Juno News - September 27, 2022


Pierre Poilievre and Chrystia Freeland clash over rising cost of living


Episode Stats

Length

5 minutes

Words per Minute

142.00734

Word Count

748

Sentence Count

64

Misogynist Sentences

1


Summary


Transcript

00:00:00.000 The Honourable Leader of the Opposition.
00:00:01.620 ...raise taxes on the working poor, and yet that is exactly what the Minister admits she will do.
00:00:07.000 She admits that raising the EI premiums, the EI payroll taxes, will take $2.5 billion extra
00:00:14.660 dollars out of the hands of Canadian workers, and not to fund EI.
00:00:20.000 She also admits through her own public filings that the government will take $10 billion more
00:00:25.260 in EI taxes than it will pay out in benefits money that the Prime Minister will raid from
00:00:29.760 the account and spend however he likes.
00:00:32.140 Will the Prime Minister get his hands off the EI fund and the paychecks of our workers?
00:00:36.420 The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister.
00:00:41.540 Mr. Speaker, the EI contribution rate today is 1.58.
00:00:48.400 Next year, it will go up to $1.63.
00:00:51.160 Both of those rates are lower than the EI contribution rate was in every single year when Stephen Harper
00:01:00.720 was Prime Minister.
00:01:02.320 Yet the new Conservative leader, who was actually the Employment Minister during those years,
00:01:07.780 now wants to slash our contributions.
00:01:10.440 So who do the Conservatives think was the better economic manager?
00:01:13.980 Prime Minister Harper or their new leader?
00:01:16.500 The Honourable Leader of the Opposition.
00:01:18.700 Well, we were terrific economic managers together.
00:01:21.820 And we will be again.
00:01:25.240 So I'm just getting a little practice in on answering questions, Mr. Speaker.
00:01:28.940 We'll be doing more of it when we're in government soon.
00:01:31.220 But in fact, EI payments have gone up for the average $60,000 a year worker from $930
00:01:37.720 when I was the minister to $948 now.
00:01:41.300 That's a small increase, but the big $2.5 billion tax increase is just ahead.
00:01:47.000 This minister admits the money won't even go to EI.
00:01:50.120 It'll go to government spending.
00:01:51.680 Why won't they get their hands off the EI fund and the paychecks of our workers?
00:01:55.680 The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister.
00:02:00.680 You know, Mr. Speaker, in 2015, a Canadian earning $49,500 a year paid $931 in EI premiums.
00:02:12.920 Next year, that same Canadian will pay $807.
00:02:19.100 That's nearly $125 less than she paid when the Conservative leader was the minister in charge.
00:02:27.600 So, yet again, Mr. Speaker, Canadians really need to understand whose policies do Conservatives support?
00:02:35.440 Stephen Harper's or their new leaders?
00:02:37.000 The Honourable Leader of the Opposition.
00:02:39.980 Both in the total payroll tax of a $60,000 a year earner went from $3,400 under the previous Conservative government
00:02:48.460 to $4,168 today.
00:02:51.460 The reality is none of that was necessary, and they want to use the money for anything but EI.
00:02:56.840 Mr. Speaker, on top of that, now they plan to triple the carbon tax,
00:03:00.440 raising gas, heat and grocery costs, and killing jobs for many people in many sectors.
00:03:07.420 Their policy is paychecks down and costs up, and in fairness, they're succeeding at both.
00:03:12.880 Will they stop that policy and cancel their tax hikes?
00:03:16.420 The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister.
00:03:20.460 Mr. Speaker, I've already explained that Canadians earning around $50,000 a year
00:03:26.920 next year will pay $125 less in EI premiums, but now I want Conservatives to come clean
00:03:33.500 on what they want to do to our pensions.
00:03:36.900 Their proposal is an irresponsible scheme to eviscerate our pensions.
00:03:42.300 As Rob Carrick pointed out, quote,
00:03:46.160 Canada pension plan premiums are not a tax.
00:03:49.760 The CPP is the bedrock of a Canadian retirement plan.
00:03:54.360 The Conservatives want to undermine all of our pensions, but we won't let them.
00:03:58.340 The Leader of the Opposition.
00:04:00.980 That is absolutely false.
00:04:02.900 Conservatives protected the CPP, increased benefits for seniors every single year we were in office,
00:04:09.580 and did it without any tax increases at all.
00:04:13.200 We can do that again.
00:04:15.340 We can do that again.
00:04:16.720 Everybody agrees we should keep contributing.
00:04:18.540 Nobody agrees that we have to hike taxes on workers to do it.
00:04:21.940 But back to the carbon tax, they want to triple this tax on groceries, gas, and heat
00:04:27.540 at a time when Canadians can barely afford to pay their bills.
00:04:31.120 They want to add $0.40 a litre to gas taxes right now with 40-year high inflation.
00:04:37.260 Will the government cancel this tax on Canadian energy?
00:04:39.920 The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister.
00:04:43.140 Mr. Speaker, let's get serious.
00:04:47.580 Canadians know this Conservative leader does not have a serious climate plan,
00:04:54.280 and that means he doesn't have a serious economic plan.
00:04:58.020 The economic reality is our most important trading partners, the U.S., the E.U.,
00:05:04.640 our customers, our markets, are all taking aggressive climate action.
00:05:09.700 Canada cannot afford to fall behind.
00:05:13.700 Our economy cannot afford it.