Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to be perfectly clear. To date, $1.5 billion has been spent. This covers completion of the old age security transformation and initial development for employment insurance, and $6.6 billion is an upper ceiling for all the projects that this covers. This amount may never be spent. It would have been cheaper if it had been undertaken between 2005 and 2015, when the Conservatives …
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Again, Mr. Speaker, my friends across the aisle know there are no cost overruns. This was a planned, phased project. Just over $1.4 billion has been spent and the OAS project is completed. If there are individuals who are having problems getting payments on time, we invite them to contact us, and we would like them to do so. Those numbers will go down as Canadians transition to an online system. W…
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Mr. Speaker, Bloc members say they do not know what the money is being used for, but they were on the committees that approved the spending. They know that this money has been used to complete the transformation of a 60-year-old system. If we had let that system stand, people would not be getting their benefits. This program is not costed in a cost-overrun situation, as they would assert. This has…
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Mr. Speaker, the conversion to the new OAS payment system is complete. It came in under budget. More than seven million seniors are currently receiving their benefits on time thanks to a modern system. The total cost of Cúram is meant to cover separate projects. The $6.6 billion is the amount planned and approved for the lifespan of the project.
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Mr. Speaker, I am really happy to answer this question and remind the member opposite that years ago the Auditor General warned Harper's Conservatives that the old benefit payment system was outdated and at risk. That means that, under those Conservatives, people would not get their money at all. What did the Conservatives do? They did nothing. That is just their way. They get out of the way and d…
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Mr. Speaker, we are modernizing a very old system. Doing nothing would have jeopardized payments for millions of seniors. The outstanding cases are complex. They are being assessed, and retroactive payments are guaranteed. Once again, I invite the member opposite to provide me with the names of those who are having problems, and we will assist them.
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Mr. Speaker, the OAS system transfer is complete and it came in under budget. More than seven million seniors are now receiving their benefits on time through a modern system. The total cost of Cúram will cover four separate projects. The amount that was planned and approved for the life of the project was $6.6 billion. Once again, I encourage the member opposite to give me the victims' names and …
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Mr. Speaker, I will bite. Let us imagine what affordability would look like under the Conservatives in British Columbia. They would cut the industrial carbon tax, and nothing would happen, because it does not affect the price of groceries. Then they would follow their plan to get out of the way, a.k.a. do nothing, and there would be no national school food program, no OAS for 65- to 67-year-olds, …
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Mr. Speaker, we are modernizing a very old system. Doing nothing would have jeopardized the payments of millions of seniors. The backlog cases are complex. They are currently being dealt with, and retroactive payments are guaranteed. Again, I invite the member opposite to give me the names of the individuals and we will help them.
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Mr. Speaker, the OAS modernization is now complete and it came in under budget. More than seven million seniors are receiving their benefits on time through a modern system. The total cost of Cúram will cover four separate projects. The $6.6 billion is the amount planned and approved for the life of the project. I invite the members opposite to give me the names of the seniors affected, and we wil…
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Mr. Speaker, the switch for OAS has been completed. It came in under budget. More than seven million seniors are now receiving their benefits on time through a modern system. The total cost of Cúram will cover four separate projects. The amount that was planned and approved for the life of the project was $6.6 billion. I encourage the member opposite to give me their names and we will help them.
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Mr. Speaker, the OAS transition is complete, and it came in under budget. More than seven million seniors are now receiving their benefits on time thanks to a modern system. The total cost of Cúram covers four separate projects. The $6.6 billion is the amount that was allocated and approved for the project's life cycle.
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Mr. Speaker, what will make a real difference in fighting food insecurity is ensuring that seniors have the money in their pockets that they need in order to be able to buy groceries and to buy toilet paper, coffee and these kinds of items over which the government has no control. We are controlling what we can, and that is ensuring that seniors have the money they need in order to afford the esse…
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Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives want to know why we are not adopting their plan, the answer is simple: The only person who thinks it is going to work is their leader. We are following the advice of Food Banks Canada. We are following the advice of experts. Let me tell the other side what seniors are saying. Dava Houston says, “Seeing a lot of talk about the Grocery Rebate helping ‘no one.’ As a …
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Mr. Speaker, yes, these delays are too long, but more than 98% of all claimants received their benefits without delay. The department is actively working to quickly resolve any issues clients may encounter. We continue to improve the benefit delivery process.
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Mr. Speaker, it is funny that on the one hand the Conservatives chide the groceries and essentials benefit, but on the other hand they are upset that it is not for everyone. When I was the Minister of Service Alberta and had just had my new baby, I suddenly started getting child care benefit cheques that I did not need, but families that did need the money were not getting as much. We are ensuring…
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Mr. Speaker, one delay is one too many, but over 98% of applicants have received their benefits promptly. The department is working hard to quickly resolve any issues that users might encounter. We will continue to improve the benefit payment process.
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Mr. Speaker, our government protects seniors. We increased the old age security pension. We are providing dental care and building housing for seniors. Now, we are modernizing the digital benefits system so that seniors can enjoy better services. I invite the member opposite to share their names with me, and we will assist them.
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Mr. Speaker, I am a millennial and my friends are millennials. What millennials want is for homes to be built. We want this plan to go forward, our plan to build hundreds of thousands of homes, in my riding and in that member's riding. I just do not know why the member wants to take the hammers and nails out of construction workers' hands and the electrical wires out of the hands of electrical wor…
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Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, our actions are compassionate. Our actions show compassion for seniors. We increased OAS for seniors over age 75 when the Conservatives wanted to bring it down to below age 65. We have protected OAS, ensuring that it is indexed to inflation, and we just guaranteed that low-income seniors will get the help they need to fight rising food costs, which is somethi…
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Mr. Speaker, the National Institute on Ageing's fourth annual report was just released, and it commends the actions the government is taking. It agrees with us, and its data shows that reducing expenditures in one area can result in an overall reduction in hardship as money is freed up for other household needs. That is why organizations like Food Banks Canada agree that the groceries and essentia…
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Mr. Speaker, like many of my constituents in Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, I grew up in a single-parent household. I had a single mother and a handicapped sister, and making ends meet was really challenging. It is families like this that we have in mind, like the one I grew up in, like the ones that exist in my riding and in that member's riding. They are the ones we want to feed, and Food Banks Canada…
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Mr. Speaker, low-income seniors in Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke have been asking their government to take action to help fight the rising cost of groceries, and we listened. We are helping with up to $950 of food and goods for low-income single seniors with the groceries and essentials benefit. We are also tackling the root causes by developing a national food security strategy to improve seniors' acce…
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Mr. Speaker, we are controlling what we can, and we are helping Canadians where they are. We have increased OAS for seniors who are over 75 years old. We have protected OAS, ensuring that it is indexed to inflation, and we just guaranteed that low-income seniors will get the help they need to fight rising food costs with the new groceries and essentials benefit. It would buy up to 950 dollars' wor…
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Mr. Speaker, as Christmas approaches, I am reminded that there are 143 Conservatives over there who might as well be named “Scrooge”. British Columbians in my riding of Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke know that Scrooge from Battle River—Crowfoot does not want to feed hungry children in schools, that Scrooge from Thornhill does not want money going to seniors through old age security and that Scrooge from …
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Mr. Speaker, I was in Rachel Notley's New Democrat government when, in partnership with the federal Liberals, we got the first pipeline to tidewater built in generations. This is a pipeline that helps pay for schools, hospitals and environmental investments and supports good union jobs. Now, as a Vancouver Island MP, I support our Prime Minister's vision to build Canada strong with indigenous peop…
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Mr. Speaker, as 2025 winds down and we are reviewing our Spotify wrapped, let us look at the Conservatives' 2025 wrapped. In 2025, the Conservatives lost their fourth election in a row, spent Alberta's money on a by-election so they could say they created at least one job, invented imaginary taxes and presented a platform with no plan to support seniors or families. Conservatives need to work on t…
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Mr. Speaker, those Conservatives clearly can talk until the cows come home, but they are all hat and no cattle. When their own platform had nothing in it for food affordability, did they vote to put money in the jeans of Canadians? No. Did they vote for the national school food program? No. Did they vote for old age security? No. Did they vote for the Canada child care benefit? No. Did they vote f…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservative member needs to take several seats. In my riding on Vancouver Island, people know that we are supporting the softwood lumber industry. Whereas the Conservatives' plan is to get out of the way and to do nothing, our government is investing in—
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Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke and on Vancouver Island, folks know that the government has the back of the softwood lumber industry and its workers, whereas the Conservatives would do nothing. Their plan is simply to get out of the way, whereas we are providing real support.
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Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives voted against budget 2025, they voted against old age security and the guaranteed income supplement. They voted against the New Horizons for Seniors program. They voted against a personal support workers tax credit. They voted against dental care for over six million Canadian seniors. Canadians want to know whom—
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Mr. Speaker, what Canadians and Vancouver Islanders need to ensure an affordable life is money in their jeans. They need things like the old age security. They need things like the guaranteed income supplement. They need things like the child tax benefit. These things put money in folks' jeans. These are initiatives that the Conservatives have voted against time and time again.
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Mr. Speaker, these Conservatives voted against lowering the cost of living when they voted against budget 2025 because they voted against food in schools for children, against a tax cut for middle-income Canadians, against $75 million in apprenticeship training and against a refundable tax credit for personal support workers. They also voted against $45 million in funding to address gender-based v…
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Mr. Speaker, these Conservatives voted against lowering the cost of living for seniors when they voted against budget 2025. They voted against old-age security. They voted against the guaranteed income supplement. They voted against the new horizons for seniors program. They voted against anti-fraud measures that would protect seniors from scams. They voted against a tax credit for personal suppor…
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Mr. Speaker, we are supporting seniors and individuals across Vancouver Island to ensure that they have an affordable life. For example, I met with the Mustard Seed in my riding of Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, where they are running several food programs to ensure food security. This includes a food program called Flourish for children that ensures that they are fed. This takes advantage of the nation…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives voted against food in schools for children. They voted against an income tax cut for the middle class. They voted against $75 million in apprenticeship training. They voted against a refundable credit for personal support workers. They voted against $45 million to address violence against women, and they voted against crucial support for seniors, like old age securit…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday in this House, the Conservative Party voted against budget 2025—
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Mr. Speaker, they say they are fighting for youth, but they plan to vote against a national school food program. They say they are fighting for families, but they plan to vote against a middle-income tax cut. They say they are fighting for workers, but they plan to vote against $75 million in apprenticeship funding. They say they are fighting for our borders, but they plan to vote against a much-n…
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Mr. Speaker, they say they are fighting for youth, but they plan to vote against the national school food program. They say they are fighting for families, but they plan to vote against the middle-income tax cut. They say they are fighting for workers, but they plan to vote against the $75-million apprenticeship training fund. They say they are fighting for our borders, but they plan to vote again…
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Mr. Speaker, if Conservatives vote against budget 2025, they vote against old age security, they vote against the guaranteed income supplement, they vote against the New Horizons for Seniors program, they vote against anti-fraud measures that will protect seniors from financial crime, they vote against a tax credit for personal support workers who care for seniors and they vote against the dental …
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Mr. Speaker, if they vote against budget 2025, they will be voting against food in schools for children, voting against an income tax cut for Canadians, voting against $75 million in apprenticeship training, voting against a refundable tax credit for personal support workers, voting against $45 million in funding to address violence against women and voting against crucial supports for seniors, su…
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Mr. Speaker, what will make a real difference in fighting food insecurity is seniors being able to access the benefits they are entitled to. That is why we are going to make it easier for one million lower-income Canadians to access the benefits they worked so hard for, with automatic tax filing. We are going to make sure Canadians, especially older Canadians, keep their hard-earned money, with th…
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Mr. Speaker, Halloween has come early for the Conservatives this year with their imaginary taxes and their ghoulish views on Canadians. They are calling Canadian school food programs disgusting, calling the RCMP despicable and demanding a $56-billion cut that would gut the OAS and the GIS that seniors rely on. Today, seniors will see in their bank accounts an increase on the OAS and GIS deposited …
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians know there are no taxes on their food, so while the Conservatives talk about imaginary taxes, the government is taking real action to support seniors in this country. We are cutting red tape. We are building homes faster. We have introduced dental care, which more than two million seniors now have access to. We are building an economy that works for everyone. The Conservativ…
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Mr. Speaker, this government is the only party in this House that can be trusted to have seniors' backs. We returned the age of retirement to 65 when Conservatives wanted to push it up to 67. Through this government's actions, we are ensuring that Canadian seniors have access to one of the largest social programs in the country, and that is old age security and the guaranteed income supplement. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, the government has taken, and continues to take, real action that supports the people of Canada. We have instituted the national food program. We have instituted the Canadian dental care program. We have instituted a number of things that help Canadians, whereas the Conservatives cannot be trusted to help anyone. They use this as a speaking point instead of really caring about Canadia…
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Mr. Speaker, Food Banks Canada has highlighted the importance of federal government action that is helping Canadians, such as the national school food program and the Canadian dental care program. This is helping more than two million seniors. We are building an economy that works for everyone. Conservatives have a record of pushing the retirement age higher, cutting benefits and leaving seniors b…
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Mr. Speaker, Halloween is coming up, but the only thing scary in here is the misinformation coming from the Conservatives. We are cutting red tape. We are building homes faster, and we have introduced dental care that now more than 2 million seniors have signed up for. We are building an economy that works for everyone, while Conservatives have a record of pushing the retirement age higher. I cann…
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Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives continue to suggest that imaginary taxes exist on food, we are ensuring that there is real food for real bellies, that children in schools get fed. The Conservatives vote against feeding children, while on this side of the aisle we are ensuring that children have the food they need and that Canadians have the support they need. The Conservatives continue to sug…
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Mr. Speaker, we are investing in Canadians. We are investing in the future to ensure that Canada is at the top of the G7 countries fiscally, whereas the Conservatives want us to achieve their economic goals, which would ensure that children do not have food in their bellies when they are at school. They want us to achieve the economic goal that they are looking for on the backs of Canadians. These…
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