Senator Plett: Senator Gold, we find ourselves in a period of skyrocketing inflation and financial uncertainty as the recession looms. Conservatives have been warning about your government’s uncontrollable spending for years. This is not just my allegiance to Pierre Poilievre, as obviously your allegiance is to your leader. It’s been challenged by the PBO, and economists across the country are in agreement that additional spending during an inflationary period will only make inflation worse.

Your government’s response to the worsening inflation has been to simply announce more spending. Why does your government refuse to take these warnings seriously? When will you finally get serious about inflation, Senator Gold?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Leader, since the finance minister unveiled her Fall Economic Statement earlier this month, we’ve heard repeated assurances from your government that it has been fiscally prudent. You’ve stated that here. This was challenged by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, or PBO, when he and the finance minister appeared before the House of Commons Finance Committee on Monday. The PBO’s office calculated that the government had announced $52 billion in net new measures over the span of six years. Allow me to quote from the PBO directly:

Would I qualify this as restrained spending growth? The answer is unsurprisingly, no. When the government has $81 billion in fiscal room and spends $52 billion of that, even after taking into account new tax measures, it’s not called keeping one’s powder dry.

Senator Gold, why is your government not exercising any fiscal restraint in the face of the upcoming economic uncertainty?

Senator Plett: Senator Gold, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada — IRCC — has been named in 709 mandamus applications filed in Federal Court this fiscal year. The fiscal year started in April.

This, Senator Gold, is outrageous. It’s a sad day when people are having to seek a judicial order that compels IRCC to finish processing their applications. Yet, Senator Gold, just a few weeks ago, your government announced a massive immigration increase of half a million people in 2025.

Senator Gold, does your government even have a plan on how they’re going to deal with this recent announcement? How will you address the backlog and the increase in immigration at the same time?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, on October 17, I asked you a question about the ongoing backlog of applications of highly skilled immigrants being forced to return to their home countries as their work permits expired. At the time, you said:

 . . . I’m assured that the government will be doing even more to tackle the backlog in the short term while making our system more sustainable in the long term.

Senator Gold, this morning we are learning that the situation at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada isn’t getting any better. This is from an article in The Globe and Mail:

. . . hundreds of people are seeking a judicial order that compels Immigration to finish processing their applications.

As of Oct. 31 . . . . Around 1.2 million were in backlog . . . .

Senator Gold, basic government services are not being provided by your government, and now this will cost taxpayers money to deal with the barrage of legal cases due to this backlog. What will it take for your government to take this backlog seriously, Senator Gold?

Hon. Donald Neil Plett (Leader of the Opposition): Senator Gold, in April your government tabled a budget in which it announced that it would establish a permanent council of economic advisers, and promised more details in the coming months.

Eight months later, leader, and there’s still no such a council in place, nor have we received the details we were promised in April. There isn’t even a mention of the council in the Fall Economic Statement tabled this month. Senator Gold, is this council still something your government intends to put in place? If so, what is taking so long? Or will your government be announcing another task force to look into this council as yet another way to pass the buck to someone else?

Senator Plett: Senator Gold, I don’t need to remind you that we currently find ourselves with the worst inflation in decades, and there is a recession on the horizon.

Many Canadians are struggling under the skyrocketing cost of living. Students are going to school hungry, Senator Gold. People are turning to food banks in record numbers — in Canada. Your government’s plan is clearly not working, Senator Gold. If ever there was a time for sage, economic counsel, now would be the time.

How much longer do Canadians have to wait for the government to fulfill its promise to take the economy seriously?

Senator Plett: Senator Gold, in the government’s Fall Economic Statement, they noted that the cost of the Canada workers benefit would be increasing by $4 billion this year. The problem with the increase of $4 billion, however, is that — again, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, or PBO — most of it will go to people who are not actually eligible for the benefit.

I’m not sure that this government can walk and chew gum at the same time, Senator Gold. The PBO said:

The substantial cost of this FES measure is largely due to the Government’s policy decision not to recoup these advance payments when recipients’ incomes rise and they become ineligible for benefits, or eligible for lower benefits.

That report goes on to say:

Not requiring repayment of federal benefits for ineligible individuals is a pronounced departure from the existing federal tax and transfer system.

Senator Gold, why is the government spending $4 billion to give tax benefits to people who will not even qualify for them?