2017-09-18

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's frontbench looks a little jittery today, but that is nothing compared to his backbench. Here is what another one of his own MPs said about these tax increases: I believe in my heart that these proposed changes will discourage entrepreneurship and hurt the very people we want to help. Does that sound familiar?If the Prime Minister will not listen to farmers, small business owners, hard-working Canadians, will he at least listen to his own caucus and stop attacking job creation?

Mr. Speaker, does the Prime Minister really not understand the difference between a contract to manufacture and his responsibility to sign the export permits? That is what this is about. Canada has a rule under international law that we will not export to countries that are using arms manufactured in our country to attack civilians. That is what is happening in Saudi Arabia, a country with a horrible human rights record. The Prime Minister loves to talk a good game. We are increasing our greenhouse gases every year. He talks about the environment. We are exporting to Saudi Arabia to kill civilians.When is the Prime Minister going to stop talking and start acting?

Mr. Speaker, nobody in the last election asked the Liberal Party to attack job creators.We have already established that this is not fair and we know that it is not compassionate, so why is the Prime Minister doing this? It is because he is drowning in debt, and a drowning man will reach out and grab on to anything and not care who he drags down with him. Who is he taking down with him? It is young Canadians looking for their first jobs, new Canadians looking to share in the prosperity in Canada, and women entrepreneurs who are hit disproportionately harder with these new tax measures. Why is the Prime Minister hurting the—

Mr. Speaker, the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women got more bad news this weekend. Maclean's reports that out of the $5 million spent by the inquiry, $2 million was taken completely by Privy Council Office bureaucracy, yet families needing extra help with travel and counselling for the inquiry are told that there is not enough for them. Can this really be true? Are the Liberals really spending 40% of the inquiry's budget on bureaucracy?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member for Halifax has said that, unless changes are made, he will not be able to support the Prime Minister's ill-advised plan. He is listening to the people in his riding who will be adversely affected by these changes: plumbers, electricians, fishermen, and the list goes on.When will the Prime Minister start listening to hardworking Canadians who will be hard hit by his tax plan?

Mr. Speaker, it would seem that this is the week for democracy.The Catalan people decided to exercise its right to self-determination. Madrid's repressive policies, which have resulted in newsrooms being raided by the police, one million pamphlets seized, and 700 elected officials threatened with jail time, violate democracy's most basic principles.When will this stop? Will people have their ballots stolen at gunpoint?The Prime Minister will be speaking to the UN this week. Will he denounce the Spanish administration's reign of terror? That is the least we would expect from someone who claims to be a democrat.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister still does not get it, and his arrogance is astounding. He is attacking the entrepreneur who has to self-fund her maternity leave because she does not have a government-funded plan. She puts a little money away at the end of every month so she can afford to take time off when the baby comes. Right now, she pays 50% tax on any passive income she earns on those savings. The Prime Minister's plan will now tax her twice: once when it goes into the business and once when it flows to her.Why is the Prime Minister forcing female entrepreneurs to choose between their business and their families?

Mr. Speaker, Saudi Arabia is another issue that this Prime Minister mishandled. Although he made an emotional promise to Ensaf Haidar to take action to help her husband, Raif Badawi, two years later, nothing has been done.In the meantime, his government has allowed the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, a country with an abysmal human rights record. It has been proven that Saudi Arabia uses Canadian weapons against civilians.The time for making speeches has passed. Will the Prime Minister act to prohibit the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, not only did I listen to them, I went to meet with them.The dairy farmers in Lac-Saint-Jean with whom I spoke last week are working hard to support their families and their region, just like grain farmers in Saskatchewan and ranchers in Alberta. Their job is to feed Canadians, not to pay down the Liberals' out-of-control deficit. The minister has said that these changes are merely proposals, and he is waiting for feedback.The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has not said what he thinks of this full-on attack against farmers. Will he oppose these changes, or is is simply going to sit back and watch Canada's family farms disappear?

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, New Democrats launched our end pension theft campaign. We believe it is time to introduce legislation to protect the pension for workers and retirees who have worked so hard for what they have earned. Currently, there is a long list of companies that have used Canada's inadequate bankruptcy and solvency laws to cheat workers out of their pensions and benefits.Will the Prime Minister stick to his election promise, stand in the House today, and pledge to change the laws so that workers never get cheated again?

Mr. Speaker, the problem is of course that the UN talks are taking place without Canada. The Prime Minister talks a very good game when it comes to world peace, but he refuses to be at the table where we could be playing a role.It is a good thing Lloyd Axworthy did not act this way.As a Canadian, I am very proud that the Ottawa treaty to ban landmines has the word “Ottawa” in its title. Even if Canada was not planting the mines, we saved hundreds of thousands of lives.Let me come back to the question instead of the non-answer that is really about something else: why are we not at the negotiating table for nuclear disarmament? That is my question.

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago I was in Moncton talking to local businesses, and this past weekend I was in Perth–Andover talking to local potato farmers. These are not the wealthy Canadians that the government would have us think actually exist, the ones that the finance minister so glibly said he is going after.We have only 10 days to have their questions put to the government in the House, and although it sure sounds like it has made up its mind already, based upon its answers today, I am wondering, out of decency, would it consider extending the consultation period?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals decided to unfairly hurt small businesses that create wealth in this country. They are punishing these entrepreneurs for creating wealth and jobs.Meanwhile, large corporations like Bombardier are getting huge subsidies and these corporate executives are padding their pockets with exorbitant bonuses while eliminating middle-class jobs.I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. Will he choose to defend Canadian taxpayers and do away with these tax hikes or will he continue—

Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, many companies used unfair strategies to steal a portion of our workers' retirement plans in order to make their foreign parent companies richer. Cliffs Natural Resources, AbitibiBowater, White Birch Paper, and Nortel are prime examples. Now it is Sears that is using our flawed bankruptcy and restructuring laws to steal from our workers. Workers earn their retirement fund over a lifetime of hard work.Why are the Liberals allowing these companies to steal from our workers and our retirees?

Mr. Speaker, at no time since the Cuban missile crisis has the world been more aware of the threat of nuclear weapons. I would like the Prime Minister to cast his mind back to last spring when I asked him about nuclear disarmament, and he told me that it would be well-intentioned but useless for Canada to be at the table for the UN talks. After the war of words between Donald Trump and Pyongyang over the summer, does the Prime Minister still believe that engaging in UN talks about nuclear disarmament is useless?

Mr. Speaker, it is another double standard, just like this next one.The average small business owner earns about $73,000 a year. When they save money for a rainy day or their retirement, they will be taxed at a rate of 73% on their investment income as a result of these changes. Large, publicly traded companies, like Bombardier, will not.Why is the government hitting our small business, middle class entrepreneurs with a much higher tax rate than their billionaire friends in the biggest corporations in the land?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that NAFTA's side agreement on labour standards is weak and unenforceable. The result is negative effects on workers' safety and fair wages, dragging down standards across North America. Today in southwestern Ontario Unifor Local 88 CAMI members are on strike, experiencing first hand the effects of companies relocating production to exploit these weak labour rules. Reports from the renegotiations indicate that the Americans are opposed to any changes to labour or their regressive right to work laws. How can the Liberals expect to achieve meaningful progress on NAFTA labour rights to protect Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, he does not get it. These are not wealthy Canadians; these are hard-working, middle-class entrepreneurs planning and creating jobs. The Prime Minister likes to talk about income sprinkling, and income sprinkling is a bit of a problem at big companies like Bombardier. The billionaire Bombardier-Beaudoin family sprinkles shares to its family members to keep itself in control and vote themselves big raises, even as their own government forks over $400 million in taxpayer bailouts, yet massive public corporations like Bombardier will not pay a penny more. Why is the Prime Minister taxing local businesses while big companies continue to get big bailouts?

Mr. Speaker, local businesses have been plunged into total uncertainty as they grapple with the Liberals' unfair tax plan. These same entrepreneurs are usually the first to invest and the first to hire in our communities across this great country. For them, the 75-day consultation in the dead of summer is not sufficient, nor is it fair.Will the finance committee chair ensure that consultations on the devastating impacts these changes will have on small businesses are extended until all Canadians who want to be heard can be heard?

Mr. Speaker, after listening to the Prime Minister today, I have no doubt that he is just going to go ahead and ram through these tax hikes. As Conservatives, we believe in raising people up, not tearing people down. We believe in ensuring that everyone can achieve prosperity, not in taking it away from anyone. Conservatives wake up every day trying to think of new ways to lower taxes. Liberals wake up every day trying to find new ways to raise taxes.I want to take this opportunity to assure Canadians that the pain will only be temporary. We will fight these attacks on job creators. We will fight these every step of the way. We will save local businesses.

Mr. Speaker, he clearly does not understand his own policies and he does not understand that small businesses do not use these tax measures to cheat the system. They use them to save money when times are good and to get them through when times are bad. Right now, a mechanic can save in these investments to save up for a new purchase, which will allow her to hire another worker. The Liberal plan will tax those investments twice: once they flow into the business and again when they flow to her. That will kill any opportunity for her to expand and hire more workers.Once again, can the Prime Minister explain how that will make the middle class better off?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are having a hard time protecting our good jobs in the aerospace industry. Aveos and the 2,000 jobs that were lost at Bombardier are unfortunate examples of that.When it comes time to stand up to our trade partners, whether it be Europe or Trump, the Liberals always end up dropping the ball. The complaint that Boeing filed against Bombardier is threatening over 6,000 jobs and the future of the C Series.I attended a protest last week with members of Unifor and machinists. They are worried.What is the Prime Minister going to do to protect these jobs and these families?

Mr. Speaker, we are concerned about Boeing's request for an investigation to determine whether anti-dumping charges and countervailing duties should be imposed in relation to imports of large civil aircraft from Canada.Our government will continue to raise this very important issue with Boeing at the highest level in order to defend the interests of Canadian aerospace workers. This is a very important issue for Canada and our government.

Mr. Speaker, what I have been saying is that we do not want to have a tax system that favours the wealthy over the middle class. That is what I would say. The important thing is that I am going to listen to people to be sure that our measures will have the results we are looking for. We want a system where advantages are not reserved for the rich alone or are not greater for the rich. That is our goal. For small business owners, we will continue to have a tax system with the lowest tax rate among the G7 countries.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected us because they knew it was not fair for the middle class to pay too much tax while the rich found ways to pay less tax. The current system lets rich people use private businesses to pay less tax than the middle class, which is not fair. That is why the first thing we did was raise taxes on the rich so we could lower them on the middle class, and that is why we are always looking for ways to help the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has done three things in response to the fires: first, make sure that all of the assets and resources of the Government of Canada are available to the province of British Columbia and first nations of British Columbia to fight the inferno; second, make a major contribution to the Red Cross to assist with its immediate relief efforts; and, third, establish a special committee of cabinet to engage all of the assets of the Government of Canada in the recovery process. The disaster financial assistance formula is there to help cost share the expenses over the long haul, and the Government of Canada will be—

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are working awfully hard to take away every opportunity for Canadian farm families: imposing a carbon tax, eliminating the deferral on cash grain tickets, and now these punitive tax changes, which will make it almost impossible for Canadian farm families to sell their farms to their own children. They will be having to sell them to multinational firms. As Conservatives, we know that hard-working Canadian farm families do not use their land as a tax shelter. In fact, they use it to feed the world.Will the Liberals abandon these tax changes, or will they saddle Canadian farm families with the burden of paying for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?

Mr. Speaker, we understand that the NDP is always ready for well-meaning platitudes, but Canada must be ready for concrete actions. This is exactly what we are doing by taking the lead on the fissile material cut-off treaty. We know it is essential to free the world of nuclear weapons to protect our children and future generations. That is what Canada has always done and what it continues to proudly do under this government.

Mr. Speaker, I just got back from Lac-Saint-Jean, and I can tell you that times are tough for local businesses, professionals, and farmers who are creating our jobs day after day. The Liberals are attacking them directly with astronomical tax increases in order to finance their own deficit.What does the Prime Minister have to say to Canadians, to Quebeckers and to workers in Lac-Saint-Jean who are going to lose their jobs because of this government's tax reform?

Mr. Speaker, this summer, residents of British Columbia have been dealing with wildfires that have resulted in the evacuation of thousands of people and have burned over one million hectares of land. The thoughts and prayers of all Canadians are with residents who have borne the brunt of the fires, and with the courageous and dedicated first responders.Can the minister please tell us how the government has been helping to protect and support residents of B.C. in this difficult time?

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to be clear. The current system does favour the wealthy over the middle class. What we are going to do is ensure that we listen to people as we move forward on measures that take away tax advantages for the very wealthy. We will be listening to people like Nicole. I am committing that we will not put women in a situation where they are in any way having a worse situation than men through these measures. If that member would like to give me Nicole's phone number, I would be happy to call her and listen to her and her concerns.

Mr. Speaker, what we have not heard in all the outrage and all the talk about these proposed changes from the members opposite is the member opposite committing to reversing these changes. He has not committed to restoring these benefits to wealthy doctors and private corporations. They are happy to talk about outrage, but they are not proposing to keep this system. That inconsistency is the heart of the problem. They invent problems, exaggerate them, and then will not act, because they know that helping middle-class Canadians matters.

Mr. Speaker, this summer I spent my time crossing the country talking to hard-working Canadians, job creators, and entrepreneurs, and I can tell the Prime Minister one very simple thing: they are not tax cheats. These are the people who mortgage their homes, who take an idea and create opportunities in their neighbourhoods.My simply question to the Prime Minister is this: why is he hurting the very people he claims he wants to help?

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the members opposite do not actually understand this proposal, but that is no big surprise, because they did not understand for 10 years that giving tax breaks to the wealthiest does not help the middle class and does not grow the economy. That is what we saw from them in government for 10 years.Even now when they are in opposition, they continue not to understand. They stood and opposed lowering taxes for the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%. They opposed ending the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaires so we could do more for nine out of 10 Canadian families. That is what we are focused on.

Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned about the reports of Saudi Arabia's use of weapons against civilians. Obviously, we continue to ensure that our partners respect all the rules much more openly and transparently than the previous government did.I must remind the member from Outremont that it was a member of his party, the member fromLondon—Fanshawe, who said that a contract is a contract, and that once it is signed, it must be honoured. Even the NDP knew that the contract the Conservatives signed had to be honoured.

Mr. Speaker, in a letter published on September 16, the Quebec minister of culture wrote: “we are concerned about the initial strategic directions of Canada's cultural policy announced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage”. The Minister of Canadian Heritage has three priorities: the 150th anniversary, which no one really cares about, the CBC, and pleasing Internet giants like Netflix and Spotify.Will the minister re-examine her priorities and do something to help rather than harm Quebec culture, beginning by making the Internet giants charge their subscribers GST?

Mr. Speaker, when my colleagues from Manicouagan and Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères buy diapers for their babies, they pay GST. When people go to the movies, to a musical production, or to the theatre, they pay GST. Mr. Speaker, when you buy a book at the bookstore, you pay GST.Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell us why the American streaming giants are GST-exempt when Quebec taxpayers have to pay GST?

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the current government has totally lost control of public spending. Not only is it approving deficits three times the size it had projected, but also it has no idea how to balance a budget, something that is frankly unthinkable to any entrepreneur.To pay for its colossal spending spree, this government has decided to raise taxes on our job creators, our wealth creators, our entrepreneurs, the people creating Canada's true wealth.Why has this government decided to attack our job creators instead of reining in its own spending?

Mr. Speaker, while the state of emergency in B.C. has ended, British Columbians are only now beginning to recover from the damage caused by the wildfires. Some of the 65,000 people evacuated returned to find their homes damaged or destroyed. Others came home to learn that they have been laid off from jobs in the hard-hit forestry sector. Like the strong people of Fort McMurray, British Columbians will rebuild, but they cannot do it alone. Will the Prime Minister commit to providing ongoing full financial assistance to communities devastated by these wildfires?

Mr. Speaker, foreign investors are anxious to snap up world-famous Canadian farmland and rent it back to our farmers at exorbitant prices. They are getting help from the Liberal government.The new tax changes will apply a 45% dividend tax on the sale of farmland from father to son, and zero tax on the sale to a foreign-owned conglomerate. Why is the government helping foreign businesses turn our farmers into tenants of foreign landlords?

Mr. Speaker, there is no suggestion that any Canadians are not following the rules. The problem is that the rules we have currently favour the wealthy over the middle class. We have a system right now that allows wealthy Canadians to use private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians. That is not right.We got elected on a commitment to change that system, which is why the first thing we did was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lower them on the middle class, and why we are continuing to work on fairness every day.

Mr. Speaker, no one believes that raising taxes on job creators to fund billion-dollar bailouts will help the middle class.He can stand with his wealthy friends, and I will always stand with hard-working Canadians who do not have government-funded maternity leave, that do not have access to EI, and who never ask for a bailout when times get tough. When will the Prime Minister listen to tax experts, entrepreneurs, and even his own caucus, and stop this attack on the middle class?

Mr. Speaker, all over Canada, people are expressing outrage over the Prime Minister's tax changes. Some of his own members share some of that outrage. The member for Malpeque, who also happens to chair the Standing Committee on Finance, has stated that he is not impressed. He said, and I quote, “The government really needs to step back.”When will the Prime Minister listen to his own caucus and finally step back?

Mr. Speaker, we take very seriously our responsibilities as a government. That is why we put in place a degree of transparency and openness, particularly with regard to arms sales, that the previous Conservative government never even went near. We will continue to ensure that all Canadian rules and regulations are responded to, and if they are not lived up to, there will be consequences in terms of how we move forward.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to address our plan to make sure that our tax system does not advantage the wealthiest at the expense of the middle class.What I do know is that there is much inaccuracy being put forward, including in this House. I am happy the member opposite has asked for a briefing from my department. We are happy to have that briefing. Perhaps he will understand better what we are trying to achieve, which is really to make sure that advantages that go to the wealthiest, which in fact are bigger the wealthier Canadians are, are something that we deal with.We know together, and we agree, that this is not the way our progressive tax system is supposed to work.

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about fairness.Can the Prime Minister tell us what is fair about preventing a mechanic from growing her business? Is it fair when restaurants lay off workers just because the owner has to pay more taxes to finance the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending? How is that even remotely fair?

Mr. Speaker, the minister claims to be concerned that wealthy people will pay lower rates than middle-class people.Then can he explain this? Under his proposal, the pizza shop owner who puts aside money to earn a little interest and eventually pull it out for retirement would pay 75%, while the Bombardier executive who has shares in that company, and it makes passive investment, will pay about 50%.If the member is really interested in helping the middle class, why is he hitting the pizza shop owner with a much higher tax rate than the Bombardier billionaire executive?

Mr. Speaker, on the topic of consultations, without notice, my community learned from the American media that the Liberals approved the request of an American billionaire to give him a new expanded bridge between Canada and the United States in our community with zero consultations. This surprise announcement came amidst confusion and chaos surrounding the Gordie Howe international bridge project, a public crossing that is a complete free-for-all since Liberal patronage appointed a person who has cosy relationships with this U.S. billionaire, who has been incarcerated for contempt in the United States for a project there. Why is—

Mr. Speaker, I have heard from thousands of people across my riding with regard to the Liberal tax hike on small businesses.Nicole is 34 and a recent graduate. She is now working as a family physician in a rural area of Alberta. These changes will make it impossible for her to save towards maternity leave and start a family. Currently, there are provisions that support her as a woman by allowing her to save for parental leave, but the new changes will rob her of this very basic right. Nicole feels betrayed and left alone. Why will the Prime Minister not do the right thing and stop his attack on young women entrepreneurs?

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Halifax explosion, when a munitions explosion killed 1,600 people, injuring thousands more. It was also the largest loss of firefighters in a single event in Canadian history.To mark this anniversary, the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service hosted the annual firefighters memorial weekend in Ottawa earlier this month. Honoured at that memorial was my constituent Jeffrey Lilly, a 15-year veteran of the Lunenburg and District Fire Department.Could the minister tell us what the government is doing to support the brave firefighters who put themselves at risk to keep us safe?

Mr. Speaker, our current tax system favours the wealthy over the middle class. We want to make sure that we address advantages that go only to the very wealthiest Canadians.We know how important farmers are to this country. We are going to listen to farmers to make sure they continue to be advantaged and continue to be able to provide the goods that we need across our country.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. We support NAFTA and believe that NAFTA has created jobs and growth in Canada and across North America. Having said that, we believe this modernization negotiation is an opportunity to make a good agreement even better, and I want to assure the member opposite that a very strong element of the Canadian negotiating position is to push for higher labour standards.

Mr. Speaker, we have been listening to Canadians all summer, and indeed for many years, Canadians who find it is unfair that our tax system, which was heartily endorsed by the previous government, gives advantages and benefits to the wealthiest that are not there for the middle class, including hard-working, middle-class small business owners and farmers. We are going to ensure that wealthy Canadians do not have the option of using private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians. That is something Canadians expect in terms of fairness, and we will continue to support the middle class, including small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, by following through on our promise to deal with a tax system that is creating advantages for the richest among us, we know we are going to make a positive impact on our economy. We are listening. Like the member opposite, I have been out across the country listening to professionals, to fishers, listening to farmers about their issues. We are going to listen to those issues to make sure that the measures we put forward deal with what we are trying to do. We do not want to have a situation where people who earn $300,000 might find themselves in a lower tax rate than people who earn one-third as much. That is what we are trying to get at, and that is indeed what we will achieve.

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives talk a good game, but when it came time to actually lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%, they voted against that. When it came time to deliver the Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with the high cost of raising their kids, and focuses on helping the middle class and the hard-working Canadians working to join it, they voted against it, because they wanted to keep sending the child benefit cheques to wealthy families. That does not work. We will always stand with the middle class in the country and defend Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, we made a promise to deal with a system that provides an advantage for the wealthiest over the middle class. We have been working on this for the last two years. We reduced taxes on middle-class Canadians and raised them on the top 1%. We have moved forward on other measures that are having a huge impact on those who are in the middle class or struggling to get in it. The measures we are putting forward here, the measures that we are listening to Canadians on the impact, are intended to make sure that we do not have tax advantages going to the very rich. That is what we are trying to achieve. We want to do this while ensuring that small businesses continue to invest to grow our economy.

Mr. Speaker, again, he would like to deal with a system that favours the wealthy over the middle class.We want to make sure that small and middle-sized businesses in this country can invest in their active business to create jobs and help to create a healthy economy. We are going to continue to listen to those owners of small and medium-sized businesses to make sure that we get this right.Make no mistake, we will ensure that we follow through on our commitment to make sure that our tax system is fair.

Mr. Speaker, I would suggest the rhetoric of the official opposition is getting wildly out of hand. Do they not favour consultations? I know that is what happened under the previous government. Consultations are taking place until October 2 on the Department of Finance paper, and the Minister of Finance is driving those consultations, as he should.I would suggest to members opposite and to all Canadians to embrace the consultations, welcome them, and get their point of view out there, and then better decisions will be made.

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to leading in ensuring that our children will inherit a world free of nuclear weapons. Our approach involves both nuclear- and non-nuclear-armed states. We have taken a leadership role on a UN high-level group that is preparing the way for a fissile material cut-off treaty to end the production of nuclear weapons. We are providing support to the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification to develop credible and innovative monitoring and verification capabilities. We believe this collaborative, measured, and determined approach is the most effective way forward on nuclear—

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. We have launched a truly national independent inquiry, and we are going to make sure that the voices of families are heard and that they get the answers they deserve. Our government is also taking immediate action with investments on women's shelters, housing, education, child welfare, and improving the safety on the Highway of Tears. We expect the interim report of the commission to be on time in November.

Mr. Speaker, we want to be clear that what we are looking to do is to make sure that our system does not have advantages for the wealthiest that do not go to the middle class. What we want to do, as well, is to make sure that we listen to people as we put through these consultations. That is why we have a consultation period. We are listening to farmers, we are listening to people across the country, to make sure that the measures we are putting in place will allow them to continue to invest in family farms, which we know are so important to our economy and to our country. That is my commitment, and I would happy to talk to the member opposite's constituents if he passes me their numbers.

Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians care about our pristine coastline. Our government's oceans protection plan delivers on this issue. As the member of Parliament for Steveston—Richmond East, I am very proud of these historic measures.Could the Minister of Transport inform the House and Canadians on our new ocean protection plan provisions?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians sent us to government to make the tax system fairer, to make sure that everyone pays their fair share. That is why the very first thing we did was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lower them on the middle class. We are now making sure that a system that currently allows wealthy individuals to use private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians gets changed. That is something that the previous government allowed and encouraged to happen, but we know that we grow a strong economy by helping the middle class and those working hard to join it, not the wealthiest.

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, we decided to invest in our country, invest in the middle class. Our growth is now the strongest in 10 years, and more than 400,000 new jobs have been created in the past few years. That is why it is so important to stay the course and carry on with a system that is working well for Canada and has made us the fastest-growing nation in the G7.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and indeed the entire opposition have been going around the country telling every doctor they meet that they stand with them, that they will defend their rights to pay lower taxes than the nurses who work alongside those doctors. We do not think that is fair, but if the members opposite do want to stand with wealthy doctors, will they commit right now to restore the system of tax breaks for wealthy individuals after we make the changes that Canadians expect us to do?

Mr. Speaker, for 10 years we had a Conservative government that focused on giving benefits to the wealthiest Canadians in the hopes of creating economic growth. That did not work for Canadians and that is why they elected a different government, our government, which promised to help the middle class and those working hard to join it.We are doing that by making sure that they pay only the necessary taxes, by lowering taxes for the middle class, and by raising them for the rich.

Mr. Speaker, I was also in Cape Breton and Digby, talking to fishermen on the wharf there. Fishers work hard, 14-hour days, and at the end of the season all they want to do after they pay out their insurance, the repairs to their vessel, and maybe pay their crew their full amount, is to hope that they have a little put aside for their retirement. We all know there is no pension in fishing. I spent my summer listening, and I understand the impact of these reforms on Canadians. Will the Minister of Finance come down to earth with the rest of us mortals and listen to what is going on in—

Mr. Speaker, we are a government that considers a diversity of viewpoints to be valuable to all, and we encourage our members to voice the concerns of their constituents, now and in the future.We also know that Canadians put us in government specifically to bring fairness to the tax system. That means preventing wealthy individuals from using tax measures as a means to enjoy a lower tax rate than the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, we want a fair system that does not benefit the rich more than the middle class. We know it is very important for Canadian farmers to be able to keep doing business. That is important. I will be listening to what farmers have to say. That is very important. We will stick with our plan to ensure they can keep doing business.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, all Canadians recognize just how vitally important the Windsor-Detroit crossing is. Every single day, 10,000 trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge. We have authorized the replacement. I have been in touch with the mayor of Windsor. There are very specific conditions that will apply before the new bridge is there. Of course, our commitment to the Gordie Howe bridge is 100%, as was stated by our Prime Minister and the President last March in the White House.

Mr. Speaker, where was the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food this summer when his colleague, the Minister of Finance, suggested doing away with the family farm model in Canada? The Minister of Finance's questionable decision to launch the consultation during harvest shows how little weight the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food carries in cabinet and how little agriculture seems to matter to the government.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up today, take his cue from his colleagues, and do the only right thing, which is defend middle-class farmers?

Mr. Speaker, we have a tax system that favours the wealthy over the middle class. We are going to continue to listen to people across the country, as I did this summer, to make sure our measures truly change the system to make it fairer in the future. Naturally, small and medium-sized business owners will be able to continue to invest in their active businesses.

Mr. Speaker, Canada enjoys friendly relations with a democratic and united Spain. Canada and Spain maintain excellent bilateral relations based on shared values.As far as Canada is concerned, the issue of Catalonia falls squarely under Spanish domestic affairs. We hope that the country's internal debates come to a harmonious end in accordance with its constitutional framework.

Mr. Speaker, I know that the goal of our measures is really to continue to create a tax system that is as fair as possible. I will listen to farmers. If there is a farmer in Lac-Saint-Jean I can speak with, the member can pass along his phone number and I will call him myself, because I want to listen and make sure that the situation continues to benefit Canada's farmers.

Mr. Speaker, we understand the challenges on employees and their families, and on their communities. We are monitoring the situation very closely. Under the CCAA, companies can continue to operate and preserve jobs while negotiating a restructuring plan. It is currently under court supervision, including employees, pensioners, and suppliers.As members know, proceedings are now before the courts and I am unable to comment on the specifics with respect to Sears Canada. However, we are monitoring the situation very closely and will continue to work with the employees and the pensioners.

Mr. Speaker, people affected by wildfires and the first responders working to keep them safe have been our major priority all summer long. We have responded positively to every single request made by the Province of British Columbia, including with assets of the Canadian Armed Forces, supplies for evacuees, accommodation and transportation for firefighters, and helping to ensure public safety during evacuations. We have also made a major contribution to the Red Cross, which is more than matching. While the state of emergency has been lifted, we will be keeping British Columbians very much in our thoughts and in our action plan throughout the recovery process. The disaster cost-sharing process has only just begun.

Mr. Speaker, I would be delighted to do it and I thank the member for Steveston—Richmond East for his excellent question.I am incredibly proud of Canada's oceans protection plan. This is an unprecedented plan that will ensure world-class marine safety and protect our pristine coastline. That is why I was delighted to be in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago to announce, amongst other things, the plan that we have called “let's talk oceans protection plan”. It is an online tool that will allow Canadians to express themselves. We are looking forward to their feedback. I encourage all Canadians to go online and “let's talk oceans protection plan”.

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to stand up for workers in the aerospace industry right across the country, who work very hard and create extraordinary products like the innovative, extraordinary C Series aircraft. We will continue to stand up and defend the hard-working Canadians who are building this country every single day. Our commitment is to the middle class and those working hard to join it, which means workers and which means small businesses that create opportunity and growth in their communities. Where we are changing the system is to prevent wealthy Canadians from using private corporations to get out of paying their fair share of taxes.

Mr. Speaker, we believe in our artists, in our producers, and in the entire arts community. That is why we invested $1.9 billion in arts and culture, the largest investment in the past 30 years. We are still the only country in the G7 to have made such a significant investment in this area.That being said, I know that our creators are waiting to hear our vision, which will be presented in the coming weeks. Unlike the members of the opposition, we do not believe that a new tax for the middle class is the best way to support our creators. In fact, one of the first things we did was to lower taxes for the middle class. I will soon have an opportunity to provide more information in this regard.

Mr. Speaker, firefighters are community heroes, and we have been pushing an agenda to support their needs by restoring search and rescue funding, developing an action plan to deal with operational stress injuries, and creating a fund for families of firefighters who fall in the line of duty.We have also designated the second Sunday in September as Firefighters National Memorial Day, beginning last week with flags lowered in honour of those who have lost their lives protecting the rest of us. They have our deepest gratitude and our enduring respect.

Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of secure pensions and the impact of employer insolvency on Canadian workers and pensioners. Canada's insolvency laws, as the member mentioned, aim to strike that proper balance between the competing interests of debtors and creditors. They enable Canadian businesses to access credit, invest, and create jobs, while ensuring that stakeholders, including employees and pensioners, are treated equitably. We will continue to examine our market framework laws, including insolvency laws, to ensure that they are up to date and effective and help pensioners and employees.

Mr. Speaker, supporting arts and culture in this country is one of our top priorities. That is why we have invested so much financially, to the tune of $1.9 billion.That said, we also believe in lowering taxes for the middle class. During the election campaign, we made a clear commitment to not raise taxes for the middle class. I will have other opportunities over the coming weeks to present my vision regarding how we plan to support arts and culture in the digital age. I hope my colleague will be here for that.

Mr. Speaker, not only did I listen to them, I went to meet with them.The dairy farmers in Lac-Saint-Jean with whom I spoke last week are working hard to support their families and their region, just like grain farmers in Saskatchewan and ranchers in Alberta. Their job is to feed Canadians, not to pay down the Liberals' out-of-control deficit. The minister has said that these changes are merely proposals, and he is waiting for feedback.The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has not said what he thinks of this full-on attack against farmers. Will he oppose these changes, or is is simply going to sit back and watch Canada's family farms disappear?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are working awfully hard to take away every opportunity for Canadian farm families: imposing a carbon tax, eliminating the deferral on cash grain tickets, and now these punitive tax changes, which will make it almost impossible for Canadian farm families to sell their farms to their own children. They will be having to sell them to multinational firms. As Conservatives, we know that hard-working Canadian farm families do not use their land as a tax shelter. In fact, they use it to feed the world.Will the Liberals abandon these tax changes, or will they saddle Canadian farm families with the burden of paying for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?

Mr. Speaker, where was the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food this summer when his colleague, the Minister of Finance, suggested doing away with the family farm model in Canada? The Minister of Finance's questionable decision to launch the consultation during harvest shows how little weight the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food carries in cabinet and how little agriculture seems to matter to the government.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up today, take his cue from his colleagues, and do the only right thing, which is defend middle-class farmers?

Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, many companies used unfair strategies to steal a portion of our workers' retirement plans in order to make their foreign parent companies richer. Cliffs Natural Resources, AbitibiBowater, White Birch Paper, and Nortel are prime examples. Now it is Sears that is using our flawed bankruptcy and restructuring laws to steal from our workers. Workers earn their retirement fund over a lifetime of hard work.Why are the Liberals allowing these companies to steal from our workers and our retirees?

Mr. Speaker, does the Prime Minister really not understand the difference between a contract to manufacture and his responsibility to sign the export permits? That is what this is about. Canada has a rule under international law that we will not export to countries that are using arms manufactured in our country to attack civilians. That is what is happening in Saudi Arabia, a country with a horrible human rights record. The Prime Minister loves to talk a good game. We are increasing our greenhouse gases every year. He talks about the environment. We are exporting to Saudi Arabia to kill civilians.When is the Prime Minister going to stop talking and start acting?

Mr. Speaker, we take very seriously our responsibilities as a government. That is why we put in place a degree of transparency and openness, particularly with regard to arms sales, that the previous Conservative government never even went near. We will continue to ensure that all Canadian rules and regulations are responded to, and if they are not lived up to, there will be consequences in terms of how we move forward.

Mr. Speaker, this summer, residents of British Columbia have been dealing with wildfires that have resulted in the evacuation of thousands of people and have burned over one million hectares of land. The thoughts and prayers of all Canadians are with residents who have borne the brunt of the fires, and with the courageous and dedicated first responders.Can the minister please tell us how the government has been helping to protect and support residents of B.C. in this difficult time?

Mr. Speaker, local businesses have been plunged into total uncertainty as they grapple with the Liberals' unfair tax plan. These same entrepreneurs are usually the first to invest and the first to hire in our communities across this great country. For them, the 75-day consultation in the dead of summer is not sufficient, nor is it fair.Will the finance committee chair ensure that consultations on the devastating impacts these changes will have on small businesses are extended until all Canadians who want to be heard can be heard?

Mr. Speaker, foreign investors are anxious to snap up world-famous Canadian farmland and rent it back to our farmers at exorbitant prices. They are getting help from the Liberal government.The new tax changes will apply a 45% dividend tax on the sale of farmland from father to son, and zero tax on the sale to a foreign-owned conglomerate. Why is the government helping foreign businesses turn our farmers into tenants of foreign landlords?

Mr. Speaker, I was also in Cape Breton and Digby, talking to fishermen on the wharf there. Fishers work hard, 14-hour days, and at the end of the season all they want to do after they pay out their insurance, the repairs to their vessel, and maybe pay their crew their full amount, is to hope that they have a little put aside for their retirement. We all know there is no pension in fishing. I spent my summer listening, and I understand the impact of these reforms on Canadians. Will the Minister of Finance come down to earth with the rest of us mortals and listen to what is going on in—

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are having a hard time protecting our good jobs in the aerospace industry. Aveos and the 2,000 jobs that were lost at Bombardier are unfortunate examples of that.When it comes time to stand up to our trade partners, whether it be Europe or Trump, the Liberals always end up dropping the ball. The complaint that Boeing filed against Bombardier is threatening over 6,000 jobs and the future of the C Series.I attended a protest last week with members of Unifor and machinists. They are worried.What is the Prime Minister going to do to protect these jobs and these families?

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, New Democrats launched our end pension theft campaign. We believe it is time to introduce legislation to protect the pension for workers and retirees who have worked so hard for what they have earned. Currently, there is a long list of companies that have used Canada's inadequate bankruptcy and solvency laws to cheat workers out of their pensions and benefits.Will the Prime Minister stick to his election promise, stand in the House today, and pledge to change the laws so that workers never get cheated again?

Mr. Speaker, we understand the challenges on employees and their families, and on their communities. We are monitoring the situation very closely. Under the CCAA, companies can continue to operate and preserve jobs while negotiating a restructuring plan. It is currently under court supervision, including employees, pensioners, and suppliers.As members know, proceedings are now before the courts and I am unable to comment on the specifics with respect to Sears Canada. However, we are monitoring the situation very closely and will continue to work with the employees and the pensioners.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals decided to unfairly hurt small businesses that create wealth in this country. They are punishing these entrepreneurs for creating wealth and jobs.Meanwhile, large corporations like Bombardier are getting huge subsidies and these corporate executives are padding their pockets with exorbitant bonuses while eliminating middle-class jobs.I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. Will he choose to defend Canadian taxpayers and do away with these tax hikes or will he continue—

Mr. Speaker, it is another double standard, just like this next one.The average small business owner earns about $73,000 a year. When they save money for a rainy day or their retirement, they will be taxed at a rate of 73% on their investment income as a result of these changes. Large, publicly traded companies, like Bombardier, will not.Why is the government hitting our small business, middle class entrepreneurs with a much higher tax rate than their billionaire friends in the biggest corporations in the land?

Mr. Speaker, we have been listening to Canadians all summer, and indeed for many years, Canadians who find it is unfair that our tax system, which was heartily endorsed by the previous government, gives advantages and benefits to the wealthiest that are not there for the middle class, including hard-working, middle-class small business owners and farmers. We are going to ensure that wealthy Canadians do not have the option of using private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians. That is something Canadians expect in terms of fairness, and we will continue to support the middle class, including small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, nobody in the last election asked the Liberal Party to attack job creators.We have already established that this is not fair and we know that it is not compassionate, so why is the Prime Minister doing this? It is because he is drowning in debt, and a drowning man will reach out and grab on to anything and not care who he drags down with him. Who is he taking down with him? It is young Canadians looking for their first jobs, new Canadians looking to share in the prosperity in Canada, and women entrepreneurs who are hit disproportionately harder with these new tax measures. Why is the Prime Minister hurting the—

Mr. Speaker, I have heard from thousands of people across my riding with regard to the Liberal tax hike on small businesses.Nicole is 34 and a recent graduate. She is now working as a family physician in a rural area of Alberta. These changes will make it impossible for her to save towards maternity leave and start a family. Currently, there are provisions that support her as a woman by allowing her to save for parental leave, but the new changes will rob her of this very basic right. Nicole feels betrayed and left alone. Why will the Prime Minister not do the right thing and stop his attack on young women entrepreneurs?

Mr. Speaker, when my colleagues from Manicouagan and Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères buy diapers for their babies, they pay GST. When people go to the movies, to a musical production, or to the theatre, they pay GST. Mr. Speaker, when you buy a book at the bookstore, you pay GST.Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell us why the American streaming giants are GST-exempt when Quebec taxpayers have to pay GST?

Mr. Speaker, at no time since the Cuban missile crisis has the world been more aware of the threat of nuclear weapons. I would like the Prime Minister to cast his mind back to last spring when I asked him about nuclear disarmament, and he told me that it would be well-intentioned but useless for Canada to be at the table for the UN talks. After the war of words between Donald Trump and Pyongyang over the summer, does the Prime Minister still believe that engaging in UN talks about nuclear disarmament is useless?

Mr. Speaker, the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women got more bad news this weekend. Maclean's reports that out of the $5 million spent by the inquiry, $2 million was taken completely by Privy Council Office bureaucracy, yet families needing extra help with travel and counselling for the inquiry are told that there is not enough for them. Can this really be true? Are the Liberals really spending 40% of the inquiry's budget on bureaucracy?

Mr. Speaker, after listening to the Prime Minister today, I have no doubt that he is just going to go ahead and ram through these tax hikes. As Conservatives, we believe in raising people up, not tearing people down. We believe in ensuring that everyone can achieve prosperity, not in taking it away from anyone. Conservatives wake up every day trying to think of new ways to lower taxes. Liberals wake up every day trying to find new ways to raise taxes.I want to take this opportunity to assure Canadians that the pain will only be temporary. We will fight these attacks on job creators. We will fight these every step of the way. We will save local businesses.

Mr. Speaker, Saudi Arabia is another issue that this Prime Minister mishandled. Although he made an emotional promise to Ensaf Haidar to take action to help her husband, Raif Badawi, two years later, nothing has been done.In the meantime, his government has allowed the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, a country with an abysmal human rights record. It has been proven that Saudi Arabia uses Canadian weapons against civilians.The time for making speeches has passed. Will the Prime Minister act to prohibit the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, firefighters are community heroes, and we have been pushing an agenda to support their needs by restoring search and rescue funding, developing an action plan to deal with operational stress injuries, and creating a fund for families of firefighters who fall in the line of duty.We have also designated the second Sunday in September as Firefighters National Memorial Day, beginning last week with flags lowered in honour of those who have lost their lives protecting the rest of us. They have our deepest gratitude and our enduring respect.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected us because they knew it was not fair for the middle class to pay too much tax while the rich found ways to pay less tax. The current system lets rich people use private businesses to pay less tax than the middle class, which is not fair. That is why the first thing we did was raise taxes on the rich so we could lower them on the middle class, and that is why we are always looking for ways to help the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, on the topic of consultations, without notice, my community learned from the American media that the Liberals approved the request of an American billionaire to give him a new expanded bridge between Canada and the United States in our community with zero consultations. This surprise announcement came amidst confusion and chaos surrounding the Gordie Howe international bridge project, a public crossing that is a complete free-for-all since Liberal patronage appointed a person who has cosy relationships with this U.S. billionaire, who has been incarcerated for contempt in the United States for a project there. Why is—

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that NAFTA's side agreement on labour standards is weak and unenforceable. The result is negative effects on workers' safety and fair wages, dragging down standards across North America. Today in southwestern Ontario Unifor Local 88 CAMI members are on strike, experiencing first hand the effects of companies relocating production to exploit these weak labour rules. Reports from the renegotiations indicate that the Americans are opposed to any changes to labour or their regressive right to work laws. How can the Liberals expect to achieve meaningful progress on NAFTA labour rights to protect Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, this summer I spent my time crossing the country talking to hard-working Canadians, job creators, and entrepreneurs, and I can tell the Prime Minister one very simple thing: they are not tax cheats. These are the people who mortgage their homes, who take an idea and create opportunities in their neighbourhoods.My simply question to the Prime Minister is this: why is he hurting the very people he claims he wants to help?

Mr. Speaker, I just got back from Lac-Saint-Jean, and I can tell you that times are tough for local businesses, professionals, and farmers who are creating our jobs day after day. The Liberals are attacking them directly with astronomical tax increases in order to finance their own deficit.What does the Prime Minister have to say to Canadians, to Quebeckers and to workers in Lac-Saint-Jean who are going to lose their jobs because of this government's tax reform?

Mr. Speaker, it would seem that this is the week for democracy.The Catalan people decided to exercise its right to self-determination. Madrid's repressive policies, which have resulted in newsrooms being raided by the police, one million pamphlets seized, and 700 elected officials threatened with jail time, violate democracy's most basic principles.When will this stop? Will people have their ballots stolen at gunpoint?The Prime Minister will be speaking to the UN this week. Will he denounce the Spanish administration's reign of terror? That is the least we would expect from someone who claims to be a democrat.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, all Canadians recognize just how vitally important the Windsor-Detroit crossing is. Every single day, 10,000 trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge. We have authorized the replacement. I have been in touch with the mayor of Windsor. There are very specific conditions that will apply before the new bridge is there. Of course, our commitment to the Gordie Howe bridge is 100%, as was stated by our Prime Minister and the President last March in the White House.

Mr. Speaker, supporting arts and culture in this country is one of our top priorities. That is why we have invested so much financially, to the tune of $1.9 billion.That said, we also believe in lowering taxes for the middle class. During the election campaign, we made a clear commitment to not raise taxes for the middle class. I will have other opportunities over the coming weeks to present my vision regarding how we plan to support arts and culture in the digital age. I hope my colleague will be here for that.

Mr. Speaker, he does not get it. These are not wealthy Canadians; these are hard-working, middle-class entrepreneurs planning and creating jobs. The Prime Minister likes to talk about income sprinkling, and income sprinkling is a bit of a problem at big companies like Bombardier. The billionaire Bombardier-Beaudoin family sprinkles shares to its family members to keep itself in control and vote themselves big raises, even as their own government forks over $400 million in taxpayer bailouts, yet massive public corporations like Bombardier will not pay a penny more. Why is the Prime Minister taxing local businesses while big companies continue to get big bailouts?

Mr. Speaker, for 10 years we had a Conservative government that focused on giving benefits to the wealthiest Canadians in the hopes of creating economic growth. That did not work for Canadians and that is why they elected a different government, our government, which promised to help the middle class and those working hard to join it.We are doing that by making sure that they pay only the necessary taxes, by lowering taxes for the middle class, and by raising them for the rich.

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the members opposite do not actually understand this proposal, but that is no big surprise, because they did not understand for 10 years that giving tax breaks to the wealthiest does not help the middle class and does not grow the economy. That is what we saw from them in government for 10 years.Even now when they are in opposition, they continue not to understand. They stood and opposed lowering taxes for the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%. They opposed ending the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaires so we could do more for nine out of 10 Canadian families. That is what we are focused on.

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, we decided to invest in our country, invest in the middle class. Our growth is now the strongest in 10 years, and more than 400,000 new jobs have been created in the past few years. That is why it is so important to stay the course and carry on with a system that is working well for Canada and has made us the fastest-growing nation in the G7.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. We have launched a truly national independent inquiry, and we are going to make sure that the voices of families are heard and that they get the answers they deserve. Our government is also taking immediate action with investments on women's shelters, housing, education, child welfare, and improving the safety on the Highway of Tears. We expect the interim report of the commission to be on time in November.

Mr. Speaker, in a letter published on September 16, the Quebec minister of culture wrote: “we are concerned about the initial strategic directions of Canada's cultural policy announced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage”. The Minister of Canadian Heritage has three priorities: the 150th anniversary, which no one really cares about, the CBC, and pleasing Internet giants like Netflix and Spotify.Will the minister re-examine her priorities and do something to help rather than harm Quebec culture, beginning by making the Internet giants charge their subscribers GST?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member for Halifax has said that, unless changes are made, he will not be able to support the Prime Minister's ill-advised plan. He is listening to the people in his riding who will be adversely affected by these changes: plumbers, electricians, fishermen, and the list goes on.When will the Prime Minister start listening to hardworking Canadians who will be hard hit by his tax plan?

Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned about the reports of Saudi Arabia's use of weapons against civilians. Obviously, we continue to ensure that our partners respect all the rules much more openly and transparently than the previous government did.I must remind the member from Outremont that it was a member of his party, the member fromLondon—Fanshawe, who said that a contract is a contract, and that once it is signed, it must be honoured. Even the NDP knew that the contract the Conservatives signed had to be honoured.

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago I was in Moncton talking to local businesses, and this past weekend I was in Perth–Andover talking to local potato farmers. These are not the wealthy Canadians that the government would have us think actually exist, the ones that the finance minister so glibly said he is going after.We have only 10 days to have their questions put to the government in the House, and although it sure sounds like it has made up its mind already, based upon its answers today, I am wondering, out of decency, would it consider extending the consultation period?

Mr. Speaker, people affected by wildfires and the first responders working to keep them safe have been our major priority all summer long. We have responded positively to every single request made by the Province of British Columbia, including with assets of the Canadian Armed Forces, supplies for evacuees, accommodation and transportation for firefighters, and helping to ensure public safety during evacuations. We have also made a major contribution to the Red Cross, which is more than matching. While the state of emergency has been lifted, we will be keeping British Columbians very much in our thoughts and in our action plan throughout the recovery process. The disaster cost-sharing process has only just begun.

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives talk a good game, but when it came time to actually lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%, they voted against that. When it came time to deliver the Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with the high cost of raising their kids, and focuses on helping the middle class and the hard-working Canadians working to join it, they voted against it, because they wanted to keep sending the child benefit cheques to wealthy families. That does not work. We will always stand with the middle class in the country and defend Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has done three things in response to the fires: first, make sure that all of the assets and resources of the Government of Canada are available to the province of British Columbia and first nations of British Columbia to fight the inferno; second, make a major contribution to the Red Cross to assist with its immediate relief efforts; and, third, establish a special committee of cabinet to engage all of the assets of the Government of Canada in the recovery process. The disaster financial assistance formula is there to help cost share the expenses over the long haul, and the Government of Canada will be—

Mr. Speaker, all over Canada, people are expressing outrage over the Prime Minister's tax changes. Some of his own members share some of that outrage. The member for Malpeque, who also happens to chair the Standing Committee on Finance, has stated that he is not impressed. He said, and I quote, “The government really needs to step back.”When will the Prime Minister listen to his own caucus and finally step back?

Mr. Speaker, while the state of emergency in B.C. has ended, British Columbians are only now beginning to recover from the damage caused by the wildfires. Some of the 65,000 people evacuated returned to find their homes damaged or destroyed. Others came home to learn that they have been laid off from jobs in the hard-hit forestry sector. Like the strong people of Fort McMurray, British Columbians will rebuild, but they cannot do it alone. Will the Prime Minister commit to providing ongoing full financial assistance to communities devastated by these wildfires?

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to stand up for workers in the aerospace industry right across the country, who work very hard and create extraordinary products like the innovative, extraordinary C Series aircraft. We will continue to stand up and defend the hard-working Canadians who are building this country every single day. Our commitment is to the middle class and those working hard to join it, which means workers and which means small businesses that create opportunity and growth in their communities. Where we are changing the system is to prevent wealthy Canadians from using private corporations to get out of paying their fair share of taxes.

Mr. Speaker, no one believes that raising taxes on job creators to fund billion-dollar bailouts will help the middle class.He can stand with his wealthy friends, and I will always stand with hard-working Canadians who do not have government-funded maternity leave, that do not have access to EI, and who never ask for a bailout when times get tough. When will the Prime Minister listen to tax experts, entrepreneurs, and even his own caucus, and stop this attack on the middle class?

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the current government has totally lost control of public spending. Not only is it approving deficits three times the size it had projected, but also it has no idea how to balance a budget, something that is frankly unthinkable to any entrepreneur.To pay for its colossal spending spree, this government has decided to raise taxes on our job creators, our wealth creators, our entrepreneurs, the people creating Canada's true wealth.Why has this government decided to attack our job creators instead of reining in its own spending?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's frontbench looks a little jittery today, but that is nothing compared to his backbench. Here is what another one of his own MPs said about these tax increases: I believe in my heart that these proposed changes will discourage entrepreneurship and hurt the very people we want to help. Does that sound familiar?If the Prime Minister will not listen to farmers, small business owners, hard-working Canadians, will he at least listen to his own caucus and stop attacking job creation?

Mr. Speaker, we have a tax system that favours the wealthy over the middle class. We are going to continue to listen to people across the country, as I did this summer, to make sure our measures truly change the system to make it fairer in the future. Naturally, small and medium-sized business owners will be able to continue to invest in their active businesses.

Mr. Speaker, the minister claims to be concerned that wealthy people will pay lower rates than middle-class people.Then can he explain this? Under his proposal, the pizza shop owner who puts aside money to earn a little interest and eventually pull it out for retirement would pay 75%, while the Bombardier executive who has shares in that company, and it makes passive investment, will pay about 50%.If the member is really interested in helping the middle class, why is he hitting the pizza shop owner with a much higher tax rate than the Bombardier billionaire executive?

Mr. Speaker, we made a promise to deal with a system that provides an advantage for the wealthiest over the middle class. We have been working on this for the last two years. We reduced taxes on middle-class Canadians and raised them on the top 1%. We have moved forward on other measures that are having a huge impact on those who are in the middle class or struggling to get in it. The measures we are putting forward here, the measures that we are listening to Canadians on the impact, are intended to make sure that we do not have tax advantages going to the very rich. That is what we are trying to achieve. We want to do this while ensuring that small businesses continue to invest to grow our economy.

Mr. Speaker, there is no suggestion that any Canadians are not following the rules. The problem is that the rules we have currently favour the wealthy over the middle class. We have a system right now that allows wealthy Canadians to use private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians. That is not right.We got elected on a commitment to change that system, which is why the first thing we did was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lower them on the middle class, and why we are continuing to work on fairness every day.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister still does not get it, and his arrogance is astounding. He is attacking the entrepreneur who has to self-fund her maternity leave because she does not have a government-funded plan. She puts a little money away at the end of every month so she can afford to take time off when the baby comes. Right now, she pays 50% tax on any passive income she earns on those savings. The Prime Minister's plan will now tax her twice: once when it goes into the business and once when it flows to her.Why is the Prime Minister forcing female entrepreneurs to choose between their business and their families?

Mr. Speaker, we believe in our artists, in our producers, and in the entire arts community. That is why we invested $1.9 billion in arts and culture, the largest investment in the past 30 years. We are still the only country in the G7 to have made such a significant investment in this area.That being said, I know that our creators are waiting to hear our vision, which will be presented in the coming weeks. Unlike the members of the opposition, we do not believe that a new tax for the middle class is the best way to support our creators. In fact, one of the first things we did was to lower taxes for the middle class. I will soon have an opportunity to provide more information in this regard.

Mr. Speaker, by following through on our promise to deal with a tax system that is creating advantages for the richest among us, we know we are going to make a positive impact on our economy. We are listening. Like the member opposite, I have been out across the country listening to professionals, to fishers, listening to farmers about their issues. We are going to listen to those issues to make sure that the measures we put forward deal with what we are trying to do. We do not want to have a situation where people who earn $300,000 might find themselves in a lower tax rate than people who earn one-third as much. That is what we are trying to get at, and that is indeed what we will achieve.

Mr. Speaker, he clearly does not understand his own policies and he does not understand that small businesses do not use these tax measures to cheat the system. They use them to save money when times are good and to get them through when times are bad. Right now, a mechanic can save in these investments to save up for a new purchase, which will allow her to hire another worker. The Liberal plan will tax those investments twice: once they flow into the business and again when they flow to her. That will kill any opportunity for her to expand and hire more workers.Once again, can the Prime Minister explain how that will make the middle class better off?

Mr. Speaker, we understand that the NDP is always ready for well-meaning platitudes, but Canada must be ready for concrete actions. This is exactly what we are doing by taking the lead on the fissile material cut-off treaty. We know it is essential to free the world of nuclear weapons to protect our children and future generations. That is what Canada has always done and what it continues to proudly do under this government.

Mr. Speaker, what I have been saying is that we do not want to have a tax system that favours the wealthy over the middle class. That is what I would say. The important thing is that I am going to listen to people to be sure that our measures will have the results we are looking for. We want a system where advantages are not reserved for the rich alone or are not greater for the rich. That is our goal. For small business owners, we will continue to have a tax system with the lowest tax rate among the G7 countries.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians sent us to government to make the tax system fairer, to make sure that everyone pays their fair share. That is why the very first thing we did was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lower them on the middle class. We are now making sure that a system that currently allows wealthy individuals to use private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians gets changed. That is something that the previous government allowed and encouraged to happen, but we know that we grow a strong economy by helping the middle class and those working hard to join it, not the wealthiest.

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Halifax explosion, when a munitions explosion killed 1,600 people, injuring thousands more. It was also the largest loss of firefighters in a single event in Canadian history.To mark this anniversary, the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service hosted the annual firefighters memorial weekend in Ottawa earlier this month. Honoured at that memorial was my constituent Jeffrey Lilly, a 15-year veteran of the Lunenburg and District Fire Department.Could the minister tell us what the government is doing to support the brave firefighters who put themselves at risk to keep us safe?

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to be clear. The current system does favour the wealthy over the middle class. What we are going to do is ensure that we listen to people as we move forward on measures that take away tax advantages for the very wealthy. We will be listening to people like Nicole. I am committing that we will not put women in a situation where they are in any way having a worse situation than men through these measures. If that member would like to give me Nicole's phone number, I would be happy to call her and listen to her and her concerns.

Mr. Speaker, Canada enjoys friendly relations with a democratic and united Spain. Canada and Spain maintain excellent bilateral relations based on shared values.As far as Canada is concerned, the issue of Catalonia falls squarely under Spanish domestic affairs. We hope that the country's internal debates come to a harmonious end in accordance with its constitutional framework.

Mr. Speaker, I would suggest the rhetoric of the official opposition is getting wildly out of hand. Do they not favour consultations? I know that is what happened under the previous government. Consultations are taking place until October 2 on the Department of Finance paper, and the Minister of Finance is driving those consultations, as he should.I would suggest to members opposite and to all Canadians to embrace the consultations, welcome them, and get their point of view out there, and then better decisions will be made.

Mr. Speaker, again, he would like to deal with a system that favours the wealthy over the middle class.We want to make sure that small and middle-sized businesses in this country can invest in their active business to create jobs and help to create a healthy economy. We are going to continue to listen to those owners of small and medium-sized businesses to make sure that we get this right.Make no mistake, we will ensure that we follow through on our commitment to make sure that our tax system is fair.

Mr. Speaker, what we have not heard in all the outrage and all the talk about these proposed changes from the members opposite is the member opposite committing to reversing these changes. He has not committed to restoring these benefits to wealthy doctors and private corporations. They are happy to talk about outrage, but they are not proposing to keep this system. That inconsistency is the heart of the problem. They invent problems, exaggerate them, and then will not act, because they know that helping middle-class Canadians matters.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and indeed the entire opposition have been going around the country telling every doctor they meet that they stand with them, that they will defend their rights to pay lower taxes than the nurses who work alongside those doctors. We do not think that is fair, but if the members opposite do want to stand with wealthy doctors, will they commit right now to restore the system of tax breaks for wealthy individuals after we make the changes that Canadians expect us to do?

Mr. Speaker, our current tax system favours the wealthy over the middle class. We want to make sure that we address advantages that go only to the very wealthiest Canadians.We know how important farmers are to this country. We are going to listen to farmers to make sure they continue to be advantaged and continue to be able to provide the goods that we need across our country.

Mr. Speaker, we are a government that considers a diversity of viewpoints to be valuable to all, and we encourage our members to voice the concerns of their constituents, now and in the future.We also know that Canadians put us in government specifically to bring fairness to the tax system. That means preventing wealthy individuals from using tax measures as a means to enjoy a lower tax rate than the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of secure pensions and the impact of employer insolvency on Canadian workers and pensioners. Canada's insolvency laws, as the member mentioned, aim to strike that proper balance between the competing interests of debtors and creditors. They enable Canadian businesses to access credit, invest, and create jobs, while ensuring that stakeholders, including employees and pensioners, are treated equitably. We will continue to examine our market framework laws, including insolvency laws, to ensure that they are up to date and effective and help pensioners and employees.

Mr. Speaker, I know that the goal of our measures is really to continue to create a tax system that is as fair as possible. I will listen to farmers. If there is a farmer in Lac-Saint-Jean I can speak with, the member can pass along his phone number and I will call him myself, because I want to listen and make sure that the situation continues to benefit Canada's farmers.

Mr. Speaker, we want to be clear that what we are looking to do is to make sure that our system does not have advantages for the wealthiest that do not go to the middle class. What we want to do, as well, is to make sure that we listen to people as we put through these consultations. That is why we have a consultation period. We are listening to farmers, we are listening to people across the country, to make sure that the measures we are putting in place will allow them to continue to invest in family farms, which we know are so important to our economy and to our country. That is my commitment, and I would happy to talk to the member opposite's constituents if he passes me their numbers.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. We support NAFTA and believe that NAFTA has created jobs and growth in Canada and across North America. Having said that, we believe this modernization negotiation is an opportunity to make a good agreement even better, and I want to assure the member opposite that a very strong element of the Canadian negotiating position is to push for higher labour standards.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to address our plan to make sure that our tax system does not advantage the wealthiest at the expense of the middle class.What I do know is that there is much inaccuracy being put forward, including in this House. I am happy the member opposite has asked for a briefing from my department. We are happy to have that briefing. Perhaps he will understand better what we are trying to achieve, which is really to make sure that advantages that go to the wealthiest, which in fact are bigger the wealthier Canadians are, are something that we deal with.We know together, and we agree, that this is not the way our progressive tax system is supposed to work.

Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians care about our pristine coastline. Our government's oceans protection plan delivers on this issue. As the member of Parliament for Steveston—Richmond East, I am very proud of these historic measures.Could the Minister of Transport inform the House and Canadians on our new ocean protection plan provisions?

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to leading in ensuring that our children will inherit a world free of nuclear weapons. Our approach involves both nuclear- and non-nuclear-armed states. We have taken a leadership role on a UN high-level group that is preparing the way for a fissile material cut-off treaty to end the production of nuclear weapons. We are providing support to the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification to develop credible and innovative monitoring and verification capabilities. We believe this collaborative, measured, and determined approach is the most effective way forward on nuclear—

Mr. Speaker, the problem is of course that the UN talks are taking place without Canada. The Prime Minister talks a very good game when it comes to world peace, but he refuses to be at the table where we could be playing a role.It is a good thing Lloyd Axworthy did not act this way.As a Canadian, I am very proud that the Ottawa treaty to ban landmines has the word “Ottawa” in its title. Even if Canada was not planting the mines, we saved hundreds of thousands of lives.Let me come back to the question instead of the non-answer that is really about something else: why are we not at the negotiating table for nuclear disarmament? That is my question.

Mr. Speaker, we are concerned about Boeing's request for an investigation to determine whether anti-dumping charges and countervailing duties should be imposed in relation to imports of large civil aircraft from Canada.Our government will continue to raise this very important issue with Boeing at the highest level in order to defend the interests of Canadian aerospace workers. This is a very important issue for Canada and our government.

Mr. Speaker, we want a fair system that does not benefit the rich more than the middle class. We know it is very important for Canadian farmers to be able to keep doing business. That is important. I will be listening to what farmers have to say. That is very important. We will stick with our plan to ensure they can keep doing business.

Mr. Speaker, I would be delighted to do it and I thank the member for Steveston—Richmond East for his excellent question.I am incredibly proud of Canada's oceans protection plan. This is an unprecedented plan that will ensure world-class marine safety and protect our pristine coastline. That is why I was delighted to be in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago to announce, amongst other things, the plan that we have called “let's talk oceans protection plan”. It is an online tool that will allow Canadians to express themselves. We are looking forward to their feedback. I encourage all Canadians to go online and “let's talk oceans protection plan”.

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about fairness.Can the Prime Minister tell us what is fair about preventing a mechanic from growing her business? Is it fair when restaurants lay off workers just because the owner has to pay more taxes to finance the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending? How is that even remotely fair?

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about fairness.Can the Prime Minister tell us what is fair about preventing a mechanic from growing her business? Is it fair when restaurants lay off workers just because the owner has to pay more taxes to finance the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending? How is that even remotely fair?

Mr. Speaker, I would be delighted to do it and I thank the member for Steveston—Richmond East for his excellent question.I am incredibly proud of Canada's oceans protection plan. This is an unprecedented plan that will ensure world-class marine safety and protect our pristine coastline. That is why I was delighted to be in Vancouver a couple of weeks ago to announce, amongst other things, the plan that we have called “let's talk oceans protection plan”. It is an online tool that will allow Canadians to express themselves. We are looking forward to their feedback. I encourage all Canadians to go online and “let's talk oceans protection plan”.

Mr. Speaker, we want a fair system that does not benefit the rich more than the middle class. We know it is very important for Canadian farmers to be able to keep doing business. That is important. I will be listening to what farmers have to say. That is very important. We will stick with our plan to ensure they can keep doing business.

Mr. Speaker, we are concerned about Boeing's request for an investigation to determine whether anti-dumping charges and countervailing duties should be imposed in relation to imports of large civil aircraft from Canada.Our government will continue to raise this very important issue with Boeing at the highest level in order to defend the interests of Canadian aerospace workers. This is a very important issue for Canada and our government.

Mr. Speaker, the problem is of course that the UN talks are taking place without Canada. The Prime Minister talks a very good game when it comes to world peace, but he refuses to be at the table where we could be playing a role.It is a good thing Lloyd Axworthy did not act this way.As a Canadian, I am very proud that the Ottawa treaty to ban landmines has the word “Ottawa” in its title. Even if Canada was not planting the mines, we saved hundreds of thousands of lives.Let me come back to the question instead of the non-answer that is really about something else: why are we not at the negotiating table for nuclear disarmament? That is my question.

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to leading in ensuring that our children will inherit a world free of nuclear weapons. Our approach involves both nuclear- and non-nuclear-armed states. We have taken a leadership role on a UN high-level group that is preparing the way for a fissile material cut-off treaty to end the production of nuclear weapons. We are providing support to the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification to develop credible and innovative monitoring and verification capabilities. We believe this collaborative, measured, and determined approach is the most effective way forward on nuclear—

Mr. Speaker, we know Canadians care about our pristine coastline. Our government's oceans protection plan delivers on this issue. As the member of Parliament for Steveston—Richmond East, I am very proud of these historic measures.Could the Minister of Transport inform the House and Canadians on our new ocean protection plan provisions?

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to address our plan to make sure that our tax system does not advantage the wealthiest at the expense of the middle class.What I do know is that there is much inaccuracy being put forward, including in this House. I am happy the member opposite has asked for a briefing from my department. We are happy to have that briefing. Perhaps he will understand better what we are trying to achieve, which is really to make sure that advantages that go to the wealthiest, which in fact are bigger the wealthier Canadians are, are something that we deal with.We know together, and we agree, that this is not the way our progressive tax system is supposed to work.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. We support NAFTA and believe that NAFTA has created jobs and growth in Canada and across North America. Having said that, we believe this modernization negotiation is an opportunity to make a good agreement even better, and I want to assure the member opposite that a very strong element of the Canadian negotiating position is to push for higher labour standards.

Mr. Speaker, I know that the goal of our measures is really to continue to create a tax system that is as fair as possible. I will listen to farmers. If there is a farmer in Lac-Saint-Jean I can speak with, the member can pass along his phone number and I will call him myself, because I want to listen and make sure that the situation continues to benefit Canada's farmers.

Mr. Speaker, we want to be clear that what we are looking to do is to make sure that our system does not have advantages for the wealthiest that do not go to the middle class. What we want to do, as well, is to make sure that we listen to people as we put through these consultations. That is why we have a consultation period. We are listening to farmers, we are listening to people across the country, to make sure that the measures we are putting in place will allow them to continue to invest in family farms, which we know are so important to our economy and to our country. That is my commitment, and I would happy to talk to the member opposite's constituents if he passes me their numbers.

Mr. Speaker, our government understands the importance of secure pensions and the impact of employer insolvency on Canadian workers and pensioners. Canada's insolvency laws, as the member mentioned, aim to strike that proper balance between the competing interests of debtors and creditors. They enable Canadian businesses to access credit, invest, and create jobs, while ensuring that stakeholders, including employees and pensioners, are treated equitably. We will continue to examine our market framework laws, including insolvency laws, to ensure that they are up to date and effective and help pensioners and employees.

Mr. Speaker, we are a government that considers a diversity of viewpoints to be valuable to all, and we encourage our members to voice the concerns of their constituents, now and in the future.We also know that Canadians put us in government specifically to bring fairness to the tax system. That means preventing wealthy individuals from using tax measures as a means to enjoy a lower tax rate than the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, our current tax system favours the wealthy over the middle class. We want to make sure that we address advantages that go only to the very wealthiest Canadians.We know how important farmers are to this country. We are going to listen to farmers to make sure they continue to be advantaged and continue to be able to provide the goods that we need across our country.

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and indeed the entire opposition have been going around the country telling every doctor they meet that they stand with them, that they will defend their rights to pay lower taxes than the nurses who work alongside those doctors. We do not think that is fair, but if the members opposite do want to stand with wealthy doctors, will they commit right now to restore the system of tax breaks for wealthy individuals after we make the changes that Canadians expect us to do?

Mr. Speaker, what we have not heard in all the outrage and all the talk about these proposed changes from the members opposite is the member opposite committing to reversing these changes. He has not committed to restoring these benefits to wealthy doctors and private corporations. They are happy to talk about outrage, but they are not proposing to keep this system. That inconsistency is the heart of the problem. They invent problems, exaggerate them, and then will not act, because they know that helping middle-class Canadians matters.

Mr. Speaker, again, he would like to deal with a system that favours the wealthy over the middle class.We want to make sure that small and middle-sized businesses in this country can invest in their active business to create jobs and help to create a healthy economy. We are going to continue to listen to those owners of small and medium-sized businesses to make sure that we get this right.Make no mistake, we will ensure that we follow through on our commitment to make sure that our tax system is fair.

Mr. Speaker, I would suggest the rhetoric of the official opposition is getting wildly out of hand. Do they not favour consultations? I know that is what happened under the previous government. Consultations are taking place until October 2 on the Department of Finance paper, and the Minister of Finance is driving those consultations, as he should.I would suggest to members opposite and to all Canadians to embrace the consultations, welcome them, and get their point of view out there, and then better decisions will be made.

Mr. Speaker, Canada enjoys friendly relations with a democratic and united Spain. Canada and Spain maintain excellent bilateral relations based on shared values.As far as Canada is concerned, the issue of Catalonia falls squarely under Spanish domestic affairs. We hope that the country's internal debates come to a harmonious end in accordance with its constitutional framework.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to be clear. The current system does favour the wealthy over the middle class. What we are going to do is ensure that we listen to people as we move forward on measures that take away tax advantages for the very wealthy. We will be listening to people like Nicole. I am committing that we will not put women in a situation where they are in any way having a worse situation than men through these measures. If that member would like to give me Nicole's phone number, I would be happy to call her and listen to her and her concerns.

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Halifax explosion, when a munitions explosion killed 1,600 people, injuring thousands more. It was also the largest loss of firefighters in a single event in Canadian history.To mark this anniversary, the Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency Service hosted the annual firefighters memorial weekend in Ottawa earlier this month. Honoured at that memorial was my constituent Jeffrey Lilly, a 15-year veteran of the Lunenburg and District Fire Department.Could the minister tell us what the government is doing to support the brave firefighters who put themselves at risk to keep us safe?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians sent us to government to make the tax system fairer, to make sure that everyone pays their fair share. That is why the very first thing we did was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lower them on the middle class. We are now making sure that a system that currently allows wealthy individuals to use private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians gets changed. That is something that the previous government allowed and encouraged to happen, but we know that we grow a strong economy by helping the middle class and those working hard to join it, not the wealthiest.

Mr. Speaker, what I have been saying is that we do not want to have a tax system that favours the wealthy over the middle class. That is what I would say. The important thing is that I am going to listen to people to be sure that our measures will have the results we are looking for. We want a system where advantages are not reserved for the rich alone or are not greater for the rich. That is our goal. For small business owners, we will continue to have a tax system with the lowest tax rate among the G7 countries.

Mr. Speaker, we understand that the NDP is always ready for well-meaning platitudes, but Canada must be ready for concrete actions. This is exactly what we are doing by taking the lead on the fissile material cut-off treaty. We know it is essential to free the world of nuclear weapons to protect our children and future generations. That is what Canada has always done and what it continues to proudly do under this government.

Mr. Speaker, he clearly does not understand his own policies and he does not understand that small businesses do not use these tax measures to cheat the system. They use them to save money when times are good and to get them through when times are bad. Right now, a mechanic can save in these investments to save up for a new purchase, which will allow her to hire another worker. The Liberal plan will tax those investments twice: once they flow into the business and again when they flow to her. That will kill any opportunity for her to expand and hire more workers.Once again, can the Prime Minister explain how that will make the middle class better off?

Mr. Speaker, by following through on our promise to deal with a tax system that is creating advantages for the richest among us, we know we are going to make a positive impact on our economy. We are listening. Like the member opposite, I have been out across the country listening to professionals, to fishers, listening to farmers about their issues. We are going to listen to those issues to make sure that the measures we put forward deal with what we are trying to do. We do not want to have a situation where people who earn $300,000 might find themselves in a lower tax rate than people who earn one-third as much. That is what we are trying to get at, and that is indeed what we will achieve.

Mr. Speaker, we believe in our artists, in our producers, and in the entire arts community. That is why we invested $1.9 billion in arts and culture, the largest investment in the past 30 years. We are still the only country in the G7 to have made such a significant investment in this area.That being said, I know that our creators are waiting to hear our vision, which will be presented in the coming weeks. Unlike the members of the opposition, we do not believe that a new tax for the middle class is the best way to support our creators. In fact, one of the first things we did was to lower taxes for the middle class. I will soon have an opportunity to provide more information in this regard.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister still does not get it, and his arrogance is astounding. He is attacking the entrepreneur who has to self-fund her maternity leave because she does not have a government-funded plan. She puts a little money away at the end of every month so she can afford to take time off when the baby comes. Right now, she pays 50% tax on any passive income she earns on those savings. The Prime Minister's plan will now tax her twice: once when it goes into the business and once when it flows to her.Why is the Prime Minister forcing female entrepreneurs to choose between their business and their families?

Mr. Speaker, there is no suggestion that any Canadians are not following the rules. The problem is that the rules we have currently favour the wealthy over the middle class. We have a system right now that allows wealthy Canadians to use private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians. That is not right.We got elected on a commitment to change that system, which is why the first thing we did was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and lower them on the middle class, and why we are continuing to work on fairness every day.

Mr. Speaker, we made a promise to deal with a system that provides an advantage for the wealthiest over the middle class. We have been working on this for the last two years. We reduced taxes on middle-class Canadians and raised them on the top 1%. We have moved forward on other measures that are having a huge impact on those who are in the middle class or struggling to get in it. The measures we are putting forward here, the measures that we are listening to Canadians on the impact, are intended to make sure that we do not have tax advantages going to the very rich. That is what we are trying to achieve. We want to do this while ensuring that small businesses continue to invest to grow our economy.

Mr. Speaker, the minister claims to be concerned that wealthy people will pay lower rates than middle-class people.Then can he explain this? Under his proposal, the pizza shop owner who puts aside money to earn a little interest and eventually pull it out for retirement would pay 75%, while the Bombardier executive who has shares in that company, and it makes passive investment, will pay about 50%.If the member is really interested in helping the middle class, why is he hitting the pizza shop owner with a much higher tax rate than the Bombardier billionaire executive?

Mr. Speaker, we have a tax system that favours the wealthy over the middle class. We are going to continue to listen to people across the country, as I did this summer, to make sure our measures truly change the system to make it fairer in the future. Naturally, small and medium-sized business owners will be able to continue to invest in their active businesses.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's frontbench looks a little jittery today, but that is nothing compared to his backbench. Here is what another one of his own MPs said about these tax increases: I believe in my heart that these proposed changes will discourage entrepreneurship and hurt the very people we want to help. Does that sound familiar?If the Prime Minister will not listen to farmers, small business owners, hard-working Canadians, will he at least listen to his own caucus and stop attacking job creation?

Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the current government has totally lost control of public spending. Not only is it approving deficits three times the size it had projected, but also it has no idea how to balance a budget, something that is frankly unthinkable to any entrepreneur.To pay for its colossal spending spree, this government has decided to raise taxes on our job creators, our wealth creators, our entrepreneurs, the people creating Canada's true wealth.Why has this government decided to attack our job creators instead of reining in its own spending?

Mr. Speaker, no one believes that raising taxes on job creators to fund billion-dollar bailouts will help the middle class.He can stand with his wealthy friends, and I will always stand with hard-working Canadians who do not have government-funded maternity leave, that do not have access to EI, and who never ask for a bailout when times get tough. When will the Prime Minister listen to tax experts, entrepreneurs, and even his own caucus, and stop this attack on the middle class?

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to stand up for workers in the aerospace industry right across the country, who work very hard and create extraordinary products like the innovative, extraordinary C Series aircraft. We will continue to stand up and defend the hard-working Canadians who are building this country every single day. Our commitment is to the middle class and those working hard to join it, which means workers and which means small businesses that create opportunity and growth in their communities. Where we are changing the system is to prevent wealthy Canadians from using private corporations to get out of paying their fair share of taxes.

Mr. Speaker, while the state of emergency in B.C. has ended, British Columbians are only now beginning to recover from the damage caused by the wildfires. Some of the 65,000 people evacuated returned to find their homes damaged or destroyed. Others came home to learn that they have been laid off from jobs in the hard-hit forestry sector. Like the strong people of Fort McMurray, British Columbians will rebuild, but they cannot do it alone. Will the Prime Minister commit to providing ongoing full financial assistance to communities devastated by these wildfires?

Mr. Speaker, all over Canada, people are expressing outrage over the Prime Minister's tax changes. Some of his own members share some of that outrage. The member for Malpeque, who also happens to chair the Standing Committee on Finance, has stated that he is not impressed. He said, and I quote, “The government really needs to step back.”When will the Prime Minister listen to his own caucus and finally step back?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has done three things in response to the fires: first, make sure that all of the assets and resources of the Government of Canada are available to the province of British Columbia and first nations of British Columbia to fight the inferno; second, make a major contribution to the Red Cross to assist with its immediate relief efforts; and, third, establish a special committee of cabinet to engage all of the assets of the Government of Canada in the recovery process. The disaster financial assistance formula is there to help cost share the expenses over the long haul, and the Government of Canada will be—

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservatives talk a good game, but when it came time to actually lower taxes on the middle class and raise them on the wealthiest 1%, they voted against that. When it came time to deliver the Canada child benefit that helps nine out of 10 Canadian families with the high cost of raising their kids, and focuses on helping the middle class and the hard-working Canadians working to join it, they voted against it, because they wanted to keep sending the child benefit cheques to wealthy families. That does not work. We will always stand with the middle class in the country and defend Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, people affected by wildfires and the first responders working to keep them safe have been our major priority all summer long. We have responded positively to every single request made by the Province of British Columbia, including with assets of the Canadian Armed Forces, supplies for evacuees, accommodation and transportation for firefighters, and helping to ensure public safety during evacuations. We have also made a major contribution to the Red Cross, which is more than matching. While the state of emergency has been lifted, we will be keeping British Columbians very much in our thoughts and in our action plan throughout the recovery process. The disaster cost-sharing process has only just begun.

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago I was in Moncton talking to local businesses, and this past weekend I was in Perth–Andover talking to local potato farmers. These are not the wealthy Canadians that the government would have us think actually exist, the ones that the finance minister so glibly said he is going after.We have only 10 days to have their questions put to the government in the House, and although it sure sounds like it has made up its mind already, based upon its answers today, I am wondering, out of decency, would it consider extending the consultation period?

Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned about the reports of Saudi Arabia's use of weapons against civilians. Obviously, we continue to ensure that our partners respect all the rules much more openly and transparently than the previous government did.I must remind the member from Outremont that it was a member of his party, the member fromLondon—Fanshawe, who said that a contract is a contract, and that once it is signed, it must be honoured. Even the NDP knew that the contract the Conservatives signed had to be honoured.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member for Halifax has said that, unless changes are made, he will not be able to support the Prime Minister's ill-advised plan. He is listening to the people in his riding who will be adversely affected by these changes: plumbers, electricians, fishermen, and the list goes on.When will the Prime Minister start listening to hardworking Canadians who will be hard hit by his tax plan?

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to ending the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. We have launched a truly national independent inquiry, and we are going to make sure that the voices of families are heard and that they get the answers they deserve. Our government is also taking immediate action with investments on women's shelters, housing, education, child welfare, and improving the safety on the Highway of Tears. We expect the interim report of the commission to be on time in November.

Mr. Speaker, in a letter published on September 16, the Quebec minister of culture wrote: “we are concerned about the initial strategic directions of Canada's cultural policy announced by the Minister of Canadian Heritage”. The Minister of Canadian Heritage has three priorities: the 150th anniversary, which no one really cares about, the CBC, and pleasing Internet giants like Netflix and Spotify.Will the minister re-examine her priorities and do something to help rather than harm Quebec culture, beginning by making the Internet giants charge their subscribers GST?

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, we decided to invest in our country, invest in the middle class. Our growth is now the strongest in 10 years, and more than 400,000 new jobs have been created in the past few years. That is why it is so important to stay the course and carry on with a system that is working well for Canada and has made us the fastest-growing nation in the G7.

Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that the members opposite do not actually understand this proposal, but that is no big surprise, because they did not understand for 10 years that giving tax breaks to the wealthiest does not help the middle class and does not grow the economy. That is what we saw from them in government for 10 years.Even now when they are in opposition, they continue not to understand. They stood and opposed lowering taxes for the middle class and raising them on the wealthiest 1%. They opposed ending the sending of child benefit cheques to millionaires so we could do more for nine out of 10 Canadian families. That is what we are focused on.

Mr. Speaker, for 10 years we had a Conservative government that focused on giving benefits to the wealthiest Canadians in the hopes of creating economic growth. That did not work for Canadians and that is why they elected a different government, our government, which promised to help the middle class and those working hard to join it.We are doing that by making sure that they pay only the necessary taxes, by lowering taxes for the middle class, and by raising them for the rich.

Mr. Speaker, he does not get it. These are not wealthy Canadians; these are hard-working, middle-class entrepreneurs planning and creating jobs. The Prime Minister likes to talk about income sprinkling, and income sprinkling is a bit of a problem at big companies like Bombardier. The billionaire Bombardier-Beaudoin family sprinkles shares to its family members to keep itself in control and vote themselves big raises, even as their own government forks over $400 million in taxpayer bailouts, yet massive public corporations like Bombardier will not pay a penny more. Why is the Prime Minister taxing local businesses while big companies continue to get big bailouts?

Mr. Speaker, supporting arts and culture in this country is one of our top priorities. That is why we have invested so much financially, to the tune of $1.9 billion.That said, we also believe in lowering taxes for the middle class. During the election campaign, we made a clear commitment to not raise taxes for the middle class. I will have other opportunities over the coming weeks to present my vision regarding how we plan to support arts and culture in the digital age. I hope my colleague will be here for that.

Mr. Speaker, as you know, all Canadians recognize just how vitally important the Windsor-Detroit crossing is. Every single day, 10,000 trucks cross the Ambassador Bridge. We have authorized the replacement. I have been in touch with the mayor of Windsor. There are very specific conditions that will apply before the new bridge is there. Of course, our commitment to the Gordie Howe bridge is 100%, as was stated by our Prime Minister and the President last March in the White House.

Mr. Speaker, it would seem that this is the week for democracy.The Catalan people decided to exercise its right to self-determination. Madrid's repressive policies, which have resulted in newsrooms being raided by the police, one million pamphlets seized, and 700 elected officials threatened with jail time, violate democracy's most basic principles.When will this stop? Will people have their ballots stolen at gunpoint?The Prime Minister will be speaking to the UN this week. Will he denounce the Spanish administration's reign of terror? That is the least we would expect from someone who claims to be a democrat.

Mr. Speaker, I just got back from Lac-Saint-Jean, and I can tell you that times are tough for local businesses, professionals, and farmers who are creating our jobs day after day. The Liberals are attacking them directly with astronomical tax increases in order to finance their own deficit.What does the Prime Minister have to say to Canadians, to Quebeckers and to workers in Lac-Saint-Jean who are going to lose their jobs because of this government's tax reform?

Mr. Speaker, this summer I spent my time crossing the country talking to hard-working Canadians, job creators, and entrepreneurs, and I can tell the Prime Minister one very simple thing: they are not tax cheats. These are the people who mortgage their homes, who take an idea and create opportunities in their neighbourhoods.My simply question to the Prime Minister is this: why is he hurting the very people he claims he wants to help?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that NAFTA's side agreement on labour standards is weak and unenforceable. The result is negative effects on workers' safety and fair wages, dragging down standards across North America. Today in southwestern Ontario Unifor Local 88 CAMI members are on strike, experiencing first hand the effects of companies relocating production to exploit these weak labour rules. Reports from the renegotiations indicate that the Americans are opposed to any changes to labour or their regressive right to work laws. How can the Liberals expect to achieve meaningful progress on NAFTA labour rights to protect Canadian jobs?

Mr. Speaker, on the topic of consultations, without notice, my community learned from the American media that the Liberals approved the request of an American billionaire to give him a new expanded bridge between Canada and the United States in our community with zero consultations. This surprise announcement came amidst confusion and chaos surrounding the Gordie Howe international bridge project, a public crossing that is a complete free-for-all since Liberal patronage appointed a person who has cosy relationships with this U.S. billionaire, who has been incarcerated for contempt in the United States for a project there. Why is—

Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected us because they knew it was not fair for the middle class to pay too much tax while the rich found ways to pay less tax. The current system lets rich people use private businesses to pay less tax than the middle class, which is not fair. That is why the first thing we did was raise taxes on the rich so we could lower them on the middle class, and that is why we are always looking for ways to help the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, firefighters are community heroes, and we have been pushing an agenda to support their needs by restoring search and rescue funding, developing an action plan to deal with operational stress injuries, and creating a fund for families of firefighters who fall in the line of duty.We have also designated the second Sunday in September as Firefighters National Memorial Day, beginning last week with flags lowered in honour of those who have lost their lives protecting the rest of us. They have our deepest gratitude and our enduring respect.

Mr. Speaker, Saudi Arabia is another issue that this Prime Minister mishandled. Although he made an emotional promise to Ensaf Haidar to take action to help her husband, Raif Badawi, two years later, nothing has been done.In the meantime, his government has allowed the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia, a country with an abysmal human rights record. It has been proven that Saudi Arabia uses Canadian weapons against civilians.The time for making speeches has passed. Will the Prime Minister act to prohibit the export of weapons to Saudi Arabia, yes or no?

Mr. Speaker, after listening to the Prime Minister today, I have no doubt that he is just going to go ahead and ram through these tax hikes. As Conservatives, we believe in raising people up, not tearing people down. We believe in ensuring that everyone can achieve prosperity, not in taking it away from anyone. Conservatives wake up every day trying to think of new ways to lower taxes. Liberals wake up every day trying to find new ways to raise taxes.I want to take this opportunity to assure Canadians that the pain will only be temporary. We will fight these attacks on job creators. We will fight these every step of the way. We will save local businesses.

Mr. Speaker, the inquiry into murdered and missing indigenous women got more bad news this weekend. Maclean's reports that out of the $5 million spent by the inquiry, $2 million was taken completely by Privy Council Office bureaucracy, yet families needing extra help with travel and counselling for the inquiry are told that there is not enough for them. Can this really be true? Are the Liberals really spending 40% of the inquiry's budget on bureaucracy?

Mr. Speaker, at no time since the Cuban missile crisis has the world been more aware of the threat of nuclear weapons. I would like the Prime Minister to cast his mind back to last spring when I asked him about nuclear disarmament, and he told me that it would be well-intentioned but useless for Canada to be at the table for the UN talks. After the war of words between Donald Trump and Pyongyang over the summer, does the Prime Minister still believe that engaging in UN talks about nuclear disarmament is useless?

Mr. Speaker, when my colleagues from Manicouagan and Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères buy diapers for their babies, they pay GST. When people go to the movies, to a musical production, or to the theatre, they pay GST. Mr. Speaker, when you buy a book at the bookstore, you pay GST.Can the Minister of Canadian Heritage tell us why the American streaming giants are GST-exempt when Quebec taxpayers have to pay GST?

Mr. Speaker, I have heard from thousands of people across my riding with regard to the Liberal tax hike on small businesses.Nicole is 34 and a recent graduate. She is now working as a family physician in a rural area of Alberta. These changes will make it impossible for her to save towards maternity leave and start a family. Currently, there are provisions that support her as a woman by allowing her to save for parental leave, but the new changes will rob her of this very basic right. Nicole feels betrayed and left alone. Why will the Prime Minister not do the right thing and stop his attack on young women entrepreneurs?

Mr. Speaker, nobody in the last election asked the Liberal Party to attack job creators.We have already established that this is not fair and we know that it is not compassionate, so why is the Prime Minister doing this? It is because he is drowning in debt, and a drowning man will reach out and grab on to anything and not care who he drags down with him. Who is he taking down with him? It is young Canadians looking for their first jobs, new Canadians looking to share in the prosperity in Canada, and women entrepreneurs who are hit disproportionately harder with these new tax measures. Why is the Prime Minister hurting the—

Mr. Speaker, we have been listening to Canadians all summer, and indeed for many years, Canadians who find it is unfair that our tax system, which was heartily endorsed by the previous government, gives advantages and benefits to the wealthiest that are not there for the middle class, including hard-working, middle-class small business owners and farmers. We are going to ensure that wealthy Canadians do not have the option of using private corporations to pay lower tax rates than middle-class Canadians. That is something Canadians expect in terms of fairness, and we will continue to support the middle class, including small businesses.

Mr. Speaker, it is another double standard, just like this next one.The average small business owner earns about $73,000 a year. When they save money for a rainy day or their retirement, they will be taxed at a rate of 73% on their investment income as a result of these changes. Large, publicly traded companies, like Bombardier, will not.Why is the government hitting our small business, middle class entrepreneurs with a much higher tax rate than their billionaire friends in the biggest corporations in the land?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals decided to unfairly hurt small businesses that create wealth in this country. They are punishing these entrepreneurs for creating wealth and jobs.Meanwhile, large corporations like Bombardier are getting huge subsidies and these corporate executives are padding their pockets with exorbitant bonuses while eliminating middle-class jobs.I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. Will he choose to defend Canadian taxpayers and do away with these tax hikes or will he continue—

Mr. Speaker, we understand the challenges on employees and their families, and on their communities. We are monitoring the situation very closely. Under the CCAA, companies can continue to operate and preserve jobs while negotiating a restructuring plan. It is currently under court supervision, including employees, pensioners, and suppliers.As members know, proceedings are now before the courts and I am unable to comment on the specifics with respect to Sears Canada. However, we are monitoring the situation very closely and will continue to work with the employees and the pensioners.

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, New Democrats launched our end pension theft campaign. We believe it is time to introduce legislation to protect the pension for workers and retirees who have worked so hard for what they have earned. Currently, there is a long list of companies that have used Canada's inadequate bankruptcy and solvency laws to cheat workers out of their pensions and benefits.Will the Prime Minister stick to his election promise, stand in the House today, and pledge to change the laws so that workers never get cheated again?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are having a hard time protecting our good jobs in the aerospace industry. Aveos and the 2,000 jobs that were lost at Bombardier are unfortunate examples of that.When it comes time to stand up to our trade partners, whether it be Europe or Trump, the Liberals always end up dropping the ball. The complaint that Boeing filed against Bombardier is threatening over 6,000 jobs and the future of the C Series.I attended a protest last week with members of Unifor and machinists. They are worried.What is the Prime Minister going to do to protect these jobs and these families?

Mr. Speaker, I was also in Cape Breton and Digby, talking to fishermen on the wharf there. Fishers work hard, 14-hour days, and at the end of the season all they want to do after they pay out their insurance, the repairs to their vessel, and maybe pay their crew their full amount, is to hope that they have a little put aside for their retirement. We all know there is no pension in fishing. I spent my summer listening, and I understand the impact of these reforms on Canadians. Will the Minister of Finance come down to earth with the rest of us mortals and listen to what is going on in—

Mr. Speaker, foreign investors are anxious to snap up world-famous Canadian farmland and rent it back to our farmers at exorbitant prices. They are getting help from the Liberal government.The new tax changes will apply a 45% dividend tax on the sale of farmland from father to son, and zero tax on the sale to a foreign-owned conglomerate. Why is the government helping foreign businesses turn our farmers into tenants of foreign landlords?

Mr. Speaker, local businesses have been plunged into total uncertainty as they grapple with the Liberals' unfair tax plan. These same entrepreneurs are usually the first to invest and the first to hire in our communities across this great country. For them, the 75-day consultation in the dead of summer is not sufficient, nor is it fair.Will the finance committee chair ensure that consultations on the devastating impacts these changes will have on small businesses are extended until all Canadians who want to be heard can be heard?

Mr. Speaker, we take very seriously our responsibilities as a government. That is why we put in place a degree of transparency and openness, particularly with regard to arms sales, that the previous Conservative government never even went near. We will continue to ensure that all Canadian rules and regulations are responded to, and if they are not lived up to, there will be consequences in terms of how we move forward.

Mr. Speaker, this summer, residents of British Columbia have been dealing with wildfires that have resulted in the evacuation of thousands of people and have burned over one million hectares of land. The thoughts and prayers of all Canadians are with residents who have borne the brunt of the fires, and with the courageous and dedicated first responders.Can the minister please tell us how the government has been helping to protect and support residents of B.C. in this difficult time?

Mr. Speaker, does the Prime Minister really not understand the difference between a contract to manufacture and his responsibility to sign the export permits? That is what this is about. Canada has a rule under international law that we will not export to countries that are using arms manufactured in our country to attack civilians. That is what is happening in Saudi Arabia, a country with a horrible human rights record. The Prime Minister loves to talk a good game. We are increasing our greenhouse gases every year. He talks about the environment. We are exporting to Saudi Arabia to kill civilians.When is the Prime Minister going to stop talking and start acting?

Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, many companies used unfair strategies to steal a portion of our workers' retirement plans in order to make their foreign parent companies richer. Cliffs Natural Resources, AbitibiBowater, White Birch Paper, and Nortel are prime examples. Now it is Sears that is using our flawed bankruptcy and restructuring laws to steal from our workers. Workers earn their retirement fund over a lifetime of hard work.Why are the Liberals allowing these companies to steal from our workers and our retirees?

Mr. Speaker, where was the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food this summer when his colleague, the Minister of Finance, suggested doing away with the family farm model in Canada? The Minister of Finance's questionable decision to launch the consultation during harvest shows how little weight the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food carries in cabinet and how little agriculture seems to matter to the government.Will the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food stand up today, take his cue from his colleagues, and do the only right thing, which is defend middle-class farmers?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are working awfully hard to take away every opportunity for Canadian farm families: imposing a carbon tax, eliminating the deferral on cash grain tickets, and now these punitive tax changes, which will make it almost impossible for Canadian farm families to sell their farms to their own children. They will be having to sell them to multinational firms. As Conservatives, we know that hard-working Canadian farm families do not use their land as a tax shelter. In fact, they use it to feed the world.Will the Liberals abandon these tax changes, or will they saddle Canadian farm families with the burden of paying for the Prime Minister's out-of-control spending?

Mr. Speaker, not only did I listen to them, I went to meet with them.The dairy farmers in Lac-Saint-Jean with whom I spoke last week are working hard to support their families and their region, just like grain farmers in Saskatchewan and ranchers in Alberta. Their job is to feed Canadians, not to pay down the Liberals' out-of-control deficit. The minister has said that these changes are merely proposals, and he is waiting for feedback.The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food has not said what he thinks of this full-on attack against farmers. Will he oppose these changes, or is is simply going to sit back and watch Canada's family farms disappear?