Madam Speaker, as I said, instead of changing things to improve people's lives, Bloc Québécois members have often supported the Conservatives. They voted with the Conservatives against the dental care plan, despite the fact that it disproportionately benefits Quebeckers. They voted against free contraceptives. They voted against diabetes medication. They voted with the Conservatives to cut assistance to Quebeckers.

What does the NDP want to do? New Democrats understand that people need help, and they need it now. That is why we proposed removing the GST on some essential items and on monthly bills. In other words, we want to remove the tax on Internet, cellphone and heating bills, as well as on children's necessities, like diapers and clothing. Removing the GST on essentials and monthly bills is a concrete measure that will help people. The Liberals eventually gave in to our proposal because we lobbied and pushed for it, but they got it wrong. They let people down. Their proposal is not permanent, and it does not include monthly bills. The motion we are moving today fixes the problem.

Today our motion offers to give people some real help right away and to expand it to include monthly bills, like we had initially proposed, including cellphone bills, Internet bills and home heating bills, to give people permanent relief. It is a plan that would give people meaningful relief right away, and it also acknowledges that we need to fix the cheques. The cheques being proposed right now would go out to someone earning $149,000 but would not go to a senior. That does not make any sense.

Therefore today's motion would do two things. One is to make GST relief permanent. Let us give people permanent relief and let us make sure it includes monthly bills so people can get some real relief. On top of that, let us fix the cheques.

We are making it very clear, and a vote today in the House would make it very clear, that we are saying collectively that seniors, yes, deserve some help as they are some of the hardest-hit people in our country, that people living with disabilities absolutely need some help, and that someone who just started working this year should not be excluded because they just got their job. We are calling for the cheques to be expanded and for the GST relief to be permanent and include monthly bills.

We have an important choice to make. New Democrats have always been and will always be the party of the working class. We have recently shown that very clearly, and the other parties have shown where they stand. They have shown that they do not stand with the working class. The Liberals have let down workers by making the GST relief not permanent. The Conservatives have shown that they are really on the side of the billionaires and CEOs, and they are against the working class.

We are going to keep on fighting to make sure people know we have their back. Much more work is needed and much more help is needed. We are going to continue to fight for people.

Jagmeet Singh

$702,540.00