Absolute chaos erupted in the House of Commons on Monday as MPs from all sides tore into each other over Canada’s biggest challenges. Sparks flew as the Opposition Leader, Pierre Poilievere relentlessly grilled Trudeau on his carbon tax, housing failures, and reckless government spending.
Other Liberal and Conservative MPs joined the fray, shouting over each other in an intense and explosive debate session. Fingers were pointed as serious issues like affordability and climate change took a backseat to political grandstanding.
But will all this fiery rhetoric actually lead to solutions? Or will Canadians continue to feel left behind as our so-called leaders bicker?
In the most recent House of Commons debate, Poilievere made sure to waste no time and started off his speech with criticism of Trudeau’s government spending, citing increased interest rates and mortgage payments.
Poilievre cited Scotiabank’s most recent report, which says that monetary policy in Canada would not have to be as restrictive if the government had shown some restraint in their spending over the past few years, as well as claiming that interest rates have soared due to increased government spending.
Canadian interest rates are about 200 basis points higher than they otherwise would be due to government spending at all levels, including billions spent on pandemic relief.
In response, President of the Treasury Board Anita Anand fired back at the Leader of the Opposition, and in typical Liberal fashion, criticized Conservatives for “not having a plan.”
And while Liberal MPs usually fail to respond to many of the criticisms that Poilievre points out, the Leader of the Opposition made sure to reiterate his initial points.
Poilievre pointed out that the Liberals failed to live up to their promise of balancing the budget, as Trudeau had pledged to do just a year ago. While Trudeau vowed to balance the books by 2028, he has since walked back on that commitment amid uncontrolled government spending.
The concerns over spending were underlined with Scotiabank releasing their damning report noting the implications of unchecked deficits.
With the economy showing vulnerabilities and inflation squeezing Canadians, the need for fiscal discipline is being widely questioned.
However, Freeland’s upcoming economic statement, set to be released on Tuesday afternoon, is unlikely to reveal a balanced budget any time soon, knowing the Liberal government’s history. Whether the update provides a credible path to sustainability remains to be seen.
Overall, Poilievre’s criticism highlights the lost credibility from broken promises on deficits. But balancing may not be realistic given today’s economic headwinds. Freeland will have to strategize weighing restraint against supporting Canadians through rough times.
And it doesn’t really seem to be working out for her, Trudeau, or the entire Liberal government.
The issue of the housing crisis was also discussed, and housing minister Sean Fraser made a point to criticize Pierre Poilievre’s statements.
In response, Pierre Poilievre was quick to counter Fraser’s criticisms.
Sean Fraser fired back at Poilievre by making a joking reference to Poilievre’s slogan “How do you like them apples?” that he has been using at recent rallies.
This catchphrase plays off of the viral video of Poilievre eating an apple while talking to a reporter.
While Fraser’s joke didn’t really land, Poilievre’s response was something that resonated with many within the House of Commons.
Poiliever highlighted the issue of the Stellantis plant, which has sparked concerns that scores of jobs could go to temporary foreign workers, cutting into promised employment for Canadians. Just more and more empty promises from the Trudeau government.
The plant, a joint venture between global auto giant Stellantis and South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution, is the largest investment in the history of Canada’s auto sector, with $15-billion in subsidies.
The fact of the matter is Canadians can barely afford to put a roof over their heads and food on the table, yet the government’s solution to this is to bring in foreign workers in order to exacerbate the housing crisis even more.
Speaking of the housing crisis, housing Minister Sean Fraser really got it hard in the most recent edition of the House of Commons, with another Conservative MP, Rachel Thomas dragging his policies through the mud.
Conservative MP Jasraj Singh Hallan also made sure to chime in with his take on the country’s economic state right now.
He even went as far as calling Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s upcoming fall economic statement a “false promise update,” implying that Freeland’s economic update would be just another case of the Liberal government misleading the public with insincere vows and untruthful commitments, rather than presenting the real economic situation.
Parliamentary Secretary Rachel Bendayan, announced that the upcoming fall economic statement will serve as a moment of transparency for Canadians, as well as for Conservatives, who will finally get to “see the numbers.”
Well, we see the numbers alright. We see the Scotiabank report and the record number of 2 million Canadians lining up at food banks across the country.
The dire economic figures are already evident, so the fall update won’t truly provide greater transparency. High interest rates, lack of affordability, and an escalating housing crisis already show the real economic hardship facing many Canadians now, contradicting any positive picture the update may try to paint.
Conservative MP Adam Chambers made sure to echo that very same notion within the House of Commons.
Among other issues raised in the House on Monday was border security, with Bloc Québécois MP Claude Debellefeuille pressuring Trudeau’s government to address the issue.
Debellefeuille also highlighted the fact that the Quebec government is having to take on the burden of securing their border, since the federal government refuses to address the crisis.
The border actually isn’t the only issue that the government is refusing to address, with their green slush fund having been exposed, yet no accountability seems to have been taken.
Conservative MP Michael Barret made sure to call out Trudeau and his corrupt government.
Barret’s comments come after the chair of the Sustainable Development Technology Canada resigned her post, the second senior leader to do so.
The SDTC was intended to support the advancement of green technology. However, whistleblowers have accused it of funneling millions of dollars to groups and individuals connected to the Liberal Party instead.
At a time when many Canadians struggle to afford housing, it appears the government misused tens of millions of SDTC funds to benefit Liberal associates and cronies, rather than the public.
The allegation is that the Liberals exploited SDTC money meant for green tech to serve their own political and personal interests, rather than the important cause of environmental sustainability, and MP Michael Barret was merely voicing the concerns of many Canadians.
At the end of the day, while partisan bickering rages on and the Prime Minister absent, both literally and figuratively, are the real concerns of Canadians being heard?
From the housing crisis, high interest rates, to the rampant corruption and empty promises, it seems that the Trudeau government has a lot to explain.
These are all issues that are keeping people up at night as our leaders trade political shots.
The soon-to-be-released fall economic statement will be an important opportunity to see if the Trudeau government will continue making empty rhetorical promises without substantive action and results, or finally deliver meaningful solutions they follow through on.
Real change requires rolling up sleeves, building bridges and crafting solutions. It means seeking common sense solutions. And while many MPs have actually called for that, it still remains unclear whether Trudeau’s government will actually give in and follow through with any plan of action.
The fact of the matter remains that, frankly, Canadians deserve better than this circus of contention.
