Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we tabled our fall economic statement, which shows the very solid foundations of our economy. I would like to come back to what the Conservative leader himself is proposing. The Conservatives' austerity plan does not resonate with either Quebeckers or Canadians. I would like to know why he refuses to say what he will cut. Will he cut help for seniors? Will he cut support mea…
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Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague is having a hard time understanding the purpose of an economic statement. It is not a budget; it is an economic statement. We tabled it to be transparent with Canadians and to show them how far along we are with our plan. Yesterday, we also announced that we would be removing the GST from psychotherapy. We announced that we would be cracking down on international …
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, we did table the fall economic statement, which is the next step in our plan to build more homes right across the country and to build them faster, to crack down on short-term rentals and Airbnbs by supporting municipalities and their own regulations, and, of course, to strengthen competition laws in this country in order to stabilize prices. That was our plan, and it took …
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Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister stated just a few moments ago, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance will be tabling the fall economic statement at 4 p.m. in this House. All members, including the member opposite, will have a chance to look at all the numbers, and we will have a chance in this House to debate the economic plan our government has put forward. I would remind the membe…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, the fall economic statement will be tabled at 4 p.m., not long from now. My hon. colleague will have a chance to look at the numbers then. Right now, however, I can confirm that Canada will continue to have the lowest deficit in the G7. We will continue to be fiscally responsible.
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Mr. Speaker, Conservatives looking to blame inflation on federal government spending have a very difficult job indeed. The report my colleague is citing says that COVID-19 support measures and provincial government spending are responsible for an increase, not federal government spending. My colleague is a former member of Quebec's National Assembly. Is she saying that we should demand that the pr…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member opposite and inform the House that this morning Statistics Canada indicated that inflation has dropped yet again in this country. It is now at 3.1%. Canada continues to have the lowest deficit among all G7 countries. With respect to the report my hon. colleague cites, the report indicates that it is provincial spending, not federal, and COVID supports…
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Mr. Speaker, our government's fall economic statement announces new measures in order to get more homes built faster. The leader of the Conservative Party has called that, and I quote, a disgusting scheme. Why does the leader of the Conservative Party think that investments in the construction of 30,000 new rental apartments is disgusting? Why does the leader of the Conservative Party think that n…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have asked several questions in a row about housing. That surprises me because we have a bill before the House right now that will let us build more housing across the country. It will also help stabilize grocery prices across Canada. On October 5, about 46 days ago, the Conservative member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon did the right thing and announced in the Ho…
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Mr. Speaker, I am extremely pleased to see how enthusiastic members are about tomorrow's economic statement. However, I would like my colleague from Quebec to tell us what his austerity plan looks like. Will the Conservatives make cuts to the child care spaces we just created or do they want to cut support for seniors? I think the time has come to be specific, and we are listening with great inter…
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Mr. Speaker, I am truly glad to hear the Conservative member opposite be so excited for tomorrow's fall economic update. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance will be in the House at 4 p.m. tomorrow to reveal our books and to show the plan we have prepared for Canadians. This is an important moment of transparency for Canadians to see where we are at and where we are going. It is an im…
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Mr. Speaker, let us speak about balance, because our government believes that we can balance compassion with fiscal responsibility, and that is what we have shown to date. Canada continues to have the lowest deficit among all G7 countries. Canada continues to have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio among all G7 countries. The very report that the member is citing states that the major drivers of interes…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite talks about responsibility. It is this government that took its responsibility seriously. When times were tough, when COVID hit and even today we continue to have Canadians' backs. We do not just talk about compassion, we act in that manner by being there for vulnerable Canadians, by being there in order to lift over 2.3 million Canadians out of poverty, by ensurin…
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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, 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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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 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, 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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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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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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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 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, 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, 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 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, 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, 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, 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, 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 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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, 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 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 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 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, 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 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 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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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 would like to talk about Alexandre Look, a 33-year-old from Montreal. His mother told RDI that her son had called, over video, at about 11:15 p.m., Quebec time. He said, “Mommy, we're in the middle of a terrorist attack.” His father added, “We witnessed our son's murder.” Young Alexandre took refuge in a shelter with about 30 other people. According to reports, survivors who were wi…
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Mr. Speaker, I have worked with my colleague on several occasions toward a common cause. He is touching upon a very important point, which is that October 7 and the horrific attack by Hamas mark the day when the most Jews were killed since the Shoah and the Second World War. That has served to retraumatize survivors of the Holocaust, and all Jewish people, here in Canada and around the world. I th…
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