Burton Bailey

“Mr. Speaker, I do enjoy listening to my colleagues speaking in the House. It is my pleasure to take part in today’s debate on Bill C-31, the budget 2025 implementation act, no. 2. As we all know, budget 2026 is only a few days away. While we will all find out the details of the next federal budget in due course, I feel confident saying it would build upon our plan to create a stronger and more resilient Canadian economy, a plan that, in many ways, was first shaped via budget 2025. In budget 2025, our government laid out a clear plan to build a stronger Canada, and since then, we have been moving quickly to turn that plan into action. We are building the infrastructure, the homes and the industries that will grow our economy and create lasting prosperity. We are empowering Canadians with better careers and a more affordable life. We are protecting our communities, our borders and the way of life we value so deeply. Bill C-31 would build on this momentum by introducing measures to make life more affordable and to build a fairer, more integrated and more self-reliant economy, one that creates lasting value for Canadians and stays resilient to the global shocks we are experiencing now. Most importantly, it would ensure that government support reaches the people who need it most. I would like to take a moment to speak to several key measures in this important legislation that demonstrate our government’s commitment to fairness, economic resilience and opportunity for Canadians at every stage of their life. Our government knows that Canada is strongest when we look after one another and ensure that everyone has a fair chance to succeed, especially the people in Humber River—Black Creek. That is why we are taking action to make everyday life more affordable. In January, the government announced the new Canada groceries and essentials benefit to put more money back into Canadians’ pockets. The benefit is helping more than 12 million low- and modest-income Canadians afford everyday essentials. It replaces the existing GST credit while providing more generous support. First, we increased it by 25% for five years, starting in July 2026. Second, we added a one-time payment for this year, equivalent to a 50% increase in the current benefit. Together these enhancements will provide substantial support to the people most affected by rising food prices, especially in my riding. For example, a person living alone who is eligible for the GST credit could previously receive a maximum of $543 for 2026-27. With the June 2026 one-time payment and the 25% increase for 2026-27 combined, that person will receive approximately $950 in total. For a couple with two children, total support will increase from $1,086 to $1,890. These increases will make a meaningful difference for households facing higher food costs. The benefit is also indexed to inflation, ensuring that payments will rise each year with the cost of living. We are taking these steps because helping Canadians afford everyday essentials is the right thing to do. The Canadian groceries and essentials benefit is part of a broader package of measures to ease grocery cost pressures all across Canada. Canada’s first-ever national food security strategy will address food insecurity, support producers and strengthen supply chains to help lower prices for Canadians. The strategy also includes a $1-billion investment fund through Farm Credit Canada and a $150-million food security fund to help Canadian businesses grow, produce and process more food in Canada. A further $750 million will go to expand year-round Canadian fruit and vegetable production. These measures will address the root causes of food insecurity by strengthening domestic food production and improving access to affordable, nutritious food. However, the government is aware that millions of lower-income Canadians do not file their income taxes, either because they do not have the resources to do so or because their income is too low to owe taxes. My office hosts income tax clinics every year, and we have three weeks of people steadily coming in. If people are not filing their taxes, they miss out on the benefits often. It causes some Canadians to miss out on the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, the Canada child benefit and the Canada workers benefit. These are all benefits they are entitled to, but they must file their income tax return in the spring of the year in order to receive them. That is why Bill C-31 proposes to allow the CRA to file a tax return on behalf of certain eligible individuals with lower incomes and with simple tax situations who do not owe tax and do not file their own taxes. This measure would ensure that support reaches the people who need it most. When Canadians keep more of the money they earn, they can better support their family, invest in their community and build the future they want. Similarly, the government recognizes the importance of creating opportunities through education. Bill C-31 proposes to implement consequential changes to the tax rules that apply to registered education savings plans to support the implementation of automatic enrolment in the Canada learning bond. The Canada learning bond provides direct federal contributions to help children from low- and modest-income families build savings for post-secondary education. Too many eligible families miss out, not because they choose to but because of administrative and awareness barriers. Automatic enrolment was introduced because it removes those barriers. By automatically enrolling eligible children, we ensure that support reaches the people it is intended to help, early in life when it can make the greatest difference, when they are ready to go to post-secondary education. Finally, today’s legislation would improve access to justice by making it easier and less costly for taxpayers to resolve disputes through the Tax Court of Canada’s informal procedure, while providing tools to address unlicensed and misleading insolvency practices. In closing, Bill C-31 reflects our government’s focus on fairness, modernization and resilience. Together, these measures would advance a single vision for the Canadian economy, one rooted in confidence in Canadians and the belief that generational investments today will build lasting prosperity for tomorrow. Our plan is clear: build one strong Canadian economy, invest boldly in nation-building infrastructure, put more money back in Canadians’ pockets and protect our country’s sovereignty and future. The budget 2025 implementation act, no. 2, is more than legislation. It would deliver on our commitment to remove paperwork that prevents vulnerable Canadians from receiving the money they are owed. This is our moment to build Canada strong, and every measure in the bill would move us toward that goal. Canadians expect and deserve absolutely nothing less.”