges; raise revenues; assist Canadians with home ownership; implement measures to tackle tax avoidance and evasion; grow our small- and medium-sized enterprise, or SME, community; increase productivity and create jobs; and attract major foreign investments in order to grow our green economy.

In 12 days, many Canadians will be celebrating Christmas. Families and friends will gather in celebration of the most festive time of the year to talk about the past year, and to look to the future with hope and inspiration.

We know many Canadians are struggling, and have had a tough couple of years. Food banks and charities are having a difficult time keeping up with demand. But I’m sure most would agree that Canada has bounced back from the pandemic better than anticipated, and in a better position than its G7 counterparts.

We have countless reasons to be hopeful for what lies ahead. As Minister Freeland said, “. . . we have a well-built house with a solid roof, and we have survived far colder winters before.”

Colleagues, Canadians can look to the horizon and see a glimpse of hope that better days are coming. I am confident we will get through the upcoming economic slowdown and what I expect to be a mild recession. But we all know that winter always turns to spring, and flowers will be blooming in no time. Thank you.