SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Hon. Karina Gould

  • Member of Parliament
  • Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (on parental leave)
  • Liberal
  • Burlington
  • Ontario
  • Voting Attendance: 66%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $131,115.10

  • Government Page
  • Nov/22/23 2:54:45 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know what it means when they hear the words “common-sense Conservatives”. It means cuts to the programs and services they rely on, which ultimately hurts Canadians. Let us put some facts on the table. Since we came into office in 2015, we have lifted 650,000 children, 2.7 million Canadians, out of poverty. Canada now ranks sixth for child poverty in the world. When the Conservatives were in office, when that leader was in office, Canada ranked 24th in the world when it came to child poverty. We continue to support Canadians. We will stay on the facts. We will not cut services like the Conservatives would.
114 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Oct/24/23 2:37:41 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, just last week the member for Sarnia—Lambton repeated some myths about EVs here in this House. She said that they routinely catch on fire and do not work in the winter. I think it is important that we actually stay grounded in the facts of what the government is doing and will continue to do. That includes lifting 2.7 million Canadians out of poverty, with 650,000 children among them. It means putting a price on pollution and making sure that we are there for Canadians as the climate crisis persists. We are there and we have their backs.
104 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Sep/20/23 3:08:19 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, what the government has been focused on for the last eight years is making sure that we are advancing measures that help Canadians. We increased the Canada child benefit, and instead of sending cheques to millionaires, we made sure that the poorest and most vulnerable were getting the maximum they could have. When it comes to child care, we have cut fees in half by over 50%. When it comes to child poverty, we have lifted 450,000 children out of poverty. What the Conservatives do not understand is that we have been not only listening to Canadians, but also acting on their behalf, and we continue to work hard for Canadians every single day.
117 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Jun/13/23 3:07:13 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we celebrated the launch of the social finance fund, a $755‑million initiative to advance the growth of the social finance market. Social finance plays a crucial role in tackling issues such as access to affordable housing, food insecurity and poverty. By increasing access to flexible financing opportunities, the social finance fund will help social purpose organizations grow, innovate and enhance their social, economic and environmental impacts.
71 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Jun/13/23 3:04:40 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I will grant the member that he is good at alliteration, but what he clearly cannot do is see the policies that are actually helping Canadians. What Canadians need to know is what the Conservatives plan on cutting, because they are talking about services and supports for Canadians. We are there for the lowest-income, most vulnerable Canadians. We have cut poverty for children in this country in half since 2015. Poverty under the Conservatives flatlined. They did nothing to help low-income Canadians. We do not believe that this is the right process and we are going to continue to support Canadians.
105 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Jun/8/23 2:38:08 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately what Canadians know is that the Conservative way of doing things is one of throwing up their hands, sitting down and saying, “Let's do nothing“. Actually, no, “Let's cut”. That is the Conservative way of doing things. Let us cut the Canada child benefit. Let us cut the thousands of dollars that Canadian families are saving when it comes to child care. Let us cut the grocery rebate that we are giving to Canadians. Let us cut the Canada worker benefit. On this side of the aisle, we actually believe in investing in Canadians. The facts speak for themselves: 2.7 million fewer Canadians living in poverty, including 635,000 children—
121 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Jun/5/23 3:09:20 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives know that it is actually the contrary. Since we have come into office, we have lowered taxes for middle-class Canadians, and we have increased benefits for low-income Canadians. We have also lowered child poverty by half since we came into office in 2015. It does not mean that we do not know there are Canadians who are struggling, which is why, on July 5, we will be bringing forward a second grocery rebate that will be providing, on average, $467 for families of four in this country. It is also why we brought forward affordable child care. If Conservatives truly care about affordability, they have an easy thing to support—
117 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • May/15/23 2:57:46 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, it is typical of the Conservatives to not take yes for an answer, as the Minister of Finance is scheduled to go tomorrow. Of course, that will depend on the Conservatives' stopping their filibuster. Let us talk about our economic record. My hon. colleague was talking about the OECD, but when the Conservatives came into office back in 2006, they ranked 17th when it came to child poverty. By the time they left in 2015, Canada ranked 24th. They fell. I am not going to take any lessons from the Conservatives. Currently, Canada ranks second in the OECD when it comes to reducing child poverty.
111 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Apr/28/23 11:33:08 a.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, the only thing the Conservatives did when they were in government was that they balanced the books on the backs of Canadians. They did nothing when it came to helping Canadians get out of poverty. In contrast, what we have done is help lift 450,000 children and a total of 2.7 million Canadians out of poverty. At the height of the COVID crisis, do members know what we did? We were there for every single Canadian, whether through wage supports or through services.
87 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Apr/27/23 2:37:58 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is a bit hard to take the Conservatives at face value when they talk about Canadians in poverty, because when the Conservative government came into power in 2006, it was 17th in the OECD when it came to child poverty rankings. By the time Conservatives left office nine years later, they had fallen to 24th. They had actually done nothing to alleviate people who were living in poverty. We came into office in 2015. We have helped 450,000 children get out of poverty. We have helped 2.7 million Canadians get out of poverty. We are going to keep being there for Canadians, unlike the members opposite.
111 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Apr/25/23 3:03:55 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I know Conservatives do not like to talk about facts, but I am going to put a few facts on the table. In 2006, when they came into office, Canada ranked 17th in the OECD when it comes to child poverty. By the time they had left office in 2015, Canada ranked 24th. It is a little hard to take them seriously when they talk about poverty, but do members know what? After our coming into office in 2015, Canada now ranks second in the OECD when it comes to child poverty. We will take no lessons from the Conservatives. We will continue to act and continue to support Canadians and families.
114 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Mar/28/23 2:56:29 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives were in power, an additional 2.7 million people were living in poverty. When the Conservatives were in power, Canadians received family benefit cheques, but had to pay tax on them. Our government increased the Canada child benefit without taxing it. This represents up to $7,000 a year for families with children under six.
60 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Mar/28/23 2:37:34 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, there are 2.7 million fewer Canadians in poverty today than when the Conservatives were in government. That includes 450,000 children, thanks to the Canada child benefit, in which a child under six could receive up to $7,000 a year. Let us talk about our child care agreements that have cut fees by 50% for families across this country, which could be up to an additional $6,000 for families with children in registered care. We are delivering for Canadians in hard times, and we are going to continue to be there for them.
98 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Mar/27/23 3:05:57 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take my hon. Conservative colleagues at face value when they say they care and want to show compassion to Canadians, but when they have had the opportunity over the past eight years, every single time they have voted against Canadians. Whether it was the Canada child benefit that has helped lift 450,000 children out of poverty, they voted against. Whether it was lowering taxes on the middle class that helped millions of Canadians across the country, they voted against. Whether it was the Canada workers benefit that helped low-income Canadians stay in the workforce, they voted against. I would like them to show that compassion—
114 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Mar/9/23 2:55:28 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, when the member was minister responsible for housing, there were 2.7 million more Canadians in poverty than there are today. When the member was minister responsible for poverty reduction, there were 450,000 more children in poverty than there are today. When the member was the minister responsible for democratic institutions, he made it harder for 150,000 Canadians to vote. What we understand is we are moving forward and we are helping Canadians. He has only held them back.
83 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Feb/6/23 2:43:44 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, one thing is clear: Over the last seven years, this government has been there for Canadians. In fact, from 2015 to 2020, poverty in Canada was reduced by 2.7 million Canadians. That is 782,000 children and 178,000 seniors. What happened in 2015? The government changed. The Liberals were elected and the Conservatives were out. It seems like something happened.
64 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Jan/30/23 2:42:29 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, right after we formed the government, 450,000 fewer children were in poverty than when the Conservatives were in power. It is because of our programs, such as the Canada child benefit or the child care and early childhood program, that fees have dropped by 50% across the country. Families across Canada tell me how much these programs have helped them reduce the cost of living and how this is changing their lives. It is a shame that the Conservatives do not support these measures.
87 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Jan/30/23 2:41:13 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, this government has an impressive record when it comes to eliminating poverty in Canada. Over one million Canadians have been lifted out of poverty thanks to the measures that we put in place, including the Canada child benefit and the increase in benefits for seniors. The Conservatives voted against those measures. In fact, the Conservatives wanted to raise the retirement age for seniors. We did not let that happen. We will be there for Canadians at every stage of their lives, and I hope the Conservatives will support us.
91 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Dec/8/22 2:36:59 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians cannot afford is bad financial advice from the Conservatives opposite. If Canadians had taken their advice and invested in crypto, they would have seen their savings wiped out. Instead, on this side of the House, we have been there to support Canadians. The Canada child benefit has lifted over 450,000 children out of poverty since 2015. Two million fewer Canadians are living in poverty thanks to the investments that the government has made in Canadians. We trust Canadians; we believe in Canadians, and we are going to keep investing in them. I just wish the members opposite would do the same.
106 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • Dec/5/22 2:22:12 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we remain committed to supporting people get out of poverty. In fact, we understand how difficult life is right now, which is why we have put forward numerous measures to help the most vulnerable Canadian. However, if the Leader of the Opposition is indeed sincere in his desire to help lift Canadians out of poverty, he would have voted for measures like the Canada dental benefit, or the Canada housing benefit, or perhaps child care, which has fees being reduced by 50% right across the country. Instead of doing that, he voted against it.
102 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border