Freeland Says Conservatives Are ‘Huffing and Puffing’ on Affordability Issue

Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland stands during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on March 29, 2022. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

Conservatives have maintained the pressure on the Liberals over the cost of living this week, tabling two motions calling for cancelling tax increases, but Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said they’re merely “huffing and puffing” as they’ve said they’ll support the government’s proposed GST rebate.

“When you look past all the huffing and puffing, all the striding and posturing, here’s what’s happened this week: The Conservatives have done a U-turn and accepted our targeted and fiscally responsible plan to help 11 million vulnerable Canadian families with GST rebates of nearly $500,” said Freeland during question period in the House of Commons on Thursday.

Conservative House Leader Andrew Scheer told CTV earlier this week his party would support the Liberal measure to temporarily double the GST credit to approximately 11 million Canadians.

“Putting tax dollars back in the pockets of Canadians is something that Conservatives have always supported,” Scheer said

Along with calling for cancelling the Carbon Tax hike planned for April, Tory Leader Pierre Poilievre says the Liberals should also cancel the rise in contributions to the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance (EI) starting in 2023.

Freeland said in the House “it’s time for the Conservatives to trump their utterly reckless scheme to drain our pensions and EI and to support our plan to help Canadians pay their rent and take their kids to the dentist.”

Freeland was alluding to other affordability measures her government will seek to pass in Parliament.

The deputy prime minister and minister of finance was responding to Poilievre instead of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was visiting Magdalen Islands in Quebec in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.

After Freeland’s “huffing and puffing” remark, Poilievre cited an Angus Reid poll which suggests that 51 percent of Canadians say it’s now difficult to feed their household.

“Canadians are struggling to eat in Canada, a G7 country,” Poilievre said.

“The majority of people cannot afford groceries. That is seven years of this liberal government. Canadians are out of money, this government is out of touch, why won’t they cancel their tax hikes so Canadians can afford to eat?”

Poilievre’s motion to cancel the Carbon Tax increase was defeated in the House along party lines on Sept. 28.

On Sept. 29, Scheer tabled a new motion asking the government not to raise new taxes on “gas, groceries, home heating and pay cheques.”