Joël Lightbound

Mr. Speaker, perhaps my colleague would benefit from being reminded that the tax measure he referred to is a tax increase for the wealthiest 1% and a tax cut for nine million Canadians. Our plan to do that was the worst-kept secret in town, because it was one of our campaign promises, and we keep our promises. Our promises have enabled Canada to achieve the highest growth in the G7 and have given some breathing room to families that need it, and I am very proud of that.

Mr. Speaker, what the Minister of Finance has always done, and will continue to do, so he can deliver for Canadians is to work with the Ethics Commissioner to make sure that all rules are followed, to follow her recommendations. He has mentioned that he would go even above and beyond. If I could just refresh the member's memory, former finance minister Joe Oliver was the sole owner of a corporation that held publicly traded securities. The member from Nepean was the minister of democratic institutions, had recommendations from the Ethics Commissioner, never acted upon them. What I see is a bit of hypocrisy and a lot of amnesia. At the same time, I can understand why those members are trying to forget their decade in power. Millions of Canadians are trying to forget.

Mr. Speaker, when we think that the opposition could not go any lower, it does. Now it is trying to implicate the finance minister's father, and I think that is disgraceful. The Financial Post this morning stated that the attacks by the Tories are becoming unethical in and of themselves. I think the opposition can do better than that.

Mr. Speaker, what the hon. member just said is both false and fallacious.We are not raising taxes for small businesses. Their tax rate remains unchanged and is the lowest in the G7. We support our SMEs. We are not attacking small businesses or farmers. Our only goal is tax fairness. That is what we are trying to accomplish, and that is why we are holding consultations on our proposals in order to make sure we are doing things right.

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed the rules and followed the recommendations, and he has announced he will go even above and beyond.I understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy and prefer to talk about the finance minister. If we remember, and I will give the number, 1.6% was the real annual GDP growth for a decade. That was the worst since Mackenzie King, the worst in 69 years. Let us compare that to today, when Canada is growing its economy at the fastest pace in the G7, and it is 3.7% over the last year. That is what we are doing.That is, again, Conservatives playing politics, and Liberals working for Canadians.

Madam Speaker, I think the member's lack of respect is shameful. I know he can do much better. I want to reassure all the business owners who are listening that our goal is to improve tax fairness. We are keeping a low tax rate for our small businesses because we know how crucial they are to the Canadian economy and how much they contribute to our growth. We want to create an environment that is conducive to growth, and we have been very successful on that score since coming to power. I am talking about 400,000 new jobs, the highest GDP growth in the G7, the strongest growth rate in 15 years. These are results the Conservatives were never able to achieve.We are moving forward with our objective of improving tax fairness and supporting our SMEs and the middle class.

Madam Speaker, I want to reiterate that we are keeping tax rates low for our SMEs. We know how important SMEs are to the Canadian economy, and we will always stand behind our entrepreneurs.The only problem is that we have noticed some inequities in our tax system that encourage certain individuals in Canada to incorporate themselves and use corporate entities to access tax benefits that the vast majority of Canadians, like my colleague's constituents and the middle class, do not have access to. We think that we can do better and make our tax system a little fairer, and that is what we are working towards.

Mr. Speaker, I heard the member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles say that the Liberals are the most crass people. I believe that is unparliamentary language.Therefore, I invite him to pause and reflect, apologize, and withdraw his remarks.

Mr. Speaker, what all Canadians know is that, in this place, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is responsible for safeguarding the integrity of Parliament. Like us, Canadians expect all parliamentarians to work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and follow her recommendations. They expect her to tell each of us what to do based on our own individual circumstances. That is what the commissioner did for the Minister of Finance. He always followed her advice and recommendations. He will continue to work with her to live up to the highest standards of integrity that Canadians expect.

Mr. Speaker, what was impossible for them for 10 years was to grow this economy. Remember, two years ago we were debating if we were in a recession or heading into a recession. No one is asking that question now, because Canada's economy is growing at the fastest pace in the G7. It is putting other countries to shame, and they are looking with envy at Canada because of the work of this finance minister. He has done this while reducing inequalities in this country, a good thing that never occurred to them.

Mr. Speaker, our government is deeply committed to addressing HIV and AIDS in Canada. As the minister said yesterday, and I will reiterate, budget 2017 included new investments of $30 million over five years to support front-line interventions to reduce new cases of HIV and hepatitis C by adopting a harm-reduction approach. This builds on the $72.6 million being spent this year alone under the federal initiative to address HIV/AIDS, with $26.4 million going to community-based organizations, such as the one to which she has referred.We continue to work closely with all our partners in order to meet our targets and eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.

Mr. Speaker, let me quote something else I read recently in the papers. The Financial Post said, “The attacks on [the finance minister] ethics are beginning to look unethical in themselves.” That is precisely what the member is doing. It is beginning to look disgraceful to see the Tories engaged again and again in a smear campaign, focusing on everything that does not really matter to Canadians. What Canadians care about are the jobs we have created, 600,000 in the last two years, and the fastest growth in the G7. The minister has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner. We will always work with the Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to respecting our officers of Parliament, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives, who, members will recall, appointed unilingual anglophone officers of Parliament, showing profound disrespect for Quebec.We are committed to giving the Auditor General all the necessary tools. The member mentioned taxes, and I would like to remind him of one simple fact. Last summer, the OECD confirmed to Canadians that a typical Canadian family of four in 2019 has about $2,000 more in its pockets than in 2015. The Liberal plan is working for the middle class.

Madam Speaker, the Minister of Finance has only ever acted with the interest of Canadians in mind. Under his leadership, our economy has grown faster than it has in the past 10 years, and the unemployment rate is lower than it has been in the past 10 years. He lowered the child poverty rate by 40% with one of the most ambitious social policies in the country. I think that we can all be proud of the work of this Minister of Finance. I can totally understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the decade of darkness when they failed on practically all fronts when it comes to the economy and they failed Canadians.

Madam Speaker, I will tell members who had lost faith in the ability of anyone to do their job. Canadians had lost faith in the ability of the Conservatives to do their job when it came to managing the economy. That is why they voted them out. In fact, they were right, because they mismanaged the economy for 10 years. Our finance minister has managed to create 500,000 jobs in the last two years, most of them full time, and has generated the best growth in the G7, meanwhile reducing inequalities. Those are all the things the Conservatives were never able to achieve.

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, our goal has always been to ensure that family members who work in the family business can continue to do so and be be paid for it. We simply want to enhance tax fairness because at the moment some Canadians have access to tax benefits that are not available to the majority of Canada's middle class. I would like to remind the House that by 2019, all SME owners will benefit from a lower SME tax rate, which will be reduced from 10.5% to 9%. We are doing this because we recognize just how important SMEs are to Canada's prosperity and economic vitality.

Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the member was listening to the Minister of Finance this week, because the minister repeatedly said that he sold these shares that November and December, after coming to Ottawa, and that he even gave nearly $5 million to charity. Yes, the opposition's role is to ask questions and hold the government to account, but that does not include making personal attacks, which regrettably is what we heard in the House this week. There was not a hint of insider trading in the transaction that was carried out. No need to take my word for it, however.This was in a CBC News column this morning, “To be clear: there is zero actual evidence that [the finance minister] engaged in insider trading.”

Mr. Speaker, we lowered the small business tax rate to 9%, the lowest rate in the G7. We also lowered taxes on the middle class. That was the first thing we did. The member for Louis-Saint-Laurent voted against that. We gave more money to families with the Canada child benefit. This money goes into the economy and builds confidence in the future. The money can be used to buy back-to-school supplies, for example. On average, a typical family of four is $2,000 better off. My colleague voted against that. In his riding, $79 million goes out to 22,000 children every year. He voted against that.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians also remember that in the summer of 2015, right in the middle of an election campaign, people were wondering whether we were in a recession or heading for a recession. The campaign lasted 78 days and cost taxpayers a fortune, all thanks to the former government.Now, no one is wondering about that anymore. Canada has the fastest-growing economy in the G7, 600,000 jobs have been created, and entrepreneurs in my riding, and across Canada, know that we are lowering the small business tax from 10.5% to 9%, because we know how important SMEs are and how much they contribute to our economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, if it is true that we are defined by what we do and perhaps by what we do not do, what the finance minister has not done is to mismanage the economy the way they mismanaged it for 10 years. What he has done is create half a million jobs in this country, most of them full time; grow the economy at a faster pace than they ever could; reduce child poverty by 40%; reduce taxes for nine million Canadians; go back on the regressive policies they put forward, such as doubling the TFSA limit that would benefit the three per cent of wealthiest Canadians, so we can give more to Canadians who need it the most; and yesterday we announced a national housing strategy they should have done a long time ago.

Madam Speaker, the finance minister has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner very proactively in a forthcoming and transparent manner. He will continue to do so. That is what he has always done. Now we are focused on what he has done for the last two years, which is growing the economy; making sure that all Canadians have a fair shot at success; and reducing inequality, something that never occurred to them would be a good thing. This is what we are doing on this side: prosperity for all.

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Canadians. The evidence is absolutely clear. In communities where they are needed and appropriate, harm reduction is an important part of a comprehensive approach to drug control. We put harm reduction back in as a pillar of our drugs and substances strategy. This is why we are proposing to streamline the criteria and process for supporting community applications in Bill C-37.

Mr. Speaker, I will finish, because I was cut off. In the November 6, 2015, Ottawa Citizen article, we said that our objective was to have the middle class tax cut in place for January 1.There has never been any secret in our plan to tax the wealthiest 1% and reduce taxes for the middle class. The accusations opposition members are trying to make are completely baseless. The fact that they do not dare repeat them outside the House shows, with great certainty, that they have nothing to back them up.

Mr. Speaker, we know there is more to do to provide Canadians with end-of-life care. Our government's legislation on medical assistance in dying clearly demonstrates our commitment to work with provinces, territories, and civil society to improve access to a range of end-of-life care services in Canada. I am glad the member has asked this question about home care and palliative care. We have invested $6 billion to improve access to home, community, and palliative care services over the next 10 years.

Madam Speaker, we will always stand behind the middle class. The first thing we did when we came to power in 2015 was raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% in order to lower taxes for nine million Canadians. We brought in a more progressive Canadian child benefit that will lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. Meanwhile, for 10 years, the Conservatives gave tax breaks to the rich. Our goal is to help the middle class, help SMEs, and introduce greater tax fairness into our tax system.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind the opposition that we were elected on a very clear promise to defend the middle class. The previous government ignored the middle class for a decade to focus on giving tax breaks to the rich. That is why the first thing we did was lower taxes for 9 million Canadians and make the Canada child benefit more progressive than ever before, ensuring it will lift 300,000 children out of poverty. We are very proud of these achievements, and we do not need any lessons from the other side of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for Louis-Saint-Laurent for giving me the opportunity to answer a question in this august chamber one last time before the holidays and the closing of Centre Block.My colleague for Louis-Saint-Laurent is a history buff. He knows that in 2006, the Conservative government inherited the best fiscal position of any incoming government. The Conservatives were given impressive surpluses, but it took them only two years to squander those surpluses that the Paul Martin and Jean Chrétien Liberal governments had left them. The Conservatives are all about rhetoric and posturing. In 10 years, they gave Canadians the worst growth since the Second World War. We will take no lessons from that side of the House.

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives forgot, for 10 years, to grow the economy and to take care of the middle class. That is something the finance minister has done remarkably well in the last two years, creating 600,000 jobs and growing our economy at the fastest pace in the G7. I understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about it. They focus on the finance minister, making all sorts of false and baseless accusations they would not dare repeat outside.

Mr. Speaker, it is my turn to remind my hon. colleague of the facts. Under 10 years of Conservative leadership, we had the worst GDP growth since Mackenzie King, the worst job creation since 1946, and the worst growth in exports since World War II.In the past two years, 600,000 jobs have been created, most of them full-time, 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty, Canada is the fastest growing country in the G7 and has the best fiscal position of all G7 countries, by almost double.

Madam Speaker, I was actually in Saskatchewan just yesterday to meet with representatives of Saskatchewan's agrifood sector, agricultural producers, and farmers. We will always stand behind our farmers and defend the family farm model. That is why there is nothing in our proposals that would prevent a family member from working on a farm or in a business.We want to make sure we get this right. That is why we are actively listening, so we can improve tax fairness and maintain our support for farmers and family farms.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to remind my esteemed colleague that in 2015, during the election campaign, we were debating whether Canada was in a recession or heading into one.That is the legacy that the Conservative government left behind, a legacy of policies that failed by virtually every measure. There is no word strong enough in either French or English to describe just how badly they failed on growth, job creation and export development. As for the social deficit, the Conservatives never lifted a finger to reduce inequality in Canada. Instead, they made it worse.We will take no lessons from the previous government and the Conservative Party. Our record speaks for itself.

Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the member, as well as all Canadians, that we have always been very fiscally responsible, making sure that our debt to GDP ratio remains firmly on a downward track and that it will be at its lowest level in close to 40 years. We are in the best fiscal position in the G7. However, in 2015, Canadians had a choice between the failed austerity policies of the Conservatives, which were also in the NDP platform, and a progressive agenda that invests in communities, in infrastructure, and in reducing inequalities in this country. The results speak for themselves.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times in the House for the member's benefit, the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and has always followed her recommendations. If he wants other facts, I can give him some. For example, real GDP growth was 1.6% during the 10 years they were in power. That is the worst performance since Mackenzie King. Average annual employment growth was 1%, the worst since the Second World War. He wants other facts, so here they are: growth was 3.7% last year, the best growth in the G7 for Canada. In addition, 500,000 jobs were created in the last two years, and there was a 40% drop in child poverty. That is the work our government has done.

Mr. Speaker, before the election, the Conservatives added $150 billion to Canada's debt. Before the election, the Conservative government failed to generate growth in the country and saw the worse record on practically every economic indicator since the great recession. Before the election, the Conservatives gave tax breaks after tax breaks to the wealthiest. After the election, we lowered taxes for the middle class with the Canada child benefit. We had higher taxes for the wealthiest 1%. We delivered the best results in the G7 in 2017, the fastest growth, 800,000 jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm to the member opposite that the Minister of Finance spoke to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner as soon as he was elected to ensure that he was following all of her recommendations.Yesterday, a letter that the commissioner wrote to him after his election was made public. I encourage the member to read it. The minister has always followed all of the recommendations made by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.Yesterday, he announced that he would go the extra mile to avoid any distractions and to continue the important work he does in the service of Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, after he was elected, the Minister of Finance did not wait around. He met with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner right away to make sure that he was following all the rules and all of her recommendations.What he did yesterday was announce that he was going to take the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's recommendations one step further by putting his holdings in a blind trust and working with her to divest himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell. He is doing this so that he can continue the important work he does for all Canadians, for the middle class, to reduce inequality and grow our economy.

Mr. Speaker, if the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent wants to talk about colossal failures, then I urge him to look at the decade spent under Stephen Harper's Conservative government. That was a colossal economic failure in almost every way. The Conservative government had the worst growth in exports, the worst job record, the worst wage growth, the worst growth, period. Growth was so slow that, during the 2015 election campaign, we were debating about whether Canada was in a recession.Our record speaks for itself. We had the strongest growth in the G7 last year.

Mr. Speaker, last night I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion with this particular opposition member, and I noticed that he was very careful not to repeat any of the allegations he is making here outside this chamber. If they are as justified as he claims, I invite him to repeat them outside this chamber.What I can say is that the tax measures he is referring to raised taxes for the wealthiest 1% and cut them for nine million Canadians. This was a promise we made during the election campaign, and I am very proud of it.

Mr. Speaker, after the Conservatives offered for a decade the lowest growth in GDP since since Mackenzie King, after they offered Canadians for a decade the lowest job creation since 1946, after they offered to Canadians the worst growth in exports since the Second World War, it is hard to take them credibly on any topic when it comes to the economy.However, our results speak for themselves. In the last two years, the Canadian economy has created over 600,000 jobs, most of them full time. We have the fastest growth in the G7. We will continue to work for Canada's prosperity in the long term so that Canada remains competitive.

Mr. Speaker, we have always been clear with Canadians about our intention to lower taxes for small and medium-sized businesses. We made that promise during the election campaign because we recognize how important SMEs are. We will always support middle-class entrepreneurs.We have also always said that we want to improve the fairness of certain aspects of our tax system. That is exactly what we are doing after having consulted Canadians across the country in order to be sure that we are doing things right.

Mr. Speaker, I simply want to remind my colleague that the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board operates independently, at arms' length from the government, and we expect it to make wise investments in the interest of Canadians and Canadian pensioners.

Madam Speaker, how ironic for a member who is reading his question to call me a parrot.I would like to remind him of one thing: our government is focused on growth, something that the Conservatives did not manage to accomplish during their 10 years in office because they were busy giving tax breaks to the wealthy. We have created 400,000 jobs, most of which are full-time positions. Our GDP has experienced the strongest growth in 15 years. Prosperity and growth are important to us, but prosperity must be inclusive.

Madam Speaker, I would like to once again remind members that, as long as the money stays in a business to be invested in that business's growth and innovation, there will be no change. We will continue to offer the lowest tax rate for SMEs in the G7 because we know that it gives them a competitive advantage. We support our SMEs.The only problem is that the existing system is unfair and encourages wealthy Canadians—and I am not talking about the middle class here—to incorporate so they pay a lower tax rate than most Canadians. We think we can do better and make our tax system fairer.

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the impact that Lyme disease has on Canadians and on their families.I was pleased, the minister was pleased, to table the federal framework on Lyme disease in Canada.

Madam Speaker, what is dishonest is quoting a study from the Fraser Institute that has been widely discredited for failing to consider the Canada child benefit. This benefit is making a huge difference in the lives of the families of the 23,500 children in his riding who receive it. It is insulting that the Canada child benefit was not taken into account.He also mentioned the public transit tax credit, something the members across the way have been bringing up for months. What did the public transit tax credit offer? A maximum of 15%. A Quebec City resident who bought a pass for the Réseau de transport de la Capitale would get a total of $13 a month at the end of the year, when they filed their tax return. That is not in the same ballpark as the Canada child benefit.

Mr. Speaker, it is no wonder that now she is on that side, she knows a thing or two about cutting services. It is the Conservatives' side that cut services to veterans and cut pay specialists that led to the Phoenix pay system. It is their side that sent cheques to families of millionaires. That was their focus. I understand that they tried to cut their way to prosperity. It failed. We have taken a different approach that has been working for the last three years and that is working for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the opposition member for her question. I was hoping that I would not be forgotten today and that I would be asked at least one question. This gives me the opportunity to rise for the first time as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and remind the opposition that our government's objective is a fairer tax system.The current system is inherently unfair and allows wealthy Canadians to incorporate so they pay a lower rate of tax than the middle class.We think that we need to keep taxes low for the middle class and SMEs, while asking all Canadians to pay their fair share.

Mr. Speaker, no Conservative government since 1946 has posted a worse economic performance than Stephen Harper's Conservative government, which the member is so passionately defending. I invite him to review his history and check his facts. Under the Conservative government, Canada had the worst export growth in 69 years, as well as the worst job growth, because the Conservative approach failed. It focused on the wealthy by sending cheques to millionaires' families and increasing TFSA limits for the wealthy, thanks to boutique tax credits.We took a completely different approach, which is working. We are reducing inequality and investing in Canadians.

Madam Speaker, we were elected on a very clear promise to grow the middle class. We made a commitment to all those who were forgotten for 10 years under the previous government, which focused on constantly giving tax breaks to the rich.That is why we raised taxes on the richest 1% in order to lower taxes for nine million Canadians, a measure that the Conservatives voted against. That is why we brought in the Canada child benefit, which is going to lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty. That is another measure the Conservatives voted against. We will continue to pursue our objective of achieving greater tax fairness.

Mr. Speaker, the minister has never denied it. He has always been clear that he did sell shares when he came to office in November 2015. I wonder what the member is alleging. What is the story there? If the member had read the newspapers this weekend, he would have read, “Tories can stop blowing smoke because there's nothing suspicious about Morneau share selloff.” That was in the National Post. I know the member enjoys reading Rebel Media. He should broaden his horizons.

Mr. Speaker, our government will always protect Canadians, Canadian workers and their interests. In reaction to the illegal and unjustified measures imposed by the United States, Canada introduced tariffs on steel and aluminum imports totalling $16.6 billion. We also put measures in place to help the industry on this side of the border.We will continue to work with people in the steel and aluminum sector to support them during this difficult time until these illegal and unjustified U.S. tariffs are lifted.

Madam Speaker, the finance minister, as he proceeds to donate the difference in the value of the shares between when he took office and today, will work with the Ethics Commissioner. He will always work with the Ethics Commissioner as he moves forward to divest all his shares in Morneau Shepell and place his assets in a blind trust, and then he will keep working for the Canadian economy.

Mr. Speaker, I also find it troubling when the member talks about the deficit. He was sitting around the cabinet table when the Conservatives added $150 billion to the national debt, but with what to account for it?Again, in committee last week, he said that we should judge policies based on results, not on intentions. He was quoting an unnamed economist. Surely that was not Stephen Harper, because when we look at the results of the Conservatives' decade in power, it had the worst job creation since 1946, the worst growth in 69 years and the worst growth in exports since the Second World War.In three years, we have delivered—

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has always been transparent and forthcoming with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed the rules and followed the recommendations, and he has announced he will go even above and beyond.I understand why the Conservatives do not want to talk about the economy and prefer to talk about the finance minister. If we remember, and I will give the number, 1.6% was the real annual GDP growth for a decade. That was the worst since Mackenzie King, the worst in 69 years. Let us compare that to today, when Canada is growing its economy at the fastest pace in the G7, and it is 3.7% over the last year. That is what we are doing.That is, again, Conservatives playing politics, and Liberals working for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, if the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent wants to talk about colossal failures, then I urge him to look at the decade spent under Stephen Harper's Conservative government. That was a colossal economic failure in almost every way. The Conservative government had the worst growth in exports, the worst job record, the worst wage growth, the worst growth, period. Growth was so slow that, during the 2015 election campaign, we were debating about whether Canada was in a recession.Our record speaks for itself. We had the strongest growth in the G7 last year.

Mr. Speaker, if we keep doing what we are now doing, Canada's debt-to-GDP ratio will be at its lowest level since the late 1970s. It is already lower than it was under the previous government.My colleague recently said that the government was spending a lot of money and did not have much to show for it. I imagine he knows something about that as he is a big fan of Stephen Harper, who added $150 billion to the country's debt and was responsible for the worst GDP growth since the Second World War, the worst job growth since Mackenzie King, and the worst growth in exports.The facts speak for themselves: 600,000 jobs created in two years and the strongest growth in the G7.

Mr. Speaker, it is no wonder that now she is on that side, she knows a thing or two about cutting services. It is the Conservatives' side that cut services to veterans and cut pay specialists that led to the Phoenix pay system. It is their side that sent cheques to families of millionaires. That was their focus. I understand that they tried to cut their way to prosperity. It failed. We have taken a different approach that has been working for the last three years and that is working for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the minister announced a tax cut for small businesses. Their tax rate will drop from 10.5% to 9% by January 1, 2019.

Yes, but it was the government that created the conditions for this prosperity, for this growth, which is the envy of every country, and the Conservatives were never able to achieve that in 10 years.

Mr. Speaker, it is my turn to remind my hon. colleague of the facts. Under 10 years of Conservative leadership, we had the worst GDP growth since Mackenzie King, the worst job creation since 1946, and the worst growth in exports since World War II.In the past two years, 600,000 jobs have been created, most of them full-time, 300,000 children have been lifted out of poverty, Canada is the fastest growing country in the G7 and has the best fiscal position of all G7 countries, by almost double.

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his poignant question.I want to reassure him on one point: we will always be behind small and medium-sized businesses in Canada. They are the cornerstone of our growth. That is why we are keeping the small business tax rate low. We are encouraging them to reinvest in growth and innovation in their business. We will always stand behind our small business owners.

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister, as is expected of all ministers and parliamentarians, has worked with the Ethics Commissioner. We have the utmost trust in the Ethics Commissioner to set the path forward for parliamentarians, which she has done with the Minister of Finance. When he arrived in Ottawa he followed all of her recommendations. He announced a few weeks ago that he would go above and beyond to dispose of all his shares in Morneau Shepell, place all of his assets in a blind trust, so he could continue to the work that he has been doing for two years for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am always astonished that my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent is able to keep a straight face when he says that the Conservatives balanced the budget, since they actually added $150 billion to the national debt.What was the result? The Conservatives had the worst export growth since the Second World War, along with the worst job growth. Canada's growth was anemic for 10 years. It was a decade of economic failure. I will say this next part slowly so that he understands. Since we took office three and a half years ago, we have created one million jobs in Canada and 20%—

Mr. Speaker, acting in the interests of Canadians was lowering taxes for nine million Canadians, lowering taxes for small businesses from 10.5% to 9%, helping 300,000 kids be lifted out of poverty with the Canada child benefit, and growing this economy at the fastest pace in the G7, something the Conservatives were never able to achieve. That is working in the interests of Canadians. That is Conservatives playing politics. That is Liberals working for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to remind the member that if he had paid close attention to a recent release from Statistics Canada, he would have seen that in the short three and a half years we have been in power, we have reduced poverty by 20% in Canada. If we talk about child poverty, it is 40%, through investments like the Canada child benefit, like investments in housing, like investments in vulnerable seniors. These are all measures both parties on the other side voted against.

Madam Speaker, what Canadians anticipated under the previous Conservative government was sluggish growth. The Conservatives had the worst growth and highest unemployment since World War II.The 1% rate of growth in employment was the slowest job creation growth since World War II.When our government came to office, we instituted policies like investing in infrastructure and supporting business owners to ensure growth for the country and to provide the right conditions for investment, entrepreneurship, and prosperity. That is what we have been doing and what we will continue to do.

Mr. Speaker, no Conservative government since 1946 has posted a worse economic performance than Stephen Harper's Conservative government, which the member is so passionately defending. I invite him to review his history and check his facts. Under the Conservative government, Canada had the worst export growth in 69 years, as well as the worst job growth, because the Conservative approach failed. It focused on the wealthy by sending cheques to millionaires' families and increasing TFSA limits for the wealthy, thanks to boutique tax credits.We took a completely different approach, which is working. We are reducing inequality and investing in Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, it would be my pleasure to work with the member opposite to explain the details when they are known. The details regarding income sprinkling should be known imminently. We will always stand behind small business owners. That is why we will reduce the small business tax rate from 11% down to 9% by 2019, because we recognize the importance of small business. We will always be behind the family business model, and we want to continue to work to make sure that prosperity is trickling down to everyone in this country.

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that our tax system is unfair in a number of ways and encourages some of the wealthiest Canadians to incorporate so they can access tax benefits that the vast majority of Canadians do not have access to. That is what we want to fix.We want to do things right, which is why we consulted Canadians from coast to coast. We want to keep tax rates low for our small businesses. We will always stand behind our entrepreneurs and the growth they create in this country.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the institution responsible for maintaining the integrity of Parliament is the Ethics Commissioner. The finance minister has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he complies with the rules governing the House and her recommendations, which he did by putting in place a conflict of interest screen, among other things. He announced that he would also divest himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell and place his assets in a blind trust. He is working with the Ethics Commissioner on this in order to continue the work he has been doing for Canadians for two years.

Madam Speaker, I know they like alternative facts on the other side of the House. They talk about the share value in Morneau Shepell. Two weeks after Bill C-27 was introduced, the share price was down 12% from what it was when the bill was introduced. They can keep playing politics. We will keep working for Canadians on this side of the House.

Mr. Speaker, let me reassure my colleague. The details about our reform regarding income sprinkling will be announced very soon. I would remind my hon. colleague that our goal is not to have an impact on family businesses so much as to inject a bit of tax fairness into our system. We think that it is unfair that some wealthier Canadians can use a private corporation to save the equivalent of the average annual salary in Canada, or $48,000. We want to enhance tax fairness. I know that that is a difficult concept for the opposition to understand.

Madam Speaker, what is dishonest is quoting a study from the Fraser Institute that has been widely discredited for failing to consider the Canada child benefit. This benefit is making a huge difference in the lives of the families of the 23,500 children in his riding who receive it. It is insulting that the Canada child benefit was not taken into account.He also mentioned the public transit tax credit, something the members across the way have been bringing up for months. What did the public transit tax credit offer? A maximum of 15%. A Quebec City resident who bought a pass for the Réseau de transport de la Capitale would get a total of $13 a month at the end of the year, when they filed their tax return. That is not in the same ballpark as the Canada child benefit.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to remind my esteemed colleague that in 2015, during the election campaign, we were debating whether Canada was in a recession or heading into one.That is the legacy that the Conservative government left behind, a legacy of policies that failed by virtually every measure. There is no word strong enough in either French or English to describe just how badly they failed on growth, job creation and export development. As for the social deficit, the Conservatives never lifted a finger to reduce inequality in Canada. Instead, they made it worse.We will take no lessons from the previous government and the Conservative Party. Our record speaks for itself.

Madam Speaker, parts of our current tax system are unfair because they encourage the wealthiest Canadians to incorporate so they can access tax benefits that the middle class cannot.We think we can do better. We think it is not fair when a professional who earns $300,000 per year can incorporate and save the equivalent of an average person's income in taxes every year. That is what we want to fix. We stand behind our small businesses and our middle-class business people, and we always will.

Mr. Speaker, this member wants to talk about what the Minister of Finance is doing for Canadians. We can talk about that.We can talk about the Canada child benefit, which has lifted 300,000 children out of poverty. We can talk about the guaranteed income supplement, which is helping 900,000 seniors living in poverty. We can talk about the 500,000 jobs he created. This is the most jobs created in the past 10 years. The Conservatives have the worst job creation record since the Second World War.That is what it means to work for Canadians, and that is what the minister has been doing for two years.

Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the member that the details will be known very shortly. I want to also remind the member that we will have lowered the small business tax rate from 11% to 9% by 2019, because we will always support small businesses. We will always stand behind small businesses. I can reassure the member that our intention has always been that the family business model can continue to prosper, and we will make sure that family members who work in a business can continue to do so and be remunerated for it. That is not the issue here.

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, under the Conservative government's disastrous policies, Canada was headed for a recession. In fact, Canada was technically in a recession in 2015, with the worst job creation and the worst GDP growth since the Second World War. We took a completely different approach, one that has been praised by the international community. It involves investing in our infrastructure, investing in Canadians, reducing inequality, and giving more to the middle class. In fact, because of our actions, next year, the average Canadian family will have $2,000 more in its pocket than it did under the former government. The economy is growing and our debt-to-GDP ratio is steadily declining, which is fiscally responsible.

Madam Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always been in full compliance with the rules and laws that govern us.However, I understand why the Conservatives want to focus on the finance minister's personal circumstances and not his record. If we compare his record to theirs, all of the economic indicators show that the Conservatives failed and that we are succeeding. We have the strongest growth in the G7, we have lowered child poverty rates by 40%, and we are helping 900,000 vulnerable seniors through the guaranteed income supplement.We, on this side of the House, are reducing inequality, and we believe that the economy should work for everybody. It never even occurred to the Conservatives to reduce inequality.

Mr. Speaker, the member for Beauce has been here long enough to know that the institution responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament is the Ethics Commissioner.Ever since he first arrived here in Ottawa, the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and presented his situation. She advised him on how to proceed. He announced that he would go even further by placing his assets in a blind trust and selling his shares in Morneau Shepell to continue the work he has been doing for the past two years for Canadians, which is looking after those whom the previous government neglected for 10 years, lifting 300,000 children out of poverty, and introducing the national housing strategy. That is what the Minister of Finance has done for the past two years now.

Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to concentrate when members across the way are shouting like that. I would ask that you intervene. What the minister announced is that we are standing behind our small businesses now as we have all along. We are cutting taxes to keep Canada on its current growth track. To make sure he was doing things properly, he listened to Canadians from coast to coast, and this week, he announced changes that will bring a little more fairness into our tax system.

Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House recognize that small and medium enterprises are crucial to the vitality of the Canadian economy. That is why the small business tax rate, the lowest in the G7, is not changing. We are on side with farmers. We are on side with small businesses. We have their backs. We want to make our tax system a little fairer.That is why we put forward our proposals and why we are holding consultations about those proposals now. We are listening to Canadians because we want to make sure we are doing things properly. We are not trying to go after small businesses or the middle class. All we want is a fairer tax system.

Mr. Speaker, every parliamentarian is expected to work with the Ethics Commissioner, who is responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament.That is what the Minister of Finance has always done, and that is what he continues to do. He met with the Ethics Commissioner recently and announced that he will go the extra mile.If my colleague wants numbers, I can give him some. Real GDP growth was 1.6% during the past decade when he was on this side of the House. That is the worst record in 69 years, since the time of Mackenzie King. Since we took office, real GDP growth has been 3.7%. It was dropping in 2015 and people were wondering whether we were in a recession.Now, no one is asking that question. Canada has the highest growth in the G7, and half a million jobs have been created. That is the finance minister's record.

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by reminding my colleague that 72% of Canada's debt was incurred by Conservative governments, including $150 billion under Stephen Harper's government. Before the Conservatives lecture us on fiscal restraint and balancing budgets, I think they have a lot to learn. What was their record? During their decade in power, Canada saw some of the weakest growth in its history. By contrast, in 2018, wages in Canada hit a 10-year high. Over the past three years, one million jobs have been created, and poverty has been reduced by 20%, something the Conservatives were never interested in doing for Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my colleague that we completely agree with him. Small businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy. They are fundamental to Canada's economy. We have supported our entrepreneurs and SMEs from the start. We lowered the small business tax to 9%. It is one of the lowest tax rates among OECD countries.I also want to remind my colleague that nothing helps SMEs more than a booming economy, a thriving economy. That is what Conservatives have always failed to offer Canada, with the lowest growth rate since the Second World War. The Conservatives' results speak for themselves: one million—

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance will not resign today, and I will tell you why.I will continue with the list that the member for Beauce started. We have a Minister of Finance who helped Canada become the fastest-growing economy in the G7 and who helped create 600,000 jobs in the past two years, most of which are full-time jobs. We have a Minister of Finance who reduced the unemployment rate to 5.9%, the lowest it has been in the past decade. This finance minister also reduced child poverty by 40% through the Canada child benefit and helped almost one million seniors through the guaranteed income supplement. That is what the Minister of Finance has done over the past two years.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Hull—Aylmer for his question and for the work he has done on this issue as a member of the Standing Committee on Finance. We have always made it clear that fighting international tax evasion and international tax avoidance is a priority.We implemented the common reporting standard to allow us to share information with almost 100 other countries to help investigators track money hidden in offshore accounts.We are also working with the provinces and territories to set up a registry of beneficial owners of companies, as requested by the anti-tax haven collective Échec aux paradis fiscaux.This spring, we introduced Bill C-82. This bill would implement OECD reforms to existing international tax agreements to prevent corporations and individuals from using aggressive tax avoidance schemes.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always worked in full transparency with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and followed her recommendations. That is what is expected of every parliamentarian on all sides of the House. He announced that he would go even further and put all his assets in a blind trust, divest himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell, and make a charitable donation of the difference in value of his shares between October 19, 2015 and now. The Conservatives are only trying to distract from their poor record on the economy. What they do not want to talk about is the good record of the Minister of Finance, who created 500,000 jobs in two years and has given us the strongest growth of the past 10 years. That is not something they can brag about because for 10 years they had the worst performance in every respect.

Mr. Speaker, to the contrary, nothing the member just said could be further from the truth.We took the report very seriously and went forward with measures to prohibit banks from providing misleading information to customers to prohibit banks from exerting undue pressure on consumers to buy products or services; to require banks to have policies in place to ensure consumers receive products that are appropriate for them; and increase penalties for banks from $500,000 to $10 million, something the Conservatives failed to do for 10 years.May I remind the New Democrats that they voted against these measures.

Madam Speaker, the debt the member is referring to was written off as part of an agreement made by the previous government.We looked at all options to try to recover the money for Canadian taxpayers, but ultimately, the contract had been signed by the former government.

Mr. Speaker, it is important to remember that two years ago, during the election campaign and after ten years of Conservative management, Canadians asked themselves the following question: is Canada in a recession or headed for a recession? That was understandable after 10 years of the worst growth in jobs and exports.Canadians decided to do what economists around the world had suggested. When interest rates are low and the economy is slowing, the right choice is to invest in our communities, invest in infrastructure, and invest in science, as we are doing in order to grow the economy. That is what we did and the results speak for themselves: 600,000 jobs have been created, and we have the strongest growth in the G7.They should take notes on our approach.

Mr. Speaker, as is expected of all parliamentarians in the House, as soon as the Minister of Finance assumed office, he met with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure full compliance with the rules that govern us in the House. He followed all of the Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, including setting up a screen to prevent any conflict of interest. Last week, he announced that he would go even further by divesting himself of his shares and by placing his investments in a blind trust. The finance minister has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and acted accordingly, and he will continue to do so. I would remind hon. members that it is the Ethics Commissioner who is in charge of upholding the integrity of parliamentarians and Canadians' confidence in our institution.

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has done what is expected of all ministers, all parliamentarians, which is to work with the Ethics Commissioner. He met with her when he came to Ottawa, followed all her recommendations, and announced that he would go above and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to remind everyone that the previous government spent millions on flashy television advertising to promote and brand itself. They spent twice as much as we have. We have taken a much more targeted approach to our advertising and to our branding. He should look at the numbers of the previous government before standing in the House to ask a question like that.

Mr. Speaker, I simply want to tell my opposition colleague that that is not true.No interest group or individual has ever been told not to talk to a parliamentarian or a committee. That is simply not true. We are open and we are involved with Canadians, interest groups, and Department of Finance stakeholders to hear a variety of views and interests.

Mr. Speaker, what is expected of all parliamentarians in the House is that they work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. The Minister of Finance did so as soon as he took office. He has always followed the recommendations of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, including setting up a screen to prevent conflicts of interest, which he did at the outset. That screen is still in place today. The minister announced that he would go the extra mile and divest himself of all his shares in Morneau Shepell and place all his assets in a blind trust so he could continue focusing on the important work he has been doing for two years. I can understand that the opposition members do not want to talk about the Minister of Finance's record, which includes 500,000 jobs and the lowest unemployment rate in 10 years, because such an achievement is beyond their wildest dreams.

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the hon. member that we will always stand behind our small businesses. We want to keep the small business tax rate below that of all other G7 countries, because we recognize the importance of SMEs to the growth of our industries and the Canadian economy. We proposed some tax reforms and then we listened to Canadians from coast to coast to coast to make sure we get it right and make our tax system fairer where it needs it.

Mr. Speaker, we are reviewing the submissions we have received from Canadians. We have consulted from coast to coast, and the new proposals will be announced very shortly. We have always said that we want to make sure that we avoid unintended consequences. We stand behind the family business model, and a family member who legitimately works in a family business will be able to continue to be remunerated for it. We are behind small businesses. We are behind family businesses. We always will be.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, since the start of his term, the Minister of Finance has been working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he is in full compliance with all the rules that govern us and that he follows any recommendation that she may make.Just today, the minister wrote to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner seeking a meeting. He is open to any recommendation she may make, such as a blind trust, for example.

Madam Speaker, I would first like to thank the member for his hard work on behalf of his constituents.Our government is committed to working with the Government of Nunavut to address the health care needs of its residents. As part of the health accord, Nunavut will receive $11.2 million over 10 years in targeted federal funding to improve access to home care and mental health services. This is in addition to federal health funding provided through the Canada health transfer, which will reach $37 million in 2016-17 and will continue to grow year after year.We also support the delivery of public services in Nunavut, including health care, through the territorial formula financing, valued at close to $1.5 billion in 2016-17.

Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the member that the Minister of Finance has, from the get-go, worked with the Ethics Commissioner in a transparent, forthcoming, and proactive manner to make sure he respects all the rules and follows all the recommendations, namely, to put up a conflict of interest screen, which he has done.The Minister of Finance will keep working for Canadians, as he has done with remarkable results, growing our economy at the fastest pace in the G7. We are the envy of the world under the stewardship of the finance minister.

Madam Speaker, I understand that members want to keep focusing on the finance minister's finances while we focus on Canadians' ability to pay their bills and Canadians' ability to prosper and be successful so that all Canadians, regardless of what their situation is at birth, have a fair shot at success, and regardless of the cards they are dealt at birth, can play a good hand. That is why we have put in place, and this finance minister has put in place, the Canada child benefit that is reducing child poverty by 40% in this country. That is how we are helping Canadians from all walks of life. While they keep playing politics, we work for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the Minister of Finance has always worked closely with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and will continue to do so to ensure compliance with all of the commissioner's recommendations.The member is forgetting what we have always said and what we said in August 2015. I am very proud that we are lowering the small business tax rate, but we have always said that it must be done in the context of revamping our tax system to make it fairer. I am also very proud that we are doing this after having listened to Canadians from coast to coast.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure the member that the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner to make sure that all rules are followed and will continue to do so, but if they want to play politics while we work for Canadians, it is their business.I am very proud to work with a finance minister who has achieved more growth in two years than they ever could, and who has done it at the same time as reducing child poverty by 40%, helping 900,000 seniors, and reducing taxes for nine million Canadians. I am proud to work with him.

Mr. Speaker, to answer the member's question, I believe that constitutes cabinet confidence. On another note, though, I will say that the finance minister over the last two years has done amazingly well at growing this economy. We are very proud of the work he has done to make sure that Canada is prosperous, and that this prosperity is good for everyone and benefits us all.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has never denied that he sold shares when he arrived in Ottawa in November 2015. I am now trying to understand my opposition colleague's reasoning or the link he is trying to establish.I am very proud that he mentioned the measure we announced on December 7, 2015. I thank him for that. One of our election promises was to raise taxes for the wealthiest 1% and lower them for nine million Canadians. We on this side of the House are proud of that accomplishment. I know this might seem odd to the opposition party, which preferred to give tax breaks to the wealthiest Canadians when it was in power.

Madam Speaker, I think the finance minister has lived up to the Ethics Commissioner's expectations. He has followed her recommendations. He has worked with her from the beginning and will continue to do so, on all matters that fall under her portfolio.When we look at the finance minister, he is a man who has dedicated the last two years of life to public service, with great results for Canadians. I can tell members that I am very proud. He has achieved great results for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to have an opportunity to answer this question.Everyone is clear on the fact that the federal government allocated $1.2 to the project from the start. It did so in June 2018 when the Philippe Couillard government told Mr. Labeaume that Quebec could be ambitious and build a comprehensive transportation system with a $3.3-billion envelope. He knew perfectly well where those federal funds were coming from. Those funds were available in 2018 and they remain available today.As a proud citizen of Quebec City, I truly hope that Mr. Legault's government will make the Quebec City tramway a priority, as it should.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance introduced Bill C-27 to ensure that Canadians have a secure and stable retirement, so that they may live out their retirement with dignity. The Minister of Finance has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. He followed through on her recommendation to set up a conflict of interest screen. The commissioner felt that this was the best way to prevent any appearance of conflict of interest or any conflict of interest. The Minister of Finance will continue to work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to ensure that all the rules are followed and he will continue to serve Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the opposition member that the minister will always work with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to ensure compliance with all of the rules. All appropriate measures will be put in place.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance did put in place an ethics screen, which was recommended by the Ethics Commissioner. She described it as the best measure of compliance possible.He has always followed the recommendations, will continue to do so, and work in forthcoming and transparent manner with the Ethics Commissioner, going above and beyond her recommendations.

Mr. Speaker, I am trying to understand the line of reasoning. The Conservatives are saying that he should have sold all of his shares, or he should not have sold all of his shares. The fact is that what I see from this week on the part of opposition members is that they want to talk about anything else but the economy. On that front, the finance minister has delivered for Canadians more than the Conservatives ever could in the 10 years they were in power. We have 600,000 jobs created, with most of them full-time; the fastest growth in the G7; and the unemployment rate is the lowest in a decade. This is the finance minister's record.

Mr. Speaker, I heard the member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles say that the Liberals are the most crass people. I believe that is unparliamentary language.Therefore, I invite him to pause and reflect, apologize, and withdraw his remarks.

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the impact that Lyme disease has on Canadians and on their families.I was pleased, the minister was pleased, to table the federal framework on Lyme disease in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, the Ethics Commissioner represents the institution that protects the integrity of Parliament. The Minister of Finance is working with her and has done so from the start to make sure that he is in full compliance with the rules that guide and govern us.With regard to the finance minister's record, I can say that everyone on this side of the House is very proud to have a finance minister who helped Canada become the fastest-growing economy in the G7, created a huge number of jobs in Canada, and created an economic climate that allows our entrepreneurs to prosper, all while reducing inequalities. The opposition never managed to do that.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has always worked in a forthcoming and transparent manner with the Ethics Commissioner, and has followed her recommendations, namely what she saw as the best measure of compliance, to put in place a conflict of interest screen, which has been done from the get-go, a measure that was good enough for Denis Lebel when he was the minister, and a measure that was good enough for the member for Milton when she was the minister. That is what the finance minister has always done, he has followed the recommendations of the Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has been working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner from the beginning to make sure that he is in full compliance with her recommendations. That is what Canadians expect, that is exactly what the minister is doing, and we are proud of that.

Mr. Speaker, I am quite pleased with the question from the opposition member, who has given me the opportunity to talk about this tax measure that he is referring to. What is this tax measure? It is to raise taxes for the wealthiest 1% and to cut them for 9 million Canadians, and it is the Canada child benefit that we have made more progressive than ever. Under the Conservatives, not only was it taxable, but it was also sent to all families, regardless of income. We have introduced more fairness into our tax system to give more to those families who need it the most, and I am proud of that.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that, as I said, the finance minister has always acted on the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, including her recommendation to set up an ethics screen to prevent any conflict of interest. The Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner said that was the best way to handle things. Last week, he took yet another step to keep doing his important work for Canada's economy and for all Canadians, to reduce inequality, and to bring prosperity to everyone in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that Canadians can trust that the Ethics Commissioner will do her job, will guide parliamentarians, and will ensure that the rules are obeyed in order to avoid any conflict of interest, real or perceived.The minister has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner from the very beginning. He put in place a conflict of interest screen, and the commissioner herself believed that it was the best option. The minister will continue to work with the Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, as the Parliamentary Budget Officer said, the Trans Mountain project could have a very significant impact on the Canadian economy and, as I mentioned, at a time when 99% of our exports are going to the United States, we felt it would be good for the Canadian economy to diversify its markets. I think that Canadians agree, and that is why we are going ahead with the Trans Mountain expansion in a responsible manner.

Mr. Speaker, what is expected of all parliamentarians and all ministers is that they work with the Ethics Commissioner, who has our utmost faith and greatest respect, in order to preserve the integrity of Parliament. That is what all parliamentarians on this side of the House have always done, namely, work in a fully transparent manner with the Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, taxing web giants is an important issue. We want to find an approach that will both preserve a fair tax system and support an innovative economy.That is why the Minister of Finance is working with his partners at the OECD. He promised them that he would come up with a collaborative approach. We do not want to take a piecemeal approach. We want a careful, collaborative, and fair approach.

Madam Speaker, as the member knows, we have institutions in this place that are there to safeguard the integrity of Parliament. We trust the Ethics Commissioner's ability and impartiality to do her job. That is why, when the finance minister arrived in Ottawa, he disclosed his assets to the Ethics Commissioner and worked with her to make sure all rules were followed. She recommended putting in place a conflict of interest screen, which she deemed to be the best measure of compliance possible. That has been in place since the very beginning. The finance minister will continue to work with the Ethics Commissioner.

Madam Speaker, how ironic for a member who is reading his question to call me a parrot.I would like to remind him of one thing: our government is focused on growth, something that the Conservatives did not manage to accomplish during their 10 years in office because they were busy giving tax breaks to the wealthy. We have created 400,000 jobs, most of which are full-time positions. Our GDP has experienced the strongest growth in 15 years. Prosperity and growth are important to us, but prosperity must be inclusive.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, the Minister of Finance always worked with the Ethics Commissioner. He will continue to do so, but I do appreciate the opportunity to talk about the tax measures that were announced in December 2015, which fulfilled a commitment that we made during the election campaign, namely to raise taxes for the wealthiest 1%.I know that it is a fairly strange idea for the opposition party, which focused on giving tax breaks to the wealthy during the 10 years they were in power. We cut taxes for 9 million Canadians, and we introduced the Canada child benefit to reduce inequality in this country. This is a record that I am proud of.

Mr. Speaker, the finance minister has said time and time again in this House that he sold shares when he took office, when he arrived in Ottawa, and that he has always worked, as well, with the Ethics Commissioner to make sure that all the rules are followed. He followed her recommendations to the letter when she said to put in place a conflict of interest screen. That is what he has done.The finance minister has been working for the last two years to grow this economy, to create jobs for Canadians, and to reduce inequalities, and he has done it remarkably well.

To the contrary, Mr. Speaker, we value the work we do with the provinces. We look forward to the discussions that will happen next week with the finance ministers of all provinces, as we continue to collaborate with all provinces and territories to make sure our economy is successful and thriving.

Mr. Speaker, I will use the line that the minister used yesterday, that the member is entitled to his opinion but not to his facts.The fact is that over the last two years, 600,000 jobs have been created in Canada. It is the fastest growth in the G7. All of that occurred while making Canada a more just and responsible society, giving more to families who need it the most, and reducing taxes for nine million Canadians. That is a record we can be proud of, and those members ought to listen.

Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that the Minister of Finance has always worked closely with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner in full transparency and followed her recommendations regarding a blind trust.I am very proud to work with a minister who has lowered taxes for nine million Canadians, who today announced a tax cut for SMEs, who has helped 900,000 low-income seniors through the guaranteed income supplement, and who has reduced child poverty by 40%. I think we can be proud of our Minister of Finance.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance left the company before he became minister. He has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make sure he complies with all the rules.However, if the member wants to know about the Minister of Finance, I can tell him that I am very proud to work for a finance minister who believes in social elevators and believes in the importance of reducing inequality and defending the middle class, which was ignored for 10 years by Mr. Harper's Conservatives because they were busy giving tax breaks to the wealthy.I am very proud to work side by side with this minister, who has lowered taxes for nine million Canadians and lifted 300,000 children out of poverty with the Canada child benefit. It makes me proud.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure the member that the finance minister has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner, in full transparency, to make sure that he is in full compliance with the rules and the recommendations of the Ethics Commissioner. That is what Canadians expect. That is what we will keep doing.

Madam Speaker, the finance minister has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner very proactively in a forthcoming and transparent manner. He will continue to do so. That is what he has always done. Now we are focused on what he has done for the last two years, which is growing the economy; making sure that all Canadians have a fair shot at success; and reducing inequality, something that never occurred to them would be a good thing. This is what we are doing on this side: prosperity for all.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance has nothing to hide. He has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner with the greatest transparency to make sure he is in full compliance with the rules that guide us in the House, and that govern us as ministers, as parliamentary secretaries and as members. He will continue to do so, and that is why he has decided to go further by divesting himself of his shares in Morneau Shepell, placing all of his assets in a blind trust, and donating the difference in value of his assets from the day he was elected to today. This Minister of Finance has been brilliantly serving Canadians for two years and has managed to accomplish more in those two years than the Conservatives ever did in 10.

Mr. Speaker, the institution responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament, an institution that we have the utmost faith in and the greatest respect for, is the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.The Minister of Finance has always worked with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner and he continues to work with her to ensure that he continues to act on her recommendations and go even further to have the full confidence of Canadians and continue the important work he does for all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, to answer the member's question, no, there are no friends to protect. We are taking a cautious and responsible approach. We want our approach to taxing web giants to be collaborative and not piecemeal. We want an approach that supports and fosters an innovative economy, while ensuring that the system is fair and just. That is why the Minister of Finance is working with his OECD partners to make sure Canada takes an internationally collaborative approach.

Mr. Speaker, as I said, I am not surprised that the Conservatives are questioning the judgment of the Ethics Commissioner, who is doing her work in a non-partisan and independent manner. She recommended that a conflict of interest screen be put in place as she believed that it was the best possible measure of compliance. This measure was good enough for the Conservative ministers at the time and the Ethics Commissioner believed it to be the best measure of compliance.On this side of the House, we work with the Ethics Commissioner, we will always do so, and that is what the Minister of Finance did and will continue to do.

Madam Speaker, my colleague from Louis-Saint-Laurent is an experienced parliamentarian who knows that, in Parliament, we have institutions responsible for maintaining the integrity of Parliament.The expectation is that ministers and all parliamentarians will work with the Ethics Commissioner by disclosing their assets to her so she can provide guidance as to how they can fully comply with the rules that govern us in the House.That is what the Minister of Finance did upon arriving in Ottawa. He has always been and continues to be completely open with the Ethics Commissioner. He has always followed her recommendations and now he is doing even more.

Mr. Speaker, the tax policy the member mentioned, which was announced on December 7, 2015, is one that we are proud of. We increased taxes for the 1% so we could lower them for nine million middle-class Canadians. That was one of our campaign promises, and that is why we were back in power in December 2015.Members on this side of the House believe that making our tax system fairer by increasing taxes for the 1% and lowering taxes for the middle class was and is a good thing.

Mr. Speaker, I wonder how many of their constituents have $11,000 at the end of the year to put in their TFSA limit? They cheered for that, just like they cheered for sending cheques to families of millionaires. We decided to take a different approach to help those who need it the most, with the Canada child benefit, and with GIS for seniors, where we are helping 900,000 seniors with close to $1,000 more a year. Those are the steps we have taken to make the economy work for everyone.

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance, like all parliamentarians in the House of Commons, worked with the Ethics Commissioner, who recommended that he take certain actions after being elected and confirmed that he was in compliance with the rules and laws that govern us. The Minister of Finance will continue to work with the Ethics Commissioner to ensure that he is fully and transparently complying with the rules that govern us. I think we can all be proud of everything the Minister of Finance has accomplished in the last two years, during which time he has done more for the Canadian economy than the previous Conservative government did in 10 years. He created 450,000 jobs and reduced child poverty by 40%. We are very proud of our finance minister.

Mr. Speaker, we have full confidence in the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make recommendations to parliamentarians, parliamentary secretaries, and ministers, and all parliamentarians should have that same confidence. On this side of the House, we will always work transparently with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. We will always follow her recommendations, and that is what the Minister of Finance did. He can now continue to serve Canadians, as he has been successfully doing for two years.

Mr. Speaker, our focus is to make sure that the Canadian economy remains competitive. Canada is one of the best places to invest in the world. We want to make sure it stays the same with diversification of our economy, with skilled labour, with investment in the middle class to make sure that people have the confidence to invest in their future. The results speak for themselves. Our plan is working. It is the fastest growth in the G7 that we have presided over in the last two years. Some 600,000 jobs that have been created, most of them full-time jobs. We will make sure that Canada remains competitive for the years ahead.

Mr. Speaker, given that 99% of our energy exports go to one single customer, the United States, Canadians understand that now, more than ever, we need to diversify our markets to get a fair price for our resources and create good jobs in Canada.Our government has full confidence in our energy sector. We will help move the Trans Mountain project forward properly as we protect our environment and hold constructive consultations with indigenous peoples.

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague. We listened to Canadians and we are tabling proposals that will bring greater tax fairness where it is lacking in our system. We want to make sure we are doing things correctly and maintaining a suitable environment for entrepreneurs by keeping our tax rate the lowest in the G7, avoiding unnecessary paperwork to make life easier for our entrepreneurs, and making sure that intergenerational transfers are not impacted by the measures we put forward. We reached out to Canadians, we heard them and we continue to work for greater tax fairness.

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that the Minister of Finance has always done what all MPs do, by working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make sure he is always fully transparent with her and follows the rules.The Minister of Finance has always followed the Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, and he announced that he would go even further to make sure he can continue the important work he does for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, that conflict of interest screen that was put in place following the recommendation of the Ethics Commissioner, which she deemed to be the best measure of compliance, was a measure that was good enough for the member for Milton and for Denis Lebel when they were in office. The finance minister has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner and will always work with the Ethics Commissioner. He has mentioned he would go above and beyond to continue the work that he has done remarkably well over the last two years for the Canadian economy and for Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the Minister of Finance has always worked with the Ethics Commissioner, who is responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament. That duty does not fall to the opposition, which seems to consider itself judge and jury. It is up to the Ethics Commissioner, who acts impartially and with integrity. We have confidence in the Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Speaker, I would also think that the some 20,000 children in my riding whose families receive more money through the Canada child benefit, which has lifted 300,000 kids out of poverty, would have the utmost confidence in the finance minister. He is taking care of the real needs of Canadians, while the opposition is playing politics, as it always does.

Mr. Speaker, as I said many times in the House, and as the member for Beauce knows, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner is the institution responsible for preserving the integrity of Parliament. The finance minister has always worked and always will work with her to ensure that all the rules that govern us are respected at all times.