Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, cynical politicians, like the Conservatives, have tied their political fortunes to the failure of the Canadian economy. Good economic news for Canadians is actually bad news for the Conservatives. They have told us time and again that there would be perpetual inflation unless we adopted their austerity agenda. Inflation is at an historic low. It is at 2%, which is exactly the target…
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Madam Speaker, I think that the Conservatives' priority has been rather clear so far. Other than abandoning the fight against climate change, all they talk about is doing whatever they can to protect those who earn more than $250,000 a year in profit on their investments, even if that creates more inequality and raises the deficit that they regularly pretend to complain about. My Conservative coll…
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Madam Speaker, I simply cannot put it any way other than to say that my Conservative colleague is obviously misinformed. When it comes to business investments, I can tell members that Canada is currently third in the world for attracting foreign direct investments, and that is for the very first time in our country's history. It is an amazing achievement that highlights the focus of our government…
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite is a graduate of the Ivey Business School. He knows numbers very well. Clearly, he is a fan of numbers, and I am too, so I will follow along his line of argument around the number 40, a debt-to-GDP ratio at 40%. As a woman in her forties, I feel like I know this number well. The member opposite mentioned 40% debt-to-GDP ratio, and I understand why most people fee…
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No, Madam Speaker, I do not include provincial debt in the federal debt. Since I only have one minute and my colleague raises several points, I thought I would take the opportunity, given the news of today, to remind Canadians that inflation has fallen from its high, at over 8%, to just 2% in Canada. That is a reduction of over three-quarters, beating all forecasts, and is now perfectly in line wi…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about women's health and the need for a greater understanding of how injury and disease present and are treated in the female body. I do so following my own experience after suffering a concussion. Reviews have shown that as few as 7% of the studies on brain injuries take into account gender differences and how women are impacted. I understand that women's bodies …
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Mr. Speaker, that question has been asked and answered several times already today. My question for the Conservatives is this: Why should a dollar earned from working, whether it be as an insurance broker, a fish plant worker, a construction worker or a cashier, be taxed higher than a dollar received as profit from the sale of an investment? Why is it that a person flipping burgers pays a higher t…
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Mr. Speaker, I would invite my colleague opposite to look into the important small business tax exemption that is also coming into effect. I would like to know why the Conservatives would rather slash the pensions of our seniors than ask the wealthy to pay just a little more. I would like to ask the Conservatives why they would rather cut school lunches for over 400,000 children than to ask the on…
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Mr. Speaker, I would just like to make very clear one important point, and that is that the changes we have introduced in the budget are just not going to affect the paycheques of Canadians. Anybody taking home a salary in Canada is not going to see a change based on what we have presented for capital gains. In fact, what we are asking is with respect to those who do not make a salary, who have th…
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Mr. Speaker, just a few days ago, Conservative members voted against the interests of farmers. Just a few days ago, they also voted against measures to promote women's participation in the economy, against free menstrual products, against funding for sexual misconduct investigations and against subsidizing child care. What do the Conservatives have against measures that support women?
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware that it is our Liberal government that is taking action to support Canadians. I think Canadians can see right through the Conservatives' empty rhetoric. Just a few days ago, the Conservatives voted against the national food policy. If they really had the interests of Canadians at heart, they would not have voted against them.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is supportive of international efforts to end the corporate tax race to the bottom and ensure that the world's largest corporations do pay their fair share. Our priority, of course, has always been a multilateral approach, but we must defend our national interests. We will not accept a delay to the implementation of our own digital services tax without a clear timeline for an i…
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Mr. Speaker, like every year, yesterday, I was at the Prime Minister's side at the December 6 commemoration, surrounded by my grieving community. It has now been 34 years since the tragic loss of 14 women, 14 Polytechnique students who were full of promise and destined for bright futures. I was able to honour their memory this week by participating in the Order of the White Rose ceremony and by aw…
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Mr. Speaker, our job as a government has been to balance compassion with fiscal responsibility, and that is exactly what we have done. We are there for Canadians with the Canada child benefit. We are there for families with supports. We are there for our seniors with supports. When the member opposite talks about being there for Canadians, I wonder why that very member has been filibustering our m…
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Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives continue to talk down the economy, I will ask members to allow me to add in a few more facts. We have ensured that 1.1 million additional jobs are available to Canadians since the end of the pandemic. That is important because those are well-paying jobs. Wages have actually increased and outpaced inflation in this country. The report that my Conservative collea…
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Mr. Speaker, it is surprising to see the Conservatives quoting the Governor of the Bank of Canada when they are campaigning to fire him. However, this week, the governor confirmed that carbon pricing contributes only 0.15% to inflation and that reducing carbon pricing will have no long-term effect on inflation beyond this initial reduction. That is what the Governor of the Bank of Canada said.
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Mr. Speaker, we expect the organizations to adhere to the strictest standards of governance. As I was saying, the Minister of Innovation welcomed the decision by the Auditor General of Canada to proceed with an audit. The minister himself is appearing before the committee next week to answer questions.
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Mr. Speaker, I can confirm today that the department has been working in close collaboration with the Office of the Auditor General of Canada on this issue from day one. As I said, the Minister of Innovation welcomes the decision of the Auditor General to proceed with an audit and he is prepared to answer questions from the Conservatives and all members of the committee next week.
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry welcomes the decision of the Auditor General to conduct an audit. He also welcomes the invitation he received to committee next week, where he will be answering Conservative questions with respect to this entire issue. I would also note that the organization has agreed to co-operate fully and is enabling all documents and information to…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting that the Conservative member began his question by talking about the affordability crisis here in Canada but did not end it that way. Allow me to address the fact that Canadians are struggling right now and that the supports we have put in place are helping them to make ends meet, whether they are supports through our child care program or supports to Canadians w…
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned earlier with respect to SDTC, the Minister of Innovation welcomes the decision of the Auditor General to conduct a full audit. The SDTC has agreed to provide all of the information and documents necessary to the committee. I understand the Minister of Innovation will be appearing before the committee next week in order to answer everyone's questions.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question, which is very important to our entrepreneurs and SMEs across Canada, including back home in Montreal and across Quebec. I would also like to thank the member for Courtenay—Alberni, who worked with me back in the pandemic on many supports for our entrepreneurs and small businesses. It was thanks to a lot of collaborative work in th…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate my NDP colleague's arguments. As I was saying earlier, we have brought in flexible measures to help SMEs make the necessary repayments, and we have spoken with financial institutions. Financial institutions are in contact with SMEs, and SMEs must negotiate with them. Furthermore, we have offered businesses the possibility of partial loan forgiveness until March 28, 2024…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his advocacy for firefighters. I would also like to thank all of the first responders across Canada who keep us safe, including the brave volunteer firefighters whom so many communities across our country depend on. Our government recognizes the important role that first responders play, and we will continue to support them. I would like to point o…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that inflation has come down yet again in Canada. If he wants to talk about taxes, I will remind him that it was our federal government that lowered taxes not just once, but twice, for the middle class. Once again, both times, the Conservatives voted against a tax cut. That makes no sense. The Conservatives are not worth the risk.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again thank the member opposite for his advocacy and leadership. I know he is working closely with government members, including the member for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne and the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, on Bill C-310 and on other measures that will ensure greater tax fairness for our first responders. I also know that we will continue to work in this di…
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Mr. Speaker, when I talk to Quebeckers, they tell me that voting Conservative is far too costly. The Conservatives are proposing an austerity plan. They want to cut support for our seniors, support for families with children, the help Canadians need to make ends meet. We are here to support Canadians. The Conservatives are not worth the risk.
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite claims that there is misinformation. I would welcome her to clarify where exactly. The Conservatives have consistently said that they do not want to support Canadians with the programs we have in place. We have the Canada child benefit program, which is supporting families and helping them make ends meet. Perhaps she would like to clarify if that is where they are …
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Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives were in power, they ran seven consecutive deficits. I find it interesting that they claim to be so concerned about the 0.7% deficit we have here in Canada, the lowest of all G7 countries. We have a serious plan in order to build more homes. We have a serious piece of legislation before this House that the Conservatives are delaying. It would solve the housing cr…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it curious that the member opposite even refers to pensions. Under what the Conservatives are proposing, they would gut the Canada pension plan. What the Conservatives are proposing would also result in Canadian families receiving less money from the federal government. We have the Canada child benefit. In fact, cheques are going out today to families right across the country. …
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, we have been there for Canadians. We have invested money to support them. The Conservatives have voted against our measures several times. When the Conservatives were in power, seven consecutive budgets produced deficits. We have the lowest deficit in the G7 and we will continue to be fiscally responsible.
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Mr. Speaker, we currently have a bill before the House that will speed up housing construction across Canada. In my Montreal riding, co-operatives are being built for families, seniors and young people. The Conservatives are unwilling to invest in building more housing to lower costs for Canadians. That makes no sense. If they really care about the interests of Canadians, why are they voting again…
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Mr. Speaker, I invite the member opposite to listen to some of the testimony from experts at this morning's finance committee who refuted those statements. However, I would like to get back to the legislation that is before this chamber because the Conservatives have an opportunity to help stabilize grocery prices across the country. That is legislation they can vote on right now to support Canadi…
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Mr. Speaker, as you know, Canada has the lowest deficit among all G7 countries. Canada has been reaffirmed its AAA credit rating because our fiscal frame is responsible. We continue to support Canadians, and the Conservatives continue to call for cuts. Canadian families are relying on the supports we provide. They are relying on the Canada child benefit. They are relying on their pensions. The Con…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from the Bloc Québécois, who is a member of the Standing Committee on Finance, for his very important work at that committee. I would like him to know that our deficit is the lowest among all the G7 countries, but it is also 0.7% of our gross domestic product. That is extremely low. I would also invite him to wait for our fall economic update. The Minister…
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Mr. Speaker, it always surprises me when Quebec Conservatives talk about the carbon tax because the federal carbon tax does not apply in Quebec, which is a leader in action against climate change. We do not want the Conservatives to set us back. We do not want to stop taking action to protect our environment in Quebec. The Conservatives are completely out of touch.
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Mr. Speaker, what Montrealers do not understand is why the Conservatives are delaying the implementation of measures that will help build more apartments and houses across the country. We have a bill and the Conservatives, even those who stated publicly that they would vote in favour of this measure, do not want to move forward. We are behind schedule and we cannot do our job because the Conservat…
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to correct the record. There are actually 400,000 families in Alberta collecting the Canada child benefit cheques. Those cheques are coming out this week. Under what the Conservatives are proposing, they would have those cheques completely removed. They would be cutting those supports for Canadians. I will remind members that, while we continue to support Canadians, here in C…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Statistics Canada shared some good news: Inflation is down again here in Canada. Our government is working to help Canadians struggling to make ends meet. In fact, here in the House, we introduced a bill that parliamentarians are studying and that will stabilize grocery prices across Canada. The Conservatives are playing political games with measures that will help Canadian…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague talks about fear. There is also fear among Canadians that the Conservatives are going to cut programs they rely on. This week, Canada child benefit cheques will arrive at Canadians' doors and in the member's riding of Calgary Forest Lawn. That means individuals will get up to $10,000 lowered from their child care fees. There are 400,000 families in Calgary Forest Law…
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Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the members opposite raising important issues local to their own communities. I have to say that I am hearing very similar things in my community. I know that the banks are working very hard to find solutions for their customers. The news this morning that inflation is falling is certainly welcomed by our government not only in that we need to stabilize inflatio…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my friend and colleague, the hon. member for Winnipeg North. We learned just this morning from Statistics Canada that inflation fell to 3.8% in this country. That is well below market expectations and good news for Canadians as our economy continues to stabilize. We know that many Canadians are still having trouble making ends meet. Our government unders…
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Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate the questions from my hon. colleague. They help elucidate all of us in the House as to the situation in her community. I know that in the last budget, many of us worked very hard to ensure that we had the right strategy, not just the money, but the right strategy, to address indigenous and northern housing. That was found in budget 2023. I look forward to working w…
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Mr. Speaker, I am always happy to work for the middle class. We are always happy as a government to continue supporting the middle class. The Conservatives, on two occasions, voted against a tax break for the middle class, and now they pretend to care about the middle class. I am confused. We have legislation on the floor of this House that would stabilize grocery prices and would help build more …
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Mr. Speaker, of course, we are working tirelessly to respond to the housing crisis. In fact, we were the first to acknowledge that there actually was a crisis. We put money on the table. Yes, negotiations with Quebec took some time. I am glad we were able to reach an agreement, as my colleague mentioned. We signed an agreement with Quebec to transfer funds. The money is there. We expect it to be u…
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Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague opposite that Canada continues to have the lowest deficit among all G7 countries. I would also advise her, in case she missed the news this morning, that Statistics Canada announced inflation has come down in Canada. That is because our plan is working. However, we know that Canadians still need support, which is why, before this House at this very moment, …
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the questions coming from the Conservatives, but I wonder if they are keeping up with the announcements made by our government. About an hour ago, we announced new measures that will help reduce costly banking fees, which Canadians have told us are a very real irritant for them. This is real support for Canadians. We are going to enhance low-cost and no-cost chequing acco…
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Mr. Speaker, I represent a riding in Montreal. Having spoken to Montrealers, I can say that they are afraid the Conservatives will set us back. We can expect cuts from the Conservatives, cuts in pensions for our seniors, cuts for families with young children. They will certainly set us back—
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to my colleague because I know for a fact that Montrealers are afraid that the Conservatives will set us back, because the Conservatives are going to cut pensions for our seniors and subsidies for families with children. They will certainly set us back on the environment and the fight against climate change. I am surprised to hear a Conservative colleague talk …
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Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my Conservative colleague, so I would like to correct him. Statistics Canada confirmed today that inflation in Canada has dropped. With regard to his questions, I would also like to mention that our government will, of course, update the House on our revenues in this fall's economic statement. That is coming soon, as members know. My colleague will, …
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