Eric Lefebvre
Richmond—Arthabaska, Quebec · Conservative · Canada
“I hope the Liberals will be the eyes, ears and voice of their constituents this summer, because they are probably going to be surprised by what they hear. Canadians are not happy that their public finances are being mismanaged. They do not like that.”
“I am asking the minister to let me go meet with these employees so that they can explain what is going wrong, because that is our role. The minister refuses to meet with them. This is no joke. People working for the government want to help us, but the government refuses to meet with them.”
“I offered to meet with her and with the employees who use the Cúram system so that they can tell us what is not working so that she could fix it. She turned down my offer. Employees are willing to help us and to help the Liberal government fix this fiasco, but what did the Liberals do? They turned a deaf ear.”
“Actually, it is more accurately described as flagrant, persistent, calculated and insulting disrespect on the part of the Liberal government, day after day, toward Parliament, toward our democratic institutions, and toward all Canadians. The Parliament of Canada is a sacred place.”
“They shut down debate on Bill C‑26 . They shut down debate on Bill C‑20 . They shut down debate on Bill C‑9 . Finally, they shut down debate on Bill C‑30 . Elected officials did not have the time to study the legislation, question experts in committee or amend the clauses, which needed quite a bit of work.”
“Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to deviate slightly from protocol, as I would like to speak about a colleague who is held in high regard by all. His zest for life is unmatched. I am, of course, referring to our colleague from Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata , who suffered a serious medical emergency last week.”
The complete record
Every one of 273 lines we hold for Eric Lefebvre, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 6.
“Mr. Speaker, I would like thank my colleague. I quite like him and am lucky enough to play hockey with him. We were talking about half-measures just now. What the Liberal Party is proposing is a measure that will last four months, while what we are talking about would cover all of 2026. We cannot offer a half-measure for a few months and then reinstate the taxes. They are talking about 10¢ per litre, whereas our proposal is for 25¢ per litre. That is a significant difference. As we know, right now, the residents of my riding, those in my colleague's riding, and all of my colleagues' constituents are being fleeced. One way to help them would be to eliminate all taxes for the entire year of 2026 to demonstrate a genuine effort by the Canadian government to address their situation.”
“Mr. Speaker, once again, I appreciate the question from my colleague from the Bloc Québécois. Today, I am not here to debate how tax revenue is calculated. I am here for the people of Canada. Right now, Canadians are being suffocated. They are being bled dry. We have an opportunity here to help our farmers, our manufacturers, our families, and our seniors by significantly reducing taxes on gasoline and diesel. That is what the Conservative government is proposing.”
“Mr. Speaker, today's debate is on the opposition motion and concerns gas taxes, but my colleague is talking to me about the Liberal dental plan. What we are discussing today is the gas tax. The Liberal proposal is 10¢ for a short period of time. We are talking about eliminating all taxes, which amount to 25¢ per litre. That is money that goes directly into people's pockets. There is a significant increase in revenues right now. The Liberals owe it to Canadians to put that gas tax money back in their pockets.”
“To wrap up, I have many questions. Why will the Liberals not adopt our entire plan to axe all federal taxes on gas and diesel? Why will the Liberals not take action to help Canadians save 25¢ per litre of gas? Why will the Liberals not take action to help families of four save $1,200 by the end of this year? These are important questions that Canadians in my riding and across the country are asking day after day.”
“Canadians have a right to know that the Liberals have reduced the cost of fuel by only 10¢. The Liberals forgot to mention the reality at the pumps: Canadians are still paying 15¢ per litre for gas and 17¢ per litre for diesel in taxes alone. These taxes could be reduced to help ordinary folks get through this energy crisis. Some things are outside Canada's control. We cannot control the U.S President, what is happening in Iran or global energy prices. However, Canada has the power to shape its own destiny right here at home. That means removing internal trade barriers, cutting red tape and putting Canadians first. That said, the Liberal government had the full power to lower the cost of gas for Canadians, the full power to axe all the taxes it charges at the pumps and the full power to support Canadians and make life more affordable.”
“Do not forget that farmers work 365 days a year and are on call 24 hours a day. Farmers are the ones who put breakfast, lunch and dinner on our plates. We need to give them the level of support that matches the responsibility they bear of feeding Canadians. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all farmers. A Conservative government will significantly reduce the diesel tax for farmers, as our proposal is 17¢ per litre lower than the government proposal. The government has deliberately chosen to keep Canadians' hard-earned money here in Ottawa. We called for these taxes to be eliminated until the end of the year to allow families of four to save approximately $1,200 per year. However, the Liberals chose to end this relief on September 7—four months earlier than in our plan.”
“Once again, the Liberal government stole a Conservative proposal. However, according to the Conservatives' strong affordability plan, the government only came up with a half-measure, which is no surprise. If we look at the numbers, the Conservatives proposed to completely eliminate all federal fuel taxes. That measure would put 25¢ a litre back into the pockets of Canadians. The Liberals had every option but they chose to eliminate only the excise tax, which is a cut of 10¢ a litre. That is 15¢ a litre less than our proposal. The Liberal proposal is a cut of 10¢ a litre for four months, while we were proposing a cut of 25¢ a litre for the rest of this year. (1340) When it comes to diesel, the gap is even wider. Our proposal provides 21¢ in relief to the truckers and farmers who keep our economy running.”
“It is estimated that there will be an exceptional, unanticipated and unbudgeted tax windfall of $9 billion in total. That is $9 billion that will swell the federal coffers. I unequivocally believe that these additional tax revenues should be returned to taxpayers, the people in our communities who work hard every day. That is why the Conservatives are calling on the Liberals to use $5 billion of the estimated $9 billion in additional revenue to eliminate all federal taxes on gasoline and diesel. To be clear, the federal government will collect more revenue from the higher oil prices than it would cost to suspend the fuel tax for the rest of the year. If it is going to make billions of dollars more from higher oil prices, the least it can do is give that money back to Canadian families and business owners. We saw that this morning.”
“In addition, our plan will save businesses and workers around 21¢ per litre of diesel, providing relief in an already difficult economic climate. This will allow businesses to retain their employees and remain competitive. This will also help consumers, who will end up paying the price if nothing is done to curb rising fuel prices, which will force suppliers to raise their prices. This means higher grocery prices, higher housing costs, and higher fuel costs for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. After years of inflation, high taxes and rising costs, Canadians have tightened their belts enough. It is time for a change. It is time for this Liberal government to cut taxes in response to the current energy crisis. While gas prices have risen sharply across Canada and elsewhere in the world, the biggest winner right now is the government.”
“Our proposal includes four immediate tax-relief measures: (a) removing the Fuel Excise Tax for the remainder of 2026, which costs Canadians 10 cents-a-litre; (b) removing the GST on gasoline and diesel for the remainder of 2026, which costs Canadians 8 cents-a-litre; (c) permanently removing the Fuel Standards tax, which costs Canadians 7 cents-a-litre; and (d) permanently removing the industrial carbon tax, which will rise to $170 a tonne, and is projected to shrink the economy by 1.3 per cent and lead to 50,000 job losses. All told, this would allow Canadians to save around 25¢ per litre of gas, which means $20 every time a parent fills up the minivan, or more than $1,200 a year for a family. These are immediate steps the government can take to ease the pressure on our constituents.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are here today to discuss a Conservative proposal aimed at supporting Canadians in the face of the ongoing energy crisis in the Middle East. In short, we are proposing that the House call on the government to adopt the Conservative plan to save Canadians not 10¢, but 25¢ per litre by eliminating federal taxes on gasoline and diesel for the remainder of 2026. To support Canadians, we are calling on the government to take immediate, concrete and responsible action to put money back in the pockets of our youth, our families, our workers, our seniors and our industries.”
“Madam Speaker, I would be happy to talk about a specific case. I already talked about Martial Lavoie here in the House; he has been waiting for benefits for eight or nine months. That is just one case among many in my riding. People are contacting me. This man always got a recorded message when he tried calling the government. This morning, we asked what the average wait time was. We were told it was a little over 20 minutes. Using the Radio-Canada article, I showed the officials that my constituent's wait time was one hour and 27 minutes. That is the reality on the ground right now. It is not normal for a member of Parliament to have to take charge of this issue in order to resolve it. Investing $6.6 billion in a system that is not working is not going to fix the problem.”
“Madam Speaker, I also want to thank my colleague for his keen interest in this issue and for his commitment to standing up for our seniors in this place. Naturally, the proposal for an independent commission of inquiry is of paramount importance. We are talking about the biggest Liberal financial scandal in history. We have a duty to shed light on this matter and use every means necessary to do so. This commission of inquiry is one way to find solutions that can finally shed light on this matter. Once again, I thank my colleague.”
“Madam Speaker, my colleague is denying that there is a problem just because he has not received any calls. He has not gotten any calls, so the problem does not exist. Some 85,000 seniors are affected. The government has known about this for months. Again this morning, the minister told us that more than 63,000 seniors are waiting. My colleague is saying that no one has been calling him about it and so everything is just fine. Canadians deserve more respect than that. Just because one MP did not get any calls in their riding does not mean that the problem does not exist elsewhere in the country. I would invite my colleague to raise the level of the debate in this House.”
“We will continue to stand up for Canadians because they have a right to their pensions. It is their money. The government owes it to them. Seniors, who built Canada and who built Quebec, should not have to wait like this for months on end. We will always be there to defend them. This is the biggest Liberal financial scandal ever. The Prime Minister needs to show some leadership out of respect for Canadians. He needs to take charge of this situation and shed light on this file so that our seniors can be paid for the work they have done to build this country.”
“I asked the minister to go out into the field and meet employees who use the Cúram platform, who have been telling us that the platform is not working. I got a letter from an employee who, naturally, wants to remain anonymous. He wrote to tell me that things are not working and that we have not seen the worst of it. The letter came from a government employee who uses the platform, and he is telling us that this is just the tip of the iceberg. That is disturbing. I reached out to the minister . I offered to work with her and to go meet with employees on the ground so she could explain the Cúram issues to us in person, and so that we could put a team together to get results. The answer was no. The minister refused my offer to go meet with the employees. However, we here in the opposition will not give up.”
“I have been putting questions to the Prime Minister directly for two months now, because we are talking about the biggest financial scandal in history, with cost overruns of $5 billion. For two months, I have been asking the Prime Minister to show leadership, take charge of this file and get to the bottom of the matter to see what is not working, implement solutions and create a crisis task force. We need some dashboards from which to track progress and outcomes. Taxpayers deserve that. Taxpayers deserve strong stewardship, efficient services and clear answers. Right now, we do not have clear answers. My colleague and I have just had a question and answer session with the minister and we do not have a clear answer.”
“They want to know if there is a clear, publicly available timeline and how much more it will cost to fix the problem. We have heard about operating costs potentially jumping from $600 million per year to $1 billion per year. Were these costs budgeted for at the time the contract was awarded? (1025) Licences for the Cúram platform will need to be renewed. Was that taken into account? Was employee training factored into the expenditures? This is a crisis without a plan, and the crisis is getting worse. This file goes beyond technology. It has to do with trust. In politics, people's trust is the thing we hold most dear. We have to earn people's trust. We have to protect that trust and maintain credibility with our constituents. Right now, the Liberals' credibility in handling this crisis has been eroded.”
“A crisis of this magnitude demands transparency. Canadians are entitled to know who made the decisions, who approved the contracts, who is currently supervising the decisions and the fiasco, and who is tracking the contracts. Are there any tracking dashboards in place? How many contracts have been awarded to external consultants, and how much are these contracts worth? Have administrative penalties been considered? It has emerged that some officials actually received performance bonuses. Is it not unbelievable that bonuses were paid? The public's trust can be earned, but it can also be lost quickly when there is no accountability. Canadians do not just want explanations. They want solutions. They want to know when the situation is going to be resolved and what concrete plan is in place for stabilizing the Cúram platform.”
“What is the actual average wait time to process a file right now? We are hearing about an eight- or nine-month wait. The government must be judged by the results it achieves, not its intentions. Right now, it is not getting any results. My biggest concern is that we have seen this scenario play out before with the Liberals. We had the major IT fiasco with the Phoenix system, and now, people are asking whether the government has learned from its mistakes. Have the Liberals learned from their mistakes? What concrete measures have been taken to ensure that Cúram does not turn into another Phoenix? Has the Liberal government put the lessons it learned from Phoenix into practice? If the government is ignoring the lessons of the past, it is dooming Canadians to relive the same mistakes, and that is unacceptable.”
“How does the minister explain the fact that the project's costs jumped from $1.75 billion to $6.6 billion without triggering effective oversight mechanisms? Who approved those cost overruns? How much more is this broken IT system going to cost taxpayers? It is a waste of public funds. Our job is to responsibly manage the money that Canadians send here. It is important to remember that every dollar we spend here comes out of Canadians' pockets. As I said, the real scandal is not just the cost; it is the impact that this is having on people. Our seniors are the ones who are dealing with these delays and who now have unpaid bills. We know that the cost of groceries is problematic, and now some seniors' fridges are empty. How many Canadians are still waiting for their benefits because of the Cúram system?”
“Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking my colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue , who has been fighting vigorously alongside me from the beginning. The Cúram financial fiasco is about more than just numbers. It affects human beings, seniors who have worked their entire lives, citizens who have paid their taxes for decades. Now they are being forced to wait for the pensions they are entitled to. Pensions are not a luxury. They are a necessity and a right. However, because of the problems with the Cúram system, 63,000 seniors are currently in limbo, facing stress they should not have to endure. Initially, the project was supposed to cost $1.75 billion. The total currently stands at $6.6 billion. The question is simple. How could a situation like this have been allowed to spiral so badly out of control?”
“Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking my colleague for his excellent speech. I have a question for him about the impact on our seniors, who find themselves waiting for their benefits for six, seven or eight months. People have been talking about numbers a lot, but the human side of the story is just as important. I would like my colleague to tell us a bit about the impact on our seniors.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government's Cúram financial fiasco continues. After $5 billion in cost overruns, officials themselves have admitted that they do not know the exact future costs, suggesting that yearly operating costs could exceed $660 million to $1 billion. Cúram is the most costly Liberal scandal in history. My question is simple. Will the Prime Minister show some leadership and will he take over this file himself?”
“On behalf of my party and all Canadian parliamentarians, I offer my deepest condolences to his wife, Pascale, his family and his many friends. Since Rodger asked that his passing be announced with his catchphrase, let me say, “Bonsoir, il est parti!” May he rest in peace.”
“Mr. Speaker, we were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Rodger Brulotte, a legend in sports and broadcasting in Quebec and Canada. He was a larger-than-life figure whose voice and enthusiasm left a mark on generations of baseball fans. I was lucky enough to meet Rodger on a few occasions and I had the privilege of hosting an event with him. I witnessed his infectious passion, his generosity and his genuine love for the sport and for people. Rodger Brulotte was more than just an exceptional sports commentator. He was a community builder, an ambassador and someone who brought people together through his passion. Today we have lost a giant, but his legacy will live on in our memories and in the hearts of all those he inspired.”
“Mr. Speaker, we all agree that Canada needs to build more homes. The Liberal solution is to build more bureaucracy. The only thing the Liberals have managed to build is another bureaucratic structure. The fourth Liberal housing bureaucracy is Build Canada Homes. It is going to cost Canadians $13 billion. It will build 5,000 homes per year, or 1% of what the country needs. When will the Prime Minister cut the red tape and eliminate the GST on all new homes instead of creating yet another new bureaucratic structure?”
“Mr. Speaker, I have been asking questions about this for months. There are still 85,000 seniors waiting. The minister asked for cases. Another case in this morning's article was that of Martial Lavoie, a constituent of mine who is listening right now. He calls Service Canada almost every day, hoping to find out whether any progress has been made on his case. Day after day, the pre-recorded message says that, because of a problem with the self-service system, information about old age security payments is not available. That is the message. Why must seniors pay the price for this financial and IT fiasco, and why should future generations have to foot the $5‑billion bill?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Cúram software has racked up cost overruns of $5 billion and it does not work. The minister asked for cases. I would encourage her to read this morning's Radio-Canada article by Valérie Gamache. In it, Ms. Deraps from the Gaspé said, and I quote: “I called in. The gentleman told me that he was really sorry, but that he could not give me any guarantees. He said that it could take two days, two weeks, two months or six months, and that he had no idea when the files would be up to date”. If our entrepreneurs managed their businesses the way the Liberals are managing this, they would all be bankrupt. Unfortunately, the Prime Minister does not care about this. Who is going to take the lead on the other side?”
“Mr. Speaker, let us talk about taking action, since the minister mentioned it. Canada cannot control what the heads of other countries do, but we can control our own destiny. We have energy; let us develop it. We have critical minerals; let us develop them. We have housing issues; let us build homes. We have issues with food costs; let us eliminate the carbon tax. Those costs are imposed here at home, not abroad. I encourage the Liberal government to take our ideas and put them into action. We want to give Canadians some breathing room. When will the Liberal government finally take action?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is Monday and we are hearing the same old thing from the finance minister. Yesterday evening, I was at the grocery store and the price of food items, such as fruit, vegetables and meat, keeps going up. Eating should not be a privilege, especially not a privilege that millions of Canadians do not enjoy. The cost of food has skyrocketed. Is the Liberal dream to see a small family at the grocery store buying two cases of ramen noodles? We have the worst inflation in the G7. The government needs to take action. When will it eliminate the Liberal fuel tax?”
“Mr. Speaker, in our Conservative election platform, specifically for the regions of Quebec where the unemployment rate is below 5.5%, there was the possibility of asking for temporary workers to stay. That is part of our election platform for Quebec.”
“Mr. Speaker, today I am going to let you in on a secret. My greatest dream is to be a grandpa, and I hope that this happens in the next few years. At the same time, I have to say that I am worried when I see that the national deficit has doubled over the last 10 years. When I see that the interest on the debt is equal to the total amount of GST collected across the country in one year, and that the GST will be used just to pay down the debt, I am worried for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My hope is that the Conservatives will eventually be able to cross the floor and form government in order to manage the country effectively and efficiently for our grandchildren.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I have a great deal of respect for him and I enjoy working with him. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to give speeches. For example, this evening, I will be speaking before a chamber of commerce in my riding, and several mayors and farmers will be present. When I give a speech, I always say that we are privileged to have farm products on our plates morning, noon and night. Without our farmers to do this important work seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, we would not be able to function. I have a great deal of respect for our farmers. As for the matter my colleague mentioned, we can discuss it together.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are talking about regions where the unemployment rate is below 5.5%. There will be a grandfathering provision to allow temporary foreign workers to regularize their status within five years and obtain permanent residency so they can continue to work in our businesses, right here, and help develop Quebec and Canada.”
“Every dollar added to the debt contributes to inflationary pressure, which makes essential items such as groceries, transportation and housing more expensive. Let us not forget that every additional dollar of debt means higher debt servicing costs for future generations of Canadians. That is $55 billion in interest on the debt that we are paying and that our grandchildren will also pay. In closing, as parliamentarians, we have to make tough choices to better serve Canadians. However, we must keep one thing in mind: The decisions that we make today will affect future generations, and we owe them respect.”
“Since Bill C-15 is an omnibus bill, it contains many measures, but I think it is important to remember that Bill C-15 implements the measures of a Liberal budget with a $78-billion deficit. That is $78 billion in new debt that our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will have to pay. It should be noted that when the Liberals came to power 10 years ago, the country's debt was $700 billion. After 10 years of Liberal mismanagement, the debt is now $1.4 trillion. Although we approve of many measures in the budget, I disapprove of just as many. The Liberal government has continued to pursue its policy of endless deficit spending. It is extremely important to be vigilant when making budgetary choices.”
“He said that he agreed with my arguments and that temporary foreign workers who were already here and already part of their community, who had learned the job in their company and who were contributing to our economic development were important for the regions of Quebec. In that case, why will he not agree to include a grandfather clause? The Liberal budget clearly indicates that the government will take into account the specific needs of communities in the regions. It seems to me that the Minister of Finance and the Prime Minister are happy to say what Canadians want to hear in their budget but that they are not willing to take measures to actually support the Canadian economy and strengthen our communities.”
“Now these businesses, which rely on temporary foreign workers to thrive and stimulate the economies of Quebec and Canada, must face this new challenge and the restriction on economic workers that is being imposed by the Liberals. These people contribute to our economic development and have become part of our communities. Their children go to school, and their partners work for other businesses in the community, village or town. At the Standing Committee on Finance, I asked the minister three times whether he was in favour of a grandfather clause for temporary foreign workers in regions where the unemployment rate is less than 5.5%. Three times, the minister refused to answer, but do members know what he said?”
“To that end, the 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan will consider industries and sectors impacted by tariffs and the unique needs of rural and remote communities. To reiterate, it states that the plan “will consider industries and sectors impacted by tariffs and the unique needs of rural and remote communities”. To be clear, this is from the Liberal budget; these are the words of the finance minister and the Prime Minister . My riding and many parts of Quebec are facing a labour shortage, with an unemployment rate of less than 5.5%. Businesses are already facing an inflationary crisis and unjustified American tariffs.”
“As I mentioned, Bill C‑15 is about choices the government makes or does not make. During the committee's study of Bill C‑15, I had the opportunity to question several ministers about issues that, while important to my constituents, Quebeckers and all Canadians, are not included in this bill. Bill C‑15 packs a considerable amount of content into its 638 pages, but it does not include measures to support regions of Quebec that rely on temporary foreign workers to fill vacant jobs. Those regions are struggling because of the Liberals' poorly designed immigration plan. (1235) Page 96 of the budget states, in black and white: The government recognises the role temporary foreign workers play in some sectors of the economy and in some parts of the country.”
“Under the leadership of my amazing colleague from Newmarket—Aurora, we introduced a number of amendments to place checks and balances on the power of Liberal elites and to ensure that Canadians ultimately have the power to curb government overreach. With the amendments that were adopted, there now has to be a 30-day public consultation period before any exemption is granted. Dual approval from a cabinet minister and the President of the Treasury Board is now required. The government must table a report to Parliament within 90 days of any exemption and publish exemptions within 30 days to ensure transparency. The Conservatives put guardrails in place to limit the Liberals' power and to ensure that exemptions serve Canadians' best interests. Let us not forget that every parliamentarian here is here to serve Canadians' interests.”
“When they have the power to award government contracts, they award them to their friends, which is what happened with GC Strategies and ArriveCAN. Members will recall that the ArriveCAN contract was initially valued at $80,000, but it ended up costing $60 million. When they have the power to upgrade a computer system, they go over budget. That is the scenario playing out now with the Cúram software. It was supposed to cost $1.6 billion, but the budget is now $6.6 billion. This is outrageous. The project is $5 billion over budget. I think it is important to acknowledge the choices that the Liberals are making. They are choosing to concentrate power in the hands of the Liberal elite in Ottawa, far from Parliament, far from local communities, and far from Canadians. The Conservatives made a different choice.”
“We have to determine which measures to include, we have to choose between an inflationary deficit and a balanced budget, and as part of Bill C-15, we also have to decide whether to keep power in the hands of Canadians or hand it over to Liberal ministers and the Prime Minister here in Ottawa. In short, the Liberals tabled a bill granting cabinet ministers extraordinary powers. There were no provisions for consultations, guardrails, parliamentary approval or transparency. My Conservative colleague from Newmarket—Aurora explained this clearly. It is quite shocking that the Government of Canada thought it was appropriate to give itself such an extreme amount of power. Canadians made it clear that the Liberals' choice was an undemocratic power grab. It is important to note that the Liberals have already proven that they are bad with power.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are here today to talk about Bill C-15 , an act to implement certain provisions of the budget. This was my first time participating in the review of a budget implementation bill as a federal MP and member of the Standing Committee on Finance. This is a 638-page omnibus bill with 606 clauses that amend hundreds of Canadian laws. This bill includes measures ranging from raising the debt ceiling to repealing the digital services tax. Throughout the study, it was clear that our work as parliamentarians mainly consists of making choices, choices that improve the quality of life of Canadians today but also the quality of life of our children, our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren. Choices must be made.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have been rising here in the House to discuss the Cúram software for weeks now. The cost of this IT project has ballooned from $1.6 billion to $6.6 billion. That is a $5-billion cost overrun. Some 78,000 seniors are waiting for their benefits. We have asked the Liberal government dozens of questions, but we are not getting any answers. Yesterday, I asked if there was anyone in the Liberal cabinet who would take responsibility for this file, who would also bang on their desk and promise to take care of it. This is unacceptable. Canadians are the ones paying out of their own pockets. This is a waste of money. What is the Liberal government going to do?”
“Mr. Speaker, the initial budget for the Cúram software was $1.6 billion, but it ended up costing $6.6 billion. That is a $5-billion cost overrun. What did the government House leader tell us yesterday? He called it a success story. That is what he said. Who in the Liberal cabinet is going to take responsibility for this financial fiasco? Who is going to take care of the 78,000 seniors who are waiting for their cheques? Nobody. That is Liberal leadership. Nobody is handling this file.”
“Mr. Speaker, is this how the minister shows respect for our seniors? I am talking about 85,000 seniors who are waiting for their cheques, and he is talking to me about Canada's economic development. There are 85,000 seniors waiting. Is that his answer to our seniors, the people who built our country?”
“Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to turn to page 54 of the Liberal election platform, where it says, “The federal government has been spending too much.” When the Liberals came to power, the debt was $700 billion. After 10 years of Liberal management, it is $1.4 trillion, including $78 billion for this year alone. Next, in their platform, they talk to us about “efficiency” and “performance”. Those are the words the Liberals use in their platform. A Cúram computer system that goes from $1.6 billion to $6.6 billion and 85,000 seniors waiting for their benefits, is that what Liberal efficiency looks like?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am honestly at a loss for words. I am sorry but the Liberals have really just proven that they are incompetent. They just proved that they have no respect for seniors. They just proved that they have no respect for the Canadians who payed $5 billion too much. They just proved that, basically, the Liberals are the elite and that they do not care about ordinary Canadians. I will continue to fight. I do not have a question. This is incompetence. Unless the minister can show me that she has put a crisis task force in place to deal with this issue, then she can remain seated.”