'End the rip-off': Poilievre demands Trudeau Liberals exempt average Canadians from capital gains tax hike

In an exchange that endured throughout Question Period Wednesday, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was unrelenting in his attacks on the Trudeau government's capital gains tax increase, demanding that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland make exemptions in the law for all Canadians of modest incomes whom she says won't be affected by the tax hike.

"I just gave that minister more than 20 opportunities to prove that what she was saying was true. I asked her and she refused if she'd give an exemption to her tax hike to carpenters, farmers, fishermen, plumbers, union workers, restaurant owners, electricians – she said no," Poilievre declared after asking every single question allowed to Conservative Members of Parliament. 

"She said no to exempting people who earn less than $120,000 a year. Why? Because we know that that's exactly who she's going after. She's going to rob the people who pay the bills in this country to pay for obese and out of control spending. Why won't she finally end the rip off?"

Freeland suggested that Poilievre was asking "baffling questions … maybe to show off his ignorance."

The Speaker asked Freeland to retract her contention of "ignorance," which Freeland did, rephrasing her reply to, "So let me just say it was baffling to me that the Conservative leader is taking all the questions to show he doesn't really understand what we're doing."

The House of Commons approved the capital gains tax increase Tuesday night. It raises the taxation level from 50 percent to 66.7 percent on the sale of properties or businesses above $250,000.

The Trudeau government has argued the increase will only affect "the wealthiest Canadians" while the Conservatives contend it will hurt average taxpayers.

"Why don't we just make it simple? And make it clear? Will the minister accept an amendment to exempt anyone who earns less than $120,000 a year from this tax increase?" Poilievre demanded of Freeland.