Marc Dalton

Mr. Speaker, the number one concern among Canadians, from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, is the cost of living. That is the reason why the Conservative Party has brought in this motion about the affordability crisis. I was just appointed to the indigenous and northern affairs committee, which is hearing testimony from businesses, NGOs and others about the cost of living and the struggles they are having. It is getting very difficult. We asked if things are getting better and they said no. Things are getting worse. I appreciate all the programs the Liberals say they are bringing in, but they are putting Canada in a worse position. Will the member not recognize that and take responsibility for plunging Canada into this situation?

Mr. Speaker, parents want the ability to provide for their families. Yes, it is great to have school lunch programs, but the real issue is having good jobs. It is becoming more and more difficult to have a good job. Beyond that, having any job is difficult. I talk to young people, and they are having challenges getting work, even in fast food industries. Last week, I talked to one young lady in her early twenties. McDonald's and other places used to be the place for young people to get experience and get a job, but they cannot find one because of temporary foreign workers in places where there are many people looking for jobs. I wonder if the member could comment on that.

Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is a concern for Canadians. That is clear. Canada ranks at the bottom of the list of the 38 OECD countries. Does my colleague agree that a strong economy is a major factor for affordability and jobs? Does she realize that having an economy as weak as ours is right now lowers the value of the Canadian dollar, which increases the price of imports? Does she agree that the feeble efforts to promote resource development have lowered Canadians' quality of life? She can choose which question she would like to answer.

Mr. Speaker, it is a bit discouraging to be having this debate now in the House of Commons. Why? It is because we already passed a similar bill barely 18 months ago. The Conservatives voted in favour of it because the Prime Minister said that those projects would be fast-tracked at unimaginable speeds. The result is that 500 projects are currently stalled. We are not seeing any progress at all. Can the member tell me whether we will see another bill like this one 18 months down the line?

Mr. Speaker, I am listening to the Liberal member, and the words are great. I can say amen to a lot of what he is saying, but the problem is that the Liberals have been in power for 11 years. He said that Canada has no shortage of opportunities and huge potential. Well, why are things not happening? We have had 500 projects, actually way more than that, bogged down. The Liberals claim that part 1 of the bill sets a one-year decision timeline, but the fine print reveals that the clock only starts after proponents submit every single study requested. Is this not just a shell game that leaves years of regulatory delays untouched?