Conservative MP jeers drown out Bill Morneau
This week our government released its most recent federal budget to help grow the economy and make life more affordable for Canadians.
Instead of putting forward competing ideas, the Conservatives decided to bang their desks and yell over the Finance Minister’s speech in the House of Commons so he could not be heard. This kind of behaviour is entirely unacceptable and Canadians deserve better. I invite you to watch the clip above to see what transpired in the House of Commons during the budget presentation.
The fact is, the Conservatives are desperate to distract from our plan because they don’t have one of their own.
Some of the measures in our budget this year include:
• Connecting 95% of Canadians to high-speed internet by 2026 and 100% by 2030;
• The creation of the Canada Drug Agency, which will bring down the cost of prescription drugs and is an important step towards a National Pharmacare program;
• The largest transfer of federal dollars towards Nova Scotia’s health care system in the history of our country;
• Continuing investments in job creation that will encourage young people to become entrepreneurs, acquire a skilled trade, or upgrade their skills through the new Canada Training Benefit that provides financial support for skills programs and additional support that allows Canadians to take time off work during their course of study;
• Support for seniors that will allow them to keep more of their income in retirement, automatically enroll them in programs like the CPP so they get the benefits they are entitled to, and help build community facilities that serve seniors where they live;
• Support for young people that will make the cost of education more affordable by reducing the interest rate of students loans, create 84,000 new jobs annually through the Student Work Placement program, and by making investments in digital skills for young people so they can compete in the economy of the 21st century; and
• Important investments in the environment that will see nearly $1 Billion contributed towards energy efficiency for homeowners and businesses, and further investments in zero emission vehicles that will make this technology more affordable for consumers.
These measures build on our record of economic growth and support for families that has seen over 900,000 jobs added to our national economy since we took office in 2015, and more than 825,000 people lifted out of poverty.
While we remain focused on growing the economy and making life more affordable for Canadians, the Conservatives seek only to obstruct. If they have any ideas on how to help the people I represent, I’m happy to have those conversations and debates. Until I hear those ideas, I will continue to work to better the quality of life for everyone at home.