FINA Committee Report

Bloc Québécois Supplementary Opinion

As the setbacks pile up for the government, ministers are seemingly having trouble solving even the simplest of issues. In July 2022, the government issued a news release announcing its intention to introduce an amendment to fix an inconsistency in Bill C-19. The government didn’t try to settle a WTO case with Australia over wine made from grapes and in failing to do so failed to protect our artisanal cider and mead producers. Despite all our work, other artisans are still struggling, not only acer and pear cider producers but also cider and mead producers who add other foods to the fermentation process. Almost two years later, nothing has been done, despite our repeated calls to the minister, her office and officials. It’s a rather niche example, but one that perfectly sums up how far Ottawa is from the reality of Quebec and our regions.

While we raised a number of urgent issues that needed addressing in the economic update, such as an end to fossil fuel subsidies, an emergency fund to fight homelessness, an emergency fund for the media and targeted measures for housing and for struggling businesses, we don’t feel that the government has the same grasp of the urgency. We heard that the Minister of Finance is heading the CUSMA review, when at least two other ministers have this matter as their mandate: the Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The fact that the Deputy Prime Minister is handling this issue underscores how important these negotiations are, and we’re well aware of that. However, we believe that, in the current situation, parliamentarians and Quebeckers deserve a full-time minister to deal with emergencies, plan investments and to restore a balanced budget.

We’re also disappointed with the way the Finance Committee manages its priorities. While the Conservatives and Liberals squabble over provincial and Quebec issues like the Canada Pension Plan, interprovincial trade and municipal zoning, actual federal issues are stalled. For example, for a fourth year in a row, the report on pre-budget consultations will be tabled in February, whereas our deadline for tabling the report is December. Putting off requests from hundreds of groups to just a few weeks before the budget isn’t taking the matter seriously. And that’s not even mentioning the countless studies and study proposals that have been on ice for months, even years without a report to the House:

• Impact of Inflation and Interest Rates on Mortgages in Canada
• Current State of Play on Green Finance, Green Investment, Transition Finance and Transparency, Standards and Taxonomy
• Policy Decisions and Market Forces That Have Led to Increases in The Cost of Buying or Renting a Home in Canada
• Current State of Fiscal Federalism in Canada

These studies are on top of one from the previous Parliament, which died on the Order Paper but deserves the attention of parliamentarians:

• Canada Revenue Agency’s Efforts to Combat Tax Avoidance and Evasion

It’s a bit frustrating, even alienating, that the Bloc Québécois, which wants to end the federal system in Quebec, seems to be the only party willing to use the power of parliamentarians to support the people, organizations and businesses it represents in Quebec. We will continue to take full advantage of the opportunity given to us by Quebeckers to represent them and bring the issues that are important to them to Ottawa. They can count on us to propose and push for solutions to their concerns, without falling to purely partisan interests. While the government drags its feet and has little interest in addressing these issues, the Bloc is keeping the focus on Quebeckers’ priorities and will continue to prove its trustworthiness by being honest with Quebeckers. As an example of Liberal stonewalling, let’s look at the government’s latest economic statement. To sum up its policy, it gave a snapshot of the implementation of green transition programs. For the carbon capture, utilization and storage program, there have been three announcements, two different legislative proposals and one bill in almost 30 months. It’s proof that absurdity doesn’t kill, but it can spell doom for a government at the end of its reign, one for whom nothing seems to work. We hear from many groups that the government tells them their sector or field is a priority and important, but support never comes. Quebec deserves representatives that walk the talk.

So, in conclusion, while many of our recommendations were adopted by the committee, here are the ones we would have liked to see added to this fiscal year, while we wait for Quebeckers to give Quebec full control over its spending:

• Fix the issues with the processing of applications from] candidates from francophone Africa for the International Student Program (ISP) who are victims of discrimination by the federal government. This is unacceptable for a francophone nation such as Quebec and the federal government must do something about it.
• Take the necessary fiscal and public policy measures to prevent the Bank of Canada from triggering a serious recession in its fight against inflation, like it did in the early 1990s.
• Submit a plan for balancing the budget.
• Substantially increase the GST rebate for new housing.
• increase the Canada Health Transfer (CHT) so that the contribution to health care costs goes from 22% to 35%.