Bernard Généreux

Mr. Speaker, last week, along with my colleagues, I had the privilege of meeting with some of the largest companies in my riding. They all told me the same thing: they are feeling the impact of the U.S. tariffs, economic uncertainty, the current recession and labour shortages. Most concerning is that several of them told us they have never been consulted by the Liberal government on the future of CUSMA, despite the direct impact on their workers and investments. Why do the Liberals keep making decisions that affect our businesses without taking the time to listen to them?

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G7 country in a recession. Yesterday, my colleague on the other side responded by trying to convince us that their approach is working. She said, “It is working.” However, a tremendous number of people back home are telling me that they feel a lump in their throat when they get to the supermarket checkout, praying that the payment will go through, because they are not sure there is enough money in their account. How can she say it is working when a rich country like Canada is forced to rely on food banks to feed its people?

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G7 country in a recession. The Liberal recession is not just a graph. It is parents standing silently in front of an empty fridge when the children ask what is for dinner. It is watching children go to school on an empty stomach when our food banks can no longer provide. If the crisis is global, as the Liberal government claims, why are our communities the only ones suffering, unlike all the other ones in the G7?

Mr. Speaker, I have a quick question for my colleague. How much money have the Liberals managed to raise so far with the 5% that was already in place? How much money do they estimate they will raise with the 15%? Who will end up paying the 15%, at the end of the day? Obviously, it is not the government. The government is going to pocket the money and may well redistribute it. That is what the Liberals are saying. Who is actually going to pay this 15% tax?

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about advertising. The Canadian government is currently running 80% of its ads on platforms owned by the tech giants. It gives them money every day, millions and millions of dollars in advertising, instead of advertising in our local and regional organizations and media. I will ask my colleague again. How much money did the government collect with the 5% it implemented through Bill C‑11? By the way, that legislation has been in place for a number of years, and it is not even in effect yet. Now they are increasing it to 15%. At the end of the day, who is going to pay the 15%?