Speech – Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1

OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)

Thursday, May 2, 2013

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1

Mr. Frank Valeriote (Guelph, Lib.) Mr. Speaker, interestingly, the member does not talk about the taxes that have been raised in this budget. On the eve of the budget Conservatives talked about tariffs being lowered on certain items, therefore bringing down the cost of certain items coming into Canada, which would be a benefit to Canadians. At the same time, without telling us and it became disclosed afterward, they were increasing tariffs on hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars of other items.

We know that raising a tariff is designed to keep products out of Canada, provided that those products that we are keeping out are made in Canada, but in this case, from toothbrushes to appliances to school supplies and to bikes, those products are not being made in Canada. Those products are still going to come in, the tariff is going to have to be paid, and when I talked to a bicycle retailer in Guelph last week, he told me the price of bikes is going up because of that tariff.

Would the member talk to us about why there is a nefarious effort to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes, borne by the people who can least afford it, including the middle class?

Speech – Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1

OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

GOVERNMENT ORDERS

Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1

Mr. Frank Valeriote (Guelph, Lib.) Mr. Speaker, the effort by the Conservative Party to deflect away from all of these taxes, on the eve of the budget, is quite egregious. It leaves people with the impression that the cost of helmets is going to go down and hides the fact that there are billions of dollars hidden in this budget. I thank the member for Wascana for bringing this to our attention.

I contacted a bike retailer in Guelph. He told me that if we had bikes made in Canada in the $400-$500 range, then he could go to the manufacturer and get those bikes and sell them, but we do not have bikes made in that price range, so we have to bring these bikes in from the very countries in which these tariffs have gone up.

I am wondering if the member for Wascana could talk to Parliament about the fact that when we do not have manufacturers in Canada to replace all those products on which there is a tax, they will come in, and we will pay higher prices.

Mr. Frank Valeriote (Guelph, Lib.) Mr. Speaker, the nefarious way in which the government has increased taxes is really inexcusable. It puts these tariffs on items such as bikes, school supplies, appliances, and wigs, particularly wigs for cancer patients, and it does it on things that are not manufactured in Canada. Therefore, local retailers cannot go to manufacturers in Canada and replace those items to sell to Canadians, those items that will now have this high tariff on them. In that way the tariff is going to come into Canada and trickle right down to the consumer. The government has increased taxes.

I know what the member is going to say. He is going to say there is no party in Canadian history that has decreased taxes like his party. However, the fact is that the Conservatives give with one hand and then they took all of it away today with this budget bill. I want the member to stand and tell Canadians why they feel compelled to raise taxes on the people who can least afford it, the working and middle class. Why have they raised taxes on them now?

Petition – Genetically Modified Alfalfa

OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS – PETITIONS

Genetically Modified Alfalfa

Mr. Frank Valeriote (Guelph, Lib.) Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition from thousands of Canadians presented to me on the national day of action on Roundup Ready genetically modified alfalfa.

The petitioners are justifiably worried about cross-contamination of GM alfalfa with non-GM and organic alfalfa, which will no doubt compromise the integrity of their organic crops. They call upon the government to impose a moratorium on its release until there is a proper analysis of the impact of GM alfalfa on both organic and non-organic crops.

Petition – Nutrition Strategy

Volume 146 | NUMBER 242 | 1st SESSION | 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday, April 29, 2013 ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS – PETITIONS Nutrition Strategy Mr. Frank [...]

Read more

Speech – Opposition Motion–Climate Change

Volume 146 | NUMBER 240 | 1st SESSION | 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday April 25, 2013 GOVERNMENT ORDERS – BUSINESS OF SUPPLY Opposition Motion–Climate [...]

Read more

Petition – Seeds Act and Plant Breeders’ Rights Act

Volume 146 | NUMBER 240 | 1st SESSION | 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Thursday April 25, 2013 ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS – PETITIONS Seeds Act and Plant [...]

Read more

Question Period – Roundup Ready alfalfa

Volume 146 | NUMBER 239 | 1st SESSION | 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday April 24, 2013 ORAL QUESTIONS Agriculture Mr. Frank Valeriote (Guelph, Lib.) [...]

Read more

Petition – Genetically Modified Organisms

Volume 146 | NUMBER 239 | 1st SESSION | 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Wednesday April 24, 2013 ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS – PETITIONS Genetically Modified Organisms Mr. [...]

Read more

Petition – Human Trafficking

Volume 146 | NUMBER 238 | 1st SESSION | 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Tuesday April 23, 2013 ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS – PETITIONS Human Trafficking Mr. Frank [...]

Read more

Petition – Canada-European Union Free Trade Agreement

Volume 146 | NUMBER 237 | 1st SESSION | 41st PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD) Monday April 22, 2013 ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS – PETITIONS Canada-European Union Free Trade [...]

Read more