Wayne Long
Saint John—Kennebecasis, New Brunswick · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, that is from a party whose leader actually called middle-class housing shacks and co-op housing Soviet-style. He has members who mocked modular housing, and that leader actually had the audacity to tell his members not to advocate for housing accelerator funds that would have helped housing construction in their ridings.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have breaking news. The Parliamentary Budget Officer just confirmed that low-income Canadians will get over $2,200 through automatic tax filing. That is for 5.5 million Canadians. It will mean $350 million for Canadians in benefits over the next five years.”
“moved: Motion That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-22, An Act respecting lawful access, be disposed of as follows: (a) it be an instruction to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security that, during its consideration of the bill, (i) the committee shall meet, within one hour af…”
“Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege of actually running small businesses in the economy, not like the Conservative leader who has never worked a day outside of this House. Sometimes a small business or a government is faced with challenges or headwinds, and they can do one of two things.”
“Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her advocacy on behalf of Canadians, although I do not agree. We are here with an agenda to deliver for Canadians. We are here to rebuild, refocus, diversify our trading partners and build new trade relationships. We are here to deliver affordability for Canadians.”
“Madam Speaker, it is hard to believe that we are in our 11th year in this great place advocating on behalf of Canadians. We remember the last Parliament. We remember how it was bogged down and obstructed. We could not move forward for Canadians. We could not move forward with legislation. I come from the private sector.”
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“Mr. Speaker, we met with the owners of Canada in the last election and clearly laid out our plan to cut taxes, to build homes, to build one Canadian economy and to protect Canadians against tariffs. Elections are job interviews, and Canadians resoundingly hired our Prime Minister . They fired the former member for Carleton.”
“Mr. Speaker, maybe the member opposite should ask himself, look in the mirror and ask his colleagues why they voted against every housing initiative we put forward over the last several years: the rapid housing initiative, the federal coinvestment fund and the housing accelerator fund. Their own leader told them not to support the program, while the MPs themselves were trying to advocate for it. Shame on them.”
“Mr. Speaker, let us look at some economic facts: Inflation is down from 8.1% to 1.7% over the last two years, workforce participation is 65.3% compared to that of the U.S. at 62.5%, and we have a AAA credit rating from Moody's. The fundamentals of our economy are strong, and we are going to continue to build the strongest economy in the G7.”
“Mr. Speaker, the new government is a government of action, and this is what action looks like: We are rapidly advancing legislation to cut tax for 22 million people, cut the tax for first home purchases and permanently cut the consumer carbon tax. I hope the Conservatives will cut the rhetoric and join us in advancing the legislation.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely a fundamental value of our government. It is a fundamental value of mine. Transparency is always key, and we need to be honest. We need to be honest with Canadians. We need to be thoughtful and focused. Today, we have the 2% commitment to NATO. There is a lot of moving balls and a lot of moving targets right now. Hopefully some of that smoke will clear, so we will get something of value with the country to the south of us, and we can move forward with a focused budget in the fall. Transparency is key.”
“Mr. Speaker, I do have concerns. It is incumbent on everybody in the House to make sure that they speak truth and that their posts are accurate and thoughtful. That is what we have with our Prime Minister . When he speaks, Canadians want to hear what he has to say, unlike the former leader of the opposition. Canadians did not want to hear what he had to say.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would argue that we have one of the leading economists in the world running our government right now. The fundamentals of our economy are strong. Canadians had a decision to make on April 28, and they resoundingly picked the Prime Minister to lead our country, because they have confidence in him and they have faith in him. When he speaks, he thinks. It is not about slogans. Our economy will be the best in the G7, just give us a bit of time.”
“Mr. Speaker, one thing members will not ever hear from me is that a lot of corporations in this world are bad. We have wonderful companies in our country that contribute, employ people and pay taxes. We are a friend of business. We are a friend of big business and small business. We are going to continue to work with them because we need to work with them to grow our economy.”
“Mr. Speaker, we can take child care as an example, which is the program we put in from coast to coast to coast, and we had to drag some provinces along, kicking and screaming. It is literally saving families thousands and thousands of dollars on an annual basis. The dental program and the Canada child benefit are programs that are giving back to Canadians and helping Canadians cope. We know we need to do more. All of us in the House know that we need to be more responsive to Canadians, but we are committed to continuing to deliver for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am sorry that I am not able to answer the member in French, but I have undertaken to learn to become much more fluent in French. We are in, I would argue, one of the most challenging times that our country has ever been in. How we used to do things, along with the time it took, is a thing of the past. Of course we have to study, consult and bring things to the House, but time is of the essence. We need to act now. We need to act aggressively to solidify our country against one of the greatest threats it has ever faced.”
“Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member across. We are a government of action. The government is going to get things done with a tax break for 22 million people that will save families up to $840, as well as cut the consumer carbon tax and GST on new homes. We are making the proper investments in our economy. Our economy will recover. Our economy will be one of the best economies in the G7. It will respond and be there for all Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”
“I thank members. I do have my tie on; I have three of them now. I want to say that I am very blessed to be here and to have the opportunity to speak to everyone this morning.”
“The Prime Minister and the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources say we will not be defined by delay. We will be defined by delivery. We will be judged by actions, not words. I am absolutely excited; I am absolutely convinced that our future is very bright. The geopolitical landscape in our world has changed, most likely forever. Relationships that we used to have, we cannot count on. Trade relationships that we used to have are gone. No country, probably, is at greater risk than Canada. However, if we invest, grow, build and move forward with passion and aggression, and we are not afraid to break a few things along the way, then the future of our country will be very bright. Our government will provide additional details on these efforts and a spending plan in due course as it prepares for a comprehensive federal budget in the fall.”
“It starts with creating one Canadian economy out of 13. We must bring down the trade barriers. Internal barriers to trade and labour mobility cost Canada as much as $200 billion each year. That is why we have introduced legislation to remove all federal barriers to internal trade and labour mobility. As many hon. members would have noticed last week, to build Canada strong, the government is also working closely with provinces, territories and indigenous peoples to identify and catalyze projects of national significance. What an exciting time for our country. I talked to New Brunswick's premier about projects that the Liberals want to move forward with for New Brunswick, for Atlantic Canada. Maybe we can do something with Quebec and Ontario at the same time.”
“Day-to-day government spending, the government's operating budget, has been growing by 9% every year. The government will introduce measures to bring it to below 2%. The Liberals are launching these priorities while preparing the budget. Defence spending, economic outcomes and efficiency are all factors that will be captured. By taking these steps, we will have a much stronger, ambitious, effective budget this fall. In parallel, the government will take a series of measures to catalyze new investment to create better jobs and higher incomes for Canadians. As we have stated before, our government's overreaching goal, its core mission, is to build the strongest economy in the G7. We are committed to building a strong economy. The stronger our economy is, the more we can help Canadians with transformational programs.”
“There are other considerations that must be weighed in order to deliver a comprehensive and detailed budget. Substantially advancing our discussions with the Americans would provide greater clarity. We all know those discussions are happening. The upcoming NATO summit is crucial for Canada's security and has significant budgetary implications. I think every member of this House will be pleased with the Prime Minister 's announcement about the 2% commitment on spending with NATO. These are the kinds of things happening on a day in, day out basis. Yes, it is difficult to table a budget right this minute. One of the key priorities we have emphasized and have been working on since the start of our mandate is improving government spending efficiency. We are looking for areas to reduce costs and enhance the productivity of the public service.”
“His Majesty said, during the Speech from the Throne, “In all of [our] actions, the Government will be guided by a new fiscal discipline: spend less so Canadians can invest more.” We will balance the government's operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplication and deploying technology to improve public sector productivity. (1145) To this end, the Liberals have committed to delivering the details of our plan in the fall. It is not as though it would be three years in the future or 10 years in the future, as the party opposite makes it seem. This fall, we will deliver the budget. Today we are debating the merits of releasing a budget this spring. Simply put, there is not much value in rushing to a budget within a narrow window of just a few weeks.”
“Then their leader tells the members not to advocate for that program in their ridings. We are committed to delivering for Canadians. We are focused on delivering for Canadians. Straight-up, my constituency office has not had five calls about the budget. I have had many calls about the tax cut, many calls about the GST removal on new homes and many calls about the consumer carbon price being eliminated. Do members think Canadians are calling my office in Saint John—Kennebecasis wondering why there is no budget right now when, as I would argue, one of the leading economists in the world has their hands on the wheel?”
“Those include child care, pharmacare, dental care and the Canada child benefit, which are saving families thousands, and which the Conservatives voted against. Child care was not supported. They voted against dental care. Let us be clear. All of us on this side, as Liberals, believe that government has a role to play in Canadians' lives. We believe that government can come forth with transformational programs that help Canadians from coast to coast to coast. The other party members apparently do not, because they did not support the programs. We hear a lot about the price of housing, yet they voted against the rapid housing initiative. They voted against the coinvestment fund. For the housing accelerator fund, which is helping communities, villages and towns from coast to coast to coast, they voted against.”
“We are also removing the consumer carbon price from law, following its cancellation, effective April 1. Yes, I know the party opposite said that we would never do it, that we were going to put it back on. We did it. We removed the GST from new homes and made the tax cut. These moves are substantial for Canadians. We want to deliver change with measures that cut taxes, bring down costs and put money back into the pockets of Canadians. We are absolutely focused and committed to doing that. These are some of the ways the government is acting now to make life more affordable. The government will also continue to protect the programs that are already saving families thousands of dollars every year.”
“Mr. Speaker, we have a wonderful finance minister . The budget is going to be delivered by our finance minister and our Prime Minister . We will also remove the goods and services tax for first-time homebuyers on new homes valued up to $1 million, saving them up to $50,000, and lower the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes valued between $1 million and $1.5 million. That is another point of action. This would provide a significant increase to the already substantial federal tax support available to first-time homebuyers through programs such as the first home savings account, the RRSP homebuyers' plan and first-time homebuyers' tax credit. By doing this, we would be helping more young people and young families achieve their dream of owning a home of their own. We are absolutely focused and committed to doing that.”
“There is absolutely no doubt that when we deliver our budget in the fall, it is going to be accurate, it is going to be serious and it is going to be delivered by one of the best finance ministers we have had, Minister Champagne .”
“Within that group of hard-working Canadians, nearly half of the tax savings would go to those in the lowest tax bracket, which is to say those who earn $57,375 or less in 2025. We can deliver these tax savings to Canadians expeditiously because, with the announcement of our middle-class tax cut, the Canada Revenue Agency has updated its source deduction tables for the July to December 2025 period so that pay administrators are able to reduce tax withholdings as of July 1. (1140) That is a government of action. That is a government that is responding to Canadians' needs. Sometimes, when I listen to the members across, I would not think we had a throne speech just two weeks ago. I would not believe we were elected to government just on April 28. We want to make sure that our budget is accurate. We want to make sure that we take the time.”
“Right now, our government's main laser focus is to deliver for Canadians. We have moved forward with the plan to bring down costs so Canadians can keep more of their paycheques to spend where it matters the most. What I am talking about is the middle-class tax cut, effective July 1. It is going to have an impact on 22 million Canadians, saving families up to $840 a year. We want Canadians to have more money to put back in their pockets. It was a great idea. I am glad the Conservatives have joined us in helping us move that legislation forward. This is because the majority of relief on this tax cut is going to go to Canadians with incomes in the lowest two tax brackets, which is to say those with taxable incomes under $114,750 in 2025.”
“Real GDP just rose by 2.2% in the first quarter, surpassing expectations. Look, there is nobody on this side of the House, there is nobody in the House, who is not saying we have more work to do as a party, as a government, as MPs. Do we need to hold grocery stores more to account? Absolutely we do, but our economy is growing, and our economy is going to thrive again under the leadership of our Prime Minister . At door after door after door, people wanted our Prime Minister to lead this country. I think it goes without saying, with his economic background, his economic strength. They compared the two leaders. Straight up, they compared the two leaders, and they chose our Prime Minister. Sadly, the former leader of the opposition could not even hold his own riding. Our economy is going to continue to grow.”
“I bought a turkey at our grocery store here two weeks ago; it was $29. Let us talk economic facts. Inflation, two years ago, was at 8.7%, and oh my gosh, the whole way up, it was our fault. There was this little thing called COVID. There was inflation in basically every country around the world, but it was our fault. It was our government's fault that inflation was happening. In two years, we have brought that down from 8.1%, I believe, to 1.7%. It is below the Bank of Canada's target rate. Do we have a lot of work to do? Absolutely. Have prices come down like we want them to? No, they have not, but our economy is showing signs of life. We have a AAA Moody's credit rating. Workforce participation is 65.3%. In the U.S., it is 62.5%. There are a lot of good things happening in our economy.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will not resign on that, but I will certainly withdraw that. It is all in good humour. Again, for people who are watching this on TV, obviously members go back and forth, and the rhetoric gets high, but there are also a lot of friends on both sides of the aisle here. I appreciate the good-hearted comment. Let us talk about some economic facts. I know the party opposite likes to talk about food inflation and how prices are high, and it is easy easy to cherry-pick 10 items. I know beef has been listed a lot. I used to work for a company called Canada Packers, which sold beef. Beef, historically, is always high at this time of year, for what that is worth. I think turkey prices have come down. I remember the former leader of the opposition talking about these multi-hundred-dollar turkeys.”
“Saint John—Kennebecasis sent me back. I am privileged to be here, four times. I know it is frustrating for the members opposite. Some of them have been sitting over there for almost 10 years now. I understand their frustration, but guess what. I have always said this: Elections are job interviews. That is what they are. We, I, Prime Minister Carney and the former leader of the opposition Pierre Poilievre, are literally putting our resumes out to our constituents—”
“We have DP World, CPKC and Americold, which is building a cold storage facility. The port is providing hundreds and hundreds of amazing jobs for our community. The port's growth would not have happened without our government's investment. It has invested in phase 1 of the redo of the west side terminal and over $200 million in both phases. It is a classic example of how government investment, the investment of taxpayers' dollars, can create private industry and business coming in. Because of that investment, DP World came in; we have gone from two cranes to six cranes. Because of that taxpayer investment, CPKC now calls on the port of Saint John, and Americold is building a 50,000-square-foot storage facility. It is a classic case, through trade corridor, of how government investment can help a community and create economic growth.”
“It comprises Saint John, the beautiful town of Rothesay and now the town of Quispamsis, so I have three communities in my riding, and they sent me back with a very strong mandate. If someone had told me in 2014, when I was president of the Saint John Sea Dogs Hockey Club, that I would be a four-term member of Parliament, up here almost a decade, I would have said they were crazy, but here we are. The riding, under our government, has flourished. Port Saint John is, I think, the fastest-growing port, certainly in Canada right now, for containers. It is an economic stimulus for the region. The port's containers went from 90,000 TEUs, container equivalents, to now almost 250,000, projected to go up to 800,000 in the next few years. The port's growth is nothing short of amazing.”
“Mr. Speaker, good morning. An hon. member: Oh, oh! Hon. Wayne Long : Thank you for the comment on the tie, from across the House. I appreciate that. I had to go buy some new ties for my new role. First and foremost, Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you in your new position. I also want to congratulate all new members, on both sides of the House. To new members, enjoy this experience; it is a privilege to be in this House. I know everybody comes here with the best intentions, to work for their constituents and represent them in this beautiful place. Congratulations to everybody on both sides of the House. I will say just a few words about my wonderful riding, Saint John—Kennebecasis. It used to be called Saint John—Rothesay but is now Saint John—Kennebecasis.”
“Madam Speaker, let us look at facts. Members of the party opposite voted against the school food program; they would not support children who needed food in schools. They do not support families, they would not support young mothers and they do not support Canadians who need dental work. They do not support very much that supports Canadians. It is time for all Canadians to come together. I wish the party opposite would do the same and vote for our initiatives.”
“Madam Speaker, let us look at some facts. In 2022, inflation was 8.1%. We have driven that down, per our policies, to 1.7%. Members of the party opposite hold themselves up as strong economic stewards. They are not. Under their previous governments, our economy failed. We are going to aggressively rebuild our economy back by investing in Canadians. It is time for all Canadians to come together.”
“Madam Speaker, we have watched the party opposite vote against every one of our initiatives that have helped families across the country from coast to coast to coast, whether it be the Canada child benefit, the dental program, the day care program or housing initiatives. The party opposite has not done one thing to support families across the country, so shame on them.”
“Madam Speaker, we stand with the families who are impacted by unjust, unfair and illegal tariffs to the south of us. We stand with those businesses. We are a government of action. We have just advanced legislation to cut taxes for 22 million Canadians, we are lowering the carbon tax, and we are lowering the taxes on first-home homebuyers.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am blessed to have the opportunity to answer questions in the House, but the member opposite would have a lot more credibility if he had not voted against the rapid housing initiative, the federal co-investment fund and the housing accelerator fund that his community wanted. The Conservatives hold themselves up as stewards of housing. They are not. They voted against every housing initiative that we put forward to help Canadians.”
“His Majesty said, during the Speech from the Throne, “In all of its actions, the Government will be guided by a new fiscal discipline: spend less so Canadians can invest more.” He also said we “will balance its operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplication, and deploying technology to improve public sector productivity.” We will deliver the details of our plan in the fall via a detailed, comprehensive, effective, ambitious and prudent federal budget.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians have voiced very clearly who they think should be running and leading our economy. Listening to the member opposite, we would not think we just had an election on April 28 and a throne speech last week. The budget will come in due time. Our Prime Minister is regarded, I would argue, as one of the top economic minds in Canada. We do have a plan.”
“As Liberals, we believe that government has a role to play in people's lives, whether it is with the Canada child benefit the Conservatives voted against, the child care the Conservatives voted against, the dental care the Conservatives voted against or the wonderful housing programs and housing initiatives, such as the co-investment fund, the rapid housing initiative and the housing accelerator fund, which the Conservatives voted against. The Conservatives voted against each and every one of those initiatives, which have been proven to help Canada. We will do the right things to build our economy, rebuild our economy and make our economy the greatest economy in the G7.”
“The Conservatives, at every step up, said that it was our fault, yet now that inflation is down to below the Bank of Canada's target rate, I guess we do not get any credit for that. Canada right now has an unemployment rate of 6.9%. Labour force participation is at 65.3%, which is well above the U.S. number of 62.5%. We have a AAA credit rating and the lowest debt and deficit in the G7. The list goes on and on. Sometimes I wonder why the Conservatives hold themselves as the major economic stewards of our economy. It was their government, prior to the Liberals, that ran nine straight deficits. They basically made a mess of our economy through regressive policies. As Liberals, we believe in growing a strong economy. We believe in investing in Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for Newmarket—Aurora. Being in the House is a privilege, and I encourage her to enjoy every day. I have been privileged to be here since 2015, through four elections, and I know the excitement of being here. I know it is a big machine here in Ottawa, but I congratulate her for her win. This is the first time I have risen in the House this Parliament, and I want to thank the wonderful constituents of Saint John—Kennebecasis for returning me here for the fourth time. I certainly want to thank my campaign manager, Kevin Collins, and I want to thank the wonderful staff, the wonderful team, I have in Saint John, with Jeannette McLaughlin and Don Darling making sure things are very well taken care of on the home front. Let me list some facts. Inflation is down from 8.1% in June 2022 to 1.7% now.”