Tax Break for All Canadians Bill
Third Reading--Debate Adjourned
December 10, 2024
Would the senator take another question?
Certainly, yes.
Senator Plett, earlier today, we heard Senator Gold use the phrase “no taxation without representation,” which usually deals with tax increases. Bill C-78 is dealing with a temporary but lower tax. Nevertheless, the other place spent little time on this taxation measure and in less than one day pushed it through without committee and little debate.
Do you agree that the elected chamber was possibly overzealous in spending so little time on this bill without any apparent thought and sending it to the Senate? This is the place where sober second thought is our principle.
We also heard today regarding those of us who were appointed by this government and had our discussion with the Prime Minister — and I have spoken about this before. The discussion was around looking at our policies and trying to improve them. If you we didn’t agree with them, we could vote against them.
If there are senators who believe that this is a flawed policy, then should we not vote against this policy as independent senators?
Thank you, Senator Quinn. I will try to get this right.
First, yes, this was rushed through much too quickly. There is no question about that. There was a programming motion, and it was, “Bang, bang, bang, we’re going to vote on it,” and it sailed through. It was suggested to us that we do the same thing here, as a matter of fact, and that we vote on this tonight.
Hopefully, Senator Martin will adjourn the debate here in the next few minutes, and we won’t need to vote on it tonight so that we can contemplate this further, but it was suggested that we do the same thing.
Earlier, we heard our colleague Senator Downe ask the sponsor of the bill what she felt about the Prime Minister — I think he said “tweeting” — again, I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but about tweeting that this would become law on December 14, prejudging exactly what the Senate is doing. That is what the Prime Minister expects of us.
The Prime Minister expects wholeheartedly, full stop, for us over here to get this through by December 14, because that is what he promised to do.
Do I think that that is wrong? Yes. I think we have not only the right but the obligation to help save this country from what is happening here and need to vote against this. It is not a budget bill. We cannot defeat the government. The government will not fall if we turn this bill down.
Senator Quinn, if we think this is wrong, we must vote against it. Whether we like the person that delivers the remarks or not, we must vote against this very hurtful, harmful legislation.
