Bill C-15

Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1

An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025

Part 1 implements certain measures in respect of the Income Tax Act and the Income Tax Regulations by
(a) expanding the rollover for small business corporation shares;
(b) expanding the list of expenses recognized under the Disability Supports Deduction;
(c) exempting the Canada Disability Benefit from income;
(d) aligning the taxation of investment income and active business income earned and distributed by controlled foreign affiliates with the rules that currently apply to Canadian-controlled private corporations;
(e) extending the deadline for making certain charitable donations eligible for tax support in the 2024 tax year;
(f) increasing the limit under the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption so that it applies on up to $1.25 million of eligible capital gains, applicable to dispositions that occur on or after June 25, 2024, with indexation of the limit to resume in 2026;
(g) exempting the first $10 million in capital gains on the sale of a business to a worker cooperative and amending the corresponding exemption for sales to an employee ownership trust;
(h) removing the tax-indifferent investor exception to the synthetic equity arrangement anti-avoidance rule;
(i) improving the efficiency of the Home Accessibility Tax Credit;
(j) implementing the Personal Support Workers Tax Credit;
(k) enhancing the SR&ED program by increasing the annual expenditure limit and taxable capital phase-out thresholds for the enhanced 35% SR&ED credit, extending the enhanced credit to eligible Canadian public corporations and restoring the eligibility of SR&ED capital expenditures;
(l) extending the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit for individuals who invest in eligible mining flow-through shares for two years to March 31, 2027 at the current rate of 15%;
(m) expanding the eligibility of the Critical Mineral Exploration Tax Credit to bismuth, cesium, chromium, fluorspar, germanium, indium, manganese, molybdenum, niobium, phosphate, tantalum, tin and tungsten;
(n) amending the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses;
(o) extending the full credit rates for the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage investment tax credit to 2035;
(p) expanding the eligibility for the clean technology investment tax credit to support the generation of electricity and heat from waste biomass;
(q) expanding the eligibility for the clean technology manufacturing investment tax credit to investments in eligible polymetallic projects and to additional qualifying materials;
(r) providing a refundable investment tax credit to qualifying corporations and trusts for investments in certain clean electricity property;
(s) amending the alternative minimum tax to exempt certain trusts for the benefit of Indigenous groups;
(t) precluding a corporation from qualifying as a mutual fund corporation where it is controlled by or for the benefit of a corporate group;
(u) extending the period during which agricultural cooperatives can distribute tax-deferred patronage dividends paid in shares to their members until the end of 2030;
(v) narrowing the rules related to reporting by trusts;
(w) providing the Minister of National Revenue with the authority to waive the withholding requirement for payments to certain non-resident service providers;
(x) allowing the sharing of information for the purposes of administering and enforcing the Canada Labour Code as it relates to the misclassification of employees;
(y) reforming Canada’s transfer pricing rules;
(z) reinstating the accelerated investment incentive and immediate expensing for certain qualifying assets;
(z.1) providing an accelerated capital cost allowance of 10% for new eligible purpose-built rental projects;
(z.2) providing immediate expensing for new additions of property in respect of productivity-enhancing assets;
(z.3) introducing a temporary non-refundable tax credit applicable where an individual’s non-refundable tax credit amounts exceed the first income tax bracket threshold; and
(z.4) implementing a number of technical amendments to correct inconsistencies and to better align the law with its intended policy objectives.
It also makes a related amendment to the Excise Tax Act .
Part 2 repeals the Digital Services Tax Act and the Digital Services Tax Regulations and makes consequential amendments to other legislation.
Part 3 amends the Excise Tax Act , the Underused Housing Tax Act , the Select Luxury Items Tax Act and other related texts to implement various measures.
Division 1 of Part 3 implements certain measures in respect of the Excise Tax Act and a related text by
(a) clarifying that supplies of osteopathic services rendered by individuals who are not osteopathic physicians are taxable under the Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax;
(b) extending the Enhanced (100%) Goods and Services Tax Rental Rebate to qualifying cooperative housing corporations and student residences built by universities, public colleges and school authorities; and
(c) allowing input tax credits for redeemed coupons to be available only for payments made exclusively in the course of commercial activities.
Division 2 of Part 3 amends the Underused Housing Tax Act to end the underused housing tax in respect of 2025 and future calendar years. It also subsequently repeals the Underused Housing Tax Act and the Underused Housing Tax Regulations .
Division 3 of Part 3 amends the Select Luxury Items Tax Act to end the luxury tax in respect of subject aircraft and subject vessels. It also makes the Select Luxury Items Tax Regulations to provide greater clarity on the tax treatment of subject items.
Part 4 amends the First Nations Goods and Services Tax Act to, among other things,
(a) establish an opt-in framework for interested Indigenous governments to levy a value-added sales tax, under their own laws, on fuel, alcohol, cannabis, tobacco and vaping products within their reserves or settlement lands; and
(b) make process-type improvements and machinery of government changes to streamline the administration of taxes under that Act.
It also makes consequential amendments to the Excise Tax Act and to the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act .
Part 5 enacts and amends several Acts in order to implement various measures.
Division 1 of Part 5 enacts the High-Speed Rail Network Act , which establishes a legislative framework to facilitate the implementation of a rail network that allows for the carrying of passengers at high speed between Quebec and Ontario. That Act, among other things,
(a) deems the construction of the railway lines that are to be part of the high-speed rail network to have been approved under section 98 of the Canada Transportation Act ;
(b) provides that the construction, operation, decommissioning and abandonment of each segment of the high-speed rail network, and any incidental physical activity, is subject to the Impact Assessment Act ;
(c) permits certain land to be subject to a notice of right of first refusal or a notice of prohibition on work;
(d) amends the expropriation process in relation to the high-speed rail network;
(e) provides that Indigenous knowledge that is provided in confidence in relation to the high-speed rail network is treated as confidential; and
(f) makes certain Parts of the Official Languages Act applicable to certain entities, including those that operate a railway that is part of the high-speed rail network.
The Division also makes a consequential amendment to the Access to Information Act .
Division 2 of Part 5 amends the Canada Post Corporation Act to repeal the power to make regulations prescribing rates of postage and the terms and conditions related to the payment of postage and instead provide the Canada Post Corporation with the authority to establish those rates and terms and conditions and provide for exceptions.
Division 3 of Part 5 provides, among other things, that an aggregate amount not exceeding $11.5 billion to fund the operations and activities of Build Canada Homes and an aggregate amount not exceeding $1.515 billion as a contribution of capital to, or to purchase shares in, Canada Lands Company Limited may be paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Division 4 of Part 5 amends the Canada Infrastructure Bank Act to increase the aggregate amount that the Minister of Finance may pay to the Canada Infrastructure Bank to $45,000,000,000.
Division 5 of Part 5 amends the Red Tape Reduction Act to, among other things, authorize, subject to certain conditions, ministers to grant temporary exemptions from the application of provisions of certain Acts of Parliament and instruments with the aim of facilitating the design, modification or administration of regulatory regimes to encourage innovation, competitiveness or economic growth in the clean technology or financial technology sector.
Division 6 of Part 5 amends the Public Service Superannuation Act to, among other things, expand the eligibility for early retirement available to certain contributors employed in operational service to new groups of contributors.
Division 7 of Part 5 amends the Public Service Superannuation Act to authorize certain contributors to exercise a temporary early retirement option during a period for which a workforce reduction initiative is in effect. It also makes a related amendment to the Income Tax Regulations .
Division 8 of Part 5 amends the Farm Credit Canada Act to, among other things, provide for a review of the provisions and operation of that Act within five years after the day on which the amendment comes into force and every 10 years after that.
Division 9 of Part 5 repeals the Consumer-Driven Banking Act and enacts a new Consumer-Driven Banking Act to ensure that individuals and businesses can safely and securely share their data with the participating entities of their choice. That Act addresses, among other things, accreditation, national security, data sharing, security safeguards, consent, authentication, liability, complaints, administration and enforcement and screen scraping. The Division also makes related amendments to the Access to Information Act , the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act and the Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1 .
Division 10 of Part 5 amends the Trust and Loan Companies Act , the Bank Act and the Insurance Companies Act to extend the period during which federal financial institutions governed by those Acts may carry on business.
Division 11 of Part 5 amends the Trust and Loan Companies Act , the Bank Act and the Insurance Companies Act to, among other things, modernize prudential limits by repealing certain provisions that impose limits on federally regulated financial institutions with respect to debt obligations and borrowing, consumer and commercial loans and investments in real property and equity.
Division 12 of Part 5 amends the Bank Act , the Trust and Loan Companies Act and the Insurance Companies Act to allow for the electronic delivery of certain documents to shareholders, members and policyholders without their consent, while ensuring that they receive paper copies if they request them.
Division 13 of Part 5 amends the Trust and Loan Companies Act , the Bank Act and the Insurance Companies Act to increase the equity threshold related to the public holding requirement from $2 billion to $4 billion and to make changes to other provisions that include that threshold.
Division 14 of Part 5 amends the Trust and Loan Companies Act , the Bank Act , the Insurance Companies Act and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Act to, among other things,
(a) clarify the powers of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions in respect of the adherence by federally regulated financial institutions to their policies and procedures to protect themselves against threats to their integrity or security;
(b) provide the Superintendent of Financial Institutions with powers to issue directions of compliance in respect of unsafe or unsound practices in the conduct of the affairs of those financial institutions; and
(c) provide that the Superintendent of Financial Institutions is not prevented from disclosing information to any federal government agency or body for purposes related to the Superintendent’s regulation or supervision of financial institutions.
Division 15 of Part 5 amends the Bank Act to raise the amount of funds that can be withdrawn immediately from a retail deposit account after the deposit of a cheque or other instrument and to remove the delay for the withdrawal of funds deposited by a cheque or other instrument that is not deposited in person.
Division 16 of Part 5 amends the Bank Act to, among other things,
(a) prohibit the activation of certain capabilities for a personal deposit account in Canada without the express consent of the natural person in whose name the account is kept;
(b) permit a natural person in whose name such an account is kept to deactivate certain account capabilities;
(c) permit a natural person in whose name such an account is kept to adjust certain transaction limits on the account;
(d) require institutions to establish policies and procedures for detecting and preventing consumer-targeted fraud and mitigating its impacts; and
(e) require institutions and the Commissioner of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada to prepare annual reports on consumer-targeted fraud.
Division 17 of Part 5 amends the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation Act , the Bank Act and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act to support the growth of federal credit unions, including by way of amalgamation or asset acquisition and by permitting them to engage in motor vehicle leasing in certain circumstances.
Division 18 of Part 5 amends the Special Economic Measures Act to, among other things,
(a) provide that the Minister of Finance must be consulted before an order or regulation identifying certain persons is made under subsection 4(1) of that Act;
(b) authorize the Governor in Council to make regulations requiring financial institutions to provide to the Minister of Finance information on property that is in their possession or control and that is owned, held or controlled by a person, including a foreign state, identified under that Act and information on profits realized from such property; and
(c) authorize the Minister of Finance to make an order directing a financial institution to pay such profits to the Receiver General.
It also makes related and consequential amendments to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act .
Division 19 of Part 5 amends the Pension Act to, among other things,
(a) set out in a schedule to that Act the amounts of the basic pension payable during the period beginning on April 1, 1985 and ending on December 31, 2025;
(b) authorize the Governor in Council to amend that schedule;
(c) define the term “province” for the purposes of paragraph 75(1)(b) of that Act; and
(d) update certain regulation-making powers.
It also amends the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act to provide that, beginning on January 1, 2027, certain benefits are to be adjusted only on the basis of the Consumer Price Index.
Finally, it amends the Department of Veterans Affairs Act and the Veterans Health Care Regulations to retroactively clarify the meaning of the term “province” with respect to the calculation of the accommodation and meals charge for the recipients of intermediate and long term care.
Division 20 of Part 5 retroactively amends the Veterans Well-being Regulations to specify that the first annual adjustment to certain amounts used in the calculation of the earnings loss benefit is to be prorated to the number of days remaining in the calendar year. It also authorizes the Governor in Council to make regulations respecting the earnings loss benefit under the Veterans Well-being Act , as it read from time to time before April 1, 2019.
Division 21 of Part 5 amends the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Superannuation Act , among other things, to specify that claims for awards made under Part II of that Act are to be dealt with and determined by the Minister who administers the Pension Act . It also enacts related provisions.
Division 22 of Part 5 enacts the Canada Development Investment Corporation Act , which continues the Canada Development Investment Corporation and sets out its purpose to assist in the creation and development of businesses, resources, property and industries of Canada by providing advice and support to the Government of Canada and by making investments and managing assets that advance Canada’s economic growth and development. The Division also makes a consequential amendment to the Access to Information Act .
Division 23 of Part 5 amends the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act to require that an organization disclose to another organization an individual’s personal information, at the individual’s request, if both organizations are subject to a data mobility framework.
Division 24 of Part 5 amends the Broadcasting Act to provide that it is to be construed and applied in a manner that is consistent with the right to privacy of individuals.
Division 25 of Part 5 amends the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act to, among other things, reaffirm that security of the public is a key purpose of that Act, provide that the Minister of Health must establish and update a registry that will replace Schedules 1 to 4, add requirements for persons who carry out activities in relation to high risk human pathogens and toxins, increase the maximum penalties to which a person who commits an offence under that Act is liable and establish an administrative monetary penalty regime for certain contraventions of that Act or its regulations.
Division 26 of Part 5 amends the Customs Tariff to amend the definition “obsolete or surplus goods” to allow for the refund of duties paid in respect of certain goods that are donated to a registered charity.
Division 27 of Part 5 amends the Export and Import Permits Act to authorize the Governor in Council to add articles to the Export Control List and the Import Control List for reasons related to Canada’s economic security interests.
Division 28 of Part 5 amends the Aeronautics Act to, among other things,
(a) authorize the Minister of Transport to make interim orders that give effect to international standards, agreements, conventions and arrangements;
(b) extend the effective period of interim orders;
(c) modernize regulation-making powers respecting the development of, and compliance with, systems, processes, procedures, programs, plans and documents in relation to aviation safety and security;
(d) provide that air traffic service providers and certain maintenance organizations may be found vicariously liable for offences or violations;
(e) authorize the electronic service of documents;
(f) prohibit interference with the operation of a remotely piloted aircraft system unless authorized by the Minister;
(g) modernize the administrative monetary penalties framework and increase the maximum amounts for penalties and fines; and
(h) establish a regime for the voluntary provision of information related to aviation safety and security and set out limits on the disclosure and use of information provided under that regime.
It also makes a consequential amendment to the Access to Information Act and a related amendment to the Budget Implementation Act, 2019, No. 1 .
Division 29 of Part 5 amends the Canada Transportation Act to provide the Minister of Transport with the authority to make interim orders to give effect to international standards or ensure compliance with Canada’s international obligations.
Division 30 of Part 5 amends the Judges Act to increase the number of salaries authorized for judges of the Court of Appeal for Ontario and judges of unified family courts in the provinces. It also reduces in a corresponding manner the number of salaries authorized for judges of superior courts in the provinces other than appeal courts.
Division 31 of Part 5 amends the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada Act to create a Schedule 2 to that Act, allow the Minister of Justice to add territorial bodies to that Schedule and to allow the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada to provide support services and facilities to those bodies.
Division 32 of Part 5 amends the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 to provide for the establishment of the Environmental Protection Tribunal of Canada and the transfer of the functions of the Chief Review Officer and review officers to that Tribunal. It also amends the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada Act to enable the Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada to provide the Tribunal with any necessary support services and facilities and makes consequential amendments to other Acts.
Division 33 of Part 5 authorizes the taking of various measures with respect to the divestiture and dissolution of all or any part of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. It also makes consequential amendments to other Acts and repeals the Freshwater Fish Marketing Act .
Division 34 of Part 5 repeals section 16 of the Government Annuities Improvement Act .
Division 35 of Part 5 repeals sections 195 and 196 of the Naskapi and the Cree-Naskapi Commission Act .
Division 36 of Part 5 amends the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act to deny the provision of financial assistance to qualifying students in relation to designated educational institutions outside Canada that are private and for-profit and offer courses at a post-secondary school level. It also amends that Act to empower the Minister of Employment and Social Development to suspend or deny the provision of financial assistance in certain circumstances in order to align with a provincial suspension or denial.
Division 37 of Part 5 amends the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act to
(a) clarify that all regulations made under that Act are to be made on the recommendation of the Minister of Finance;
(b) clarify that paragraph 36(3.01)(b) of that Act applies to donations that are not charitable donations; and
(c) prohibit the disclosure of reports, or the information contained in them, related to discrepancies in information discovered in the course of verifying the identity of persons having beneficial ownership or control of an entity.
It also amends the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Regulations to
(a) clarify that paragraph 138(5)(b) of those Regulations applies to donations that are not charitable donations; and
(b) clarify the application of those Regulations to mortgage administrators, mortgage brokers and mortgage lenders.
Finally, it makes a consequential amendment to the Access to Information Act .
Division 38 of Part 5 amends the Borrowing Authority Act to increase the maximum amount of certain borrowings.
Division 39 of Part 5 amends the Canada Business Corporations Act , the Canada Cooperatives Act and the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act to provide an additional ground on which the Director appointed under the Act in question may dissolve a corporation or a cooperative, as the case may be, namely, when the Director is notified that it is a “listed entity” as defined in subsection 83.01(1) of the Criminal Code .
Division 40 of Part 5 amends the Building Canada Act to add to the information that must be included in the public registry of national interest projects the extent to which each project can contribute to clean growth and to meeting Canada’s objectives with respect to climate change.
Division 41 of Part 5 amends the Canadian Energy Regulator Act to set the maximum duration of licences for the exportation of liquefied natural gas at 50 years.
Division 42 of Part 5 amends the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 to, among other things, remove the mandatory five-year limit for agreements made under subsection 9(5) or 10(3).
Division 43 of Part 5 amends the Competition Act to remove the requirement that the substantiation of representations about the environmental benefits of businesses or business activities must be done in accordance with internationally recognized methodology. It also amends that Act to exclude the application of the provision respecting those representations from proceedings before the Competition Tribunal that are initiated by a person other than the Commissioner of Competition.
Division 44 of Part 5 enacts the National School Food Program Act , which sets out the Government of Canada’s vision for the National School Food Program. That Act also sets out the Government of Canada’s commitment to maintaining long-term funding to be provided to the provinces, the territories and Indigenous peoples for the ongoing implementation and maintenance of the Program.
Division 45 of Part 5 enacts the Stablecoin Act , which imposes duties on persons that create stablecoins and make them available for purchase, directly or indirectly, by persons in Canada. That Act sets out the objects of the Bank of Canada in respect of stablecoin and requires the Bank to maintain a public registry of stablecoin issuers. That Act also addresses, among other things, the redemption of stablecoins by issuers, the reserve of assets that issuers must maintain to fulfill their redemption obligations and the policies that they must establish. The Division also makes consequential and related amendments to the Access to Information Act , the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act and the Retail Payment Activities Act .

Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if Canadians were to listen to the member for Kingston and the Islands, they would be led to believe that they have never had it so good.

He talks about job numbers. How many of those jobs are part-time jobs? The youth unemployment rate is over 13%. That is hardly a figure to celebrate.

Is the member for Kingston and the Islands celebrating the fact that two million Canadians, a record number, are lined up at the food banks?

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, youth aged 15 to 24 drove that.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

That is not a point of order, and the chief government whip knows that.

The hon. member for Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it seems odd to me that two government representatives are causing disorder in the House this morning. I do not think that they are setting a good example. I find it rather odd that two government representatives are causing disorder by talking and preventing us from speaking.

My question for my colleague is this. All along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, many smaller ports are clamouring for CBSA container clearance services. Unfortunately, the budget provides no funds for CBSA officers to clear containers at small ports like Valleyfield.

Given the current economic situation, does my colleague think it is right for the government to put the brakes on economic development in small rural regions that have small ports in their communities?

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it speaks to the misplaced spending priorities of the government. Simply put, never has a government spent so much and delivered so little for Canadians.

By the way, speaking of spending, the Prime Minister said he would spend less, but spending has in fact gone up by 7.2%, when he promised to bring it down by 7.5%. I would just add that as another promise made and broken by the Prime Minister.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my friend from Kingston and the Islands has given me the opportunity to highlight the jobs numbers that came out this morning. Zeroing in on the province of Ontario, we saw the loss of about 7,000 full-time jobs. I certainly acknowledge that there was a gain in part-time jobs, but there was a significant loss in full-time jobs and a response in part-time jobs.

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Kingston and the Islands should recognize the reality. Canadians are poorer, they are struggling, they are desperate for—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

Order.

The hon. member for Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan on a point of order.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, since the sitting began, we have been having a hard time hearing certain speeches because the government side is talking very loudly and paying no attention to what is going on in the House. I would like to see more respect for people who rise to speak. We are having a hard time hearing what is being said because of the noise, and the same could be true for the interpreters.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

I thank the member for reminding all members that the appropriate time to make comments is when the Chair gives them the floor. The period for questions and comments is not a group effort. It is an individual effort.

The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan can finish asking his question.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I, too, am shocked by the heckling by the member for Kingston and the Islands, and I hope his whip will bring him into line.

I wonder if the member can say what he identifies in the fact that full-time jobs are down across the country and, particularly, in Ontario.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is just more of the same with the government. It is part of the failed economic legacy of the government, which has seen declining productivity, flatlined growth, unacceptably high unemployment and Canada falling further and further behind peer countries.

I think the numbers today, having regard for that record, are not surprising, but they are concerning.

The House resumed consideration of the motion that Bill C-15, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, be read the second time and referred to a committee, and of the amendment.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Liberal government's latest budget proposal, a budget that fails Canadians on affordability, jobs, housing and immigration.

I am going to start with the good news first, because there is not much. The Peavey Mart in Spruce Grove has now reopened, and folks are really excited.

Now we are into the bad news. After 10 years of deficits, Canada's finances are in a troubling shape. This budget adds $321.7 billion to the federal debt over the next five years. That is more than twice what the Prime Minister previously projected. That works out to over $10 million in new debt each and every hour. This huge deficit comes on top of a number of very important cuts that the government is also making. The Liberal government likes to talk about all its spending and generosity, but I think it should be pointed out that it is making some significant cuts to areas of importance.

The Liberals are removing statutory protections for free postage for blind people who are accessing literature products that weigh more than regular literature products. These statutory protections are being removed. I wonder why the government would remove accessibility supports for blind people. My grandfather was blind. He utilized those services, and I think it is very concerning.

I received a very concerning letter from a constituent, Nicole Callihoo, who serves as the education director for the Paul First Nation. I just want to read a few excerpts from her letter to me. She said she was writing with a heavy heart and a deep sense of urgency. Despite submitting full Jordan's principle applications and following every step as required, her school has not received the necessary funding to continue services for its students. They are now in the fourth month of the school year, and these delays contradict both the spirit and the purpose of Jordan's principle.

For those who do not know, Jordan's principle is a principle that requires the federal government to provide funding for at-risk indigenous students.

She said that in the true way of their ancestors, they did not wait for approvals before taking care of the children. They honoured their needs and began services immediately so that they would not experience further hardship or delay. These supports have brought powerful changes. Students who were once quiet and unsure have begun to speak for the first time. Those who carried worry and heaviness have started to open their hearts. They look forward to their sessions. Families have shared that they notice a new calmness, confidence and connection in their children. These are not small steps, she says. They are the beginnings of healing.

However, because the funding from the federal government remains outstanding, they now face the painful reality of stopping those services. Ending supports after children have finally begun to trust and feel safe goes against their cultural teachings and against everything that Jordan's principle stands for. Interrupting care will undo progress, break relationships and cause harm that could have been prevented. This type of disruption echoes the very history that Jordan's principle was created to stop.

Jordan's principle exists so that no first nations child is caught in delay, conflict or confusion. It is rooted in a teaching that the child comes first, before government processes, before jurisdictional disagreements and before paperwork, yet the current delays and the refusals to fund are causing harm to their students, harm that carries emotional, educational and cultural consequences.

I just wanted to share that from Nicole Callihoo, the education director of Paul First Nation. We stand up and listen in this House every day as the Liberals talk about reconciliation and talk about their big new programs to support children, yet indigenous children, first nations children, in my region are suffering because of the government's failures to support them. The failures violate treaties and violate court rulings, and it is a shame.

Despite the government's cold-hearted cuts, our national debt now stands at $1.3 trillion and taxpayers are now paying $55 billion just in interest payments every year. That is more than the Canada health transfer, and it is more than all the GST collected. It is over $3,000 per household.

Meanwhile, GDP growth is stuck, and unemployment is expected to average over 6% over the next five years. The recent job numbers we received are painting a troubling picture. We are seeing part-time jobs replacing high-paying, family-supporting, full-time jobs. We cannot run an economy and we cannot support families based on part-time employment. The gig economy is not a strategy for success, yet the Liberals seem to stand up here and celebrate it every day.

The Prime Minister promised to balance the operating budget within three years to ensure that there was a declining deficit-to-GDP ratio and a declining debt-to-GDP ratio. However, the Parliamentary Budget Officer said that there is very little chance of meeting this.

Fitch Ratings is warning that this budget weakens Canada's credit profile. What happens when our credit profile goes down? Our interest rates to borrow go up, which means that more and more of our tax dollars go to servicing our debt instead of going to essential programs, like supporting Jordan's principle, literature for the blind, and all the other programs that people depend on the government for.

It is not just Conservatives who are saying this. Dan Kelly, president of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, called the budget “a missed opportunity to provide meaningful tax relief to Canada’s employers.” Conservatives are proposing amendments to scrap hidden taxes on food, work, homebuilding, investment and energy, and to cap the deficits. The government rejected these ideas and instead has added new spending. This is not responsible budgeting; it is reckless, and it would hurt vulnerable people in Canada the most.

The results of the Liberals' poor economic management are higher inflation, higher interest rates and higher costs for Canadians. We just read a report that this coming year Canadians can expect that a family of four will pay $1,000 more just for groceries. Statistics Canada confirms that the prices for food, gas and rent continue to rise. Some might call this a global phenomenon, but it is rising far faster than for our closest neighbour and trading partner, the United States. Food inflation is nearly double the Bank of Canada's target rate and rising 48% faster than in the United States. Between March and September alone, the price of strawberries rose by 25%, beef by 20%, ground coffee by 20%, and chicken drumsticks by 17%.

A decade ago, when Conservatives were in government, individuals with full-time jobs were not relying on food banks to feed themselves and their families. Now, the high cost of groceries is exacerbating the issue of food insecurity, and we have many families who are working full-time who still have to go to the food bank. Poverty has risen by over 40% in the last two years alone. Food Banks Canada has given the government an F for poverty and food insecurity, noting that hunger is becoming normalized in Canada. More working people, seniors and young families are relying on food banks than ever before.

With respect to housing, the Prime Minister has promised 500,000 new homes, yet that number has been significantly downgraded. BILD, which is an advocacy group for home builders, projects that the Liberal government's homebuilding program could actually cost the sector over 100,000 jobs. We have seen pre-construction sales collapse; in the GTA alone, they are down 82%. Developmental charges, which make up 25% of the cost of homes these days, have risen by 700% in 20 years. It is pricing many families out of the market.

We have seen population growth under the current Liberal government outpace housing supply, health care services and education services because of the government's failed immigration policies. Instead of aligning our immigration system with housing and service capacity, the Liberals would make these high levels permanent, keeping over two million temporary residents by 2027. That is a 300% increase since 2015. They have no plan for 500,000 undocumented individuals or three million temporary workers whose visas are now expiring. This inaction is directly straining wages, it is hurting health care, hurting housing availability and hurting child care. Canadians deserve an immigration system that takes into account the needs of Canadians first. That means a system aligned to the realities of our infrastructure capabilities, health care, education and job market.

Despite the Prime Minister's comments, young Canadians have already sacrificed enough. He said they needed to sacrifice more. Well, they have already sacrificed enough. Youth unemployment has climbed to over 13%, the highest since 2010. Students who are trying to balance school and work face unemployment rates of over 17%. It follows a difficult summer, where many returning students faced the worst job market since the great recession. Recent graduates are facing an extremely difficult job market and are unable to find jobs in their field. Now, the Prime Minister said to them that they have to sacrifice more. Well, we are seeing too many young people who should be buying their first home, starting a family and being at the peak of their career, pursuing something that they love, yet many are still having to live in their parents' basements because they cannot afford to get a home. Many people have sacrificed the dream of home ownership. They have paid the price as food costs have exploded. They have paid exorbitant taxes, delaying their ability to start a family. They have sacrificed enough.

The Liberal government's spending-driven deficit takes money out of the pockets of every Canadian. It is making everything more expensive. Young Canadians should not have to suffer. Conservatives have a vision for a future Canada where all Canadians could thrive, a country where hard work is rewarded and where people can start a business, build a home, develop a—