Finance Committee on June 1st, 2026

[Gervais Coulombe]

The bill you have here implements some of the measures that are addressed in the economic update.

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Could you tell me about those measures?

[Gervais Coulombe]

For example, part I includes measures related to the Income Tax Act. These measures amend the labour mobility deduction for eligible tradespeople.

There's also an extension for the lifetime capital gains exemption.

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

In terms of labour, how has that been going so far?

I find that interesting. Let's continue on labour.

What are the timelines, concretely, for businesses and for economic development?

[Mark Maxson, Senior Director, Employment and Education, Personal Income Tax Division, Department of Finance]

My name is Mark Maxson. I'm the senior director for employment and education in the personal income tax division.

The bill contains a labour mobility deduction. The limits for the deductions are being increased from $4,000 to $10,000. The distance threshold is also being reduced, from 150 kilometres to 120 kilometres, to make it easier for workers to access the deduction.

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Thank you.

My next question has to do with affordability.

In my riding of Beauport—Limoilou, what worries people the most is the cost of living, of course.

In the economic update, what measure will have the most direct impact on households in my riding?

What is the most concrete, direct measure that people will quickly see the effects of?

[Gervais Coulombe]

Bill C‑30 includes a fairly significant measure, namely, the temporary suspension of the excise tax on diesel and gasoline. This involves removing the excise tax of 10¢ per litre for a period of approximately 20 weeks. For example, for a family filling up with 50 litres, taking applicable sales taxes into account, this represents potential savings of $5.75 per tank.

This is part of the measures already administered by the Canada Revenue Agency. They are also included in Bill C‑30.

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

In one of the neighbourhoods in my riding, Limoilou, many people don't have a car. They get around by bike or on foot, or they use public transit.

What measures might be relevant for them?

[Gervais Coulombe]

That measure could still be relevant for them, insofar as transportation costs will decrease throughout the entire production chain. Or rather, I should say that they won't increase. The rather special circumstances in the Middle East have caused oil prices to rise significantly, which led the government to take this measure.

Among the other measures related to the excise tax is the extension of the reduction for microbrewery beer. That could be a relevant measure.

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

That doesn't help families.

[Gervais Coulombe]

As you know, there's been an ongoing legislative agenda over the years. There were, of course, other measures in the budget implementation bill for 2025 that was recently passed.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you, Mr. Lavoie.

Before we continue, I would like to ask members to ask their questions a little more slowly to help out the interpreters.

Mr. Lemire, you have the floor for two and a half minutes.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

My questions are for the representatives of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, or CFIA. They are Mr. Holmes and Ms. Wild.

Thank you both for being with us.

I hope that the exercise will give me more answers than for the previous questions. The bar is high. I'm being tongue-in-cheek.

Clause 48 of Bill C‑30 seeks to replace subsections 11(4) and 11(5) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act, which refer to promoting trade and considering economic security in the agency's mission.

Previously, it was only a matter of considering public health. This is a major breach. In the name of the economy, a public health loophole is being opened.

How will integrating trade and economic considerations into the CFIA's mission change the nature of your daily work, particularly when it comes to pesticide registration?

[Jay Holmes]

I'm sorry, Chair. The interpretation doesn't seem to be coming through the earpiece.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Okay. You didn't hear any of that in the earpiece?

[Jay Holmes]

There was no interpretation.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

I think you know the premise of the question, so I'll ask it again.

How will integrating—

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Mr. Lemire, wait a moment. Could you slow down a bit for the sake of the interpreters, please?

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Okay.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

How will integrating trade and economic considerations into the CFIA's mission change the nature of your daily work, particularly when it comes to pesticide registration?

[Shannon Laforce]

Thank you for the question.

In relation to the day-to-day work around pesticides, these provisions in Bill C-30 will allow us to do.... We've always had the mandate to look at the value of a product when we review it and register it. This additional amendment will allow us to do the necessary economic analysis in order to ensure the review of decisions and to understand the impact of a crop or the loss of a crop, should a decision be negative.

From a day-to-day activity standpoint, this will ensure that we are broadening the scope of what we review, and the analysis that we put out as part of our decisions, to ensure that economics are more at the forefront, without compromising health and environment, because those are always paramount.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Obviously, the budget cuts to science and research, as well as those affecting the Longueuil laboratory, send the opposite message.

I'd like to hear your comments on market diversity.

The new pesticide regulations in the European Union are much stricter than those in Canada, and as a result, Europe's doors could close for a number of Canadian agricultural products.

While we talk about market diversification, why are we working to reduce our access to Europe, which is a reliable market?

Did you know that France's National Assembly is going to vote to ban the import of food products made with pesticides?

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Mr. Lemire, that concludes your time.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Madam Chair, you didn't listen. I repeated my question because it had not been interpreted. You asked me to repeat my question.