Finance Committee on June 4th, 2026

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

Thank you for your very transparent answer. It's important for the maritime sector, which is a very important regional economic driver.

That leads me to my final question. Perhaps you can clarify your answer on my next turn.

I will soon be formally asking you to support a pilot project and sponsor it regarding the clearance of approximately 1,000 containers at the Port of Valleyfield.

As you know, the Port of Valleyfield is very close to my heart. It's a regional economic driver. I have had discussions with the Canada Border Services Agency. They really encouraged me to ask you to issue a ministerial directive for the agency to explore the possibility of a pilot project. The idea is to set up innovative models, including customs clearance pricing. We could do a public-private partnership.

I know that you're quite open to innovation. Would you be willing to discuss setting up a pilot project?

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Please give a brief answer, in 10 seconds.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I would be very pleased to receive any business plan that could help develop a smoother transportation system in Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Karina Gould]

Thank you, Minister.

Thank you, Mrs. DeBellefeuille.

We'll continue now with Mr. Hallan for five minutes.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Thank you, Chair.

Minister, thank you for being here.

My first question is this: Can you tell us how many metres of track have been laid for the Alto project?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

None.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Then can you tell us why $3 million in bonuses has been given out?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

It is a Crown corporation. They follow the Treasury Board guidelines for performance management, and they have independence in terms of—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Can you tell us which performances have been met so far?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

There are indeed phases and stages to this project. While I'm not—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Can you table with the committee which performances met the guidelines and exactly how much money went to which executives for meeting those guidelines?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I'll return and happily supply you with whatever is possible to bring to the committee.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

We appreciate that you confirmed this.

Minister, can you confirm that the Alto project won't go a dollar over $90 billion?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I can confirm that there's a lot of engineering left to do.

The interesting thing about cost estimates—as you know, colleague—is that people want to know what things cost before they are designed. I think people intuitively know this: When you talk about building a house, that house can take many forms and contain many things. Until we have a final route and a final budget—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Minister, I was a home builder in my previous life, and we never went over budget because it was the responsible thing to do—unlike your government, which has a track record of breaking every single budget. In fact, the PBO, this morning, had a scathing report. That's why I think it's important for taxpayers to know this as the Liberals are laughing about it. They need to know you guys budgeted $90 billion and won't go one dollar over.

Can you confirm it won't go over $90 billion, yes or no?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I can confirm that as the cost estimates for the project continue to evolve while we choose the final alignment and do the final engineering on it.... We'll supply all those cost estimates, yes.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

I'll take that to mean, “It will go over, for sure.”

Can you table, once that cost estimate is done, how much you're going to be giving in bonuses? Can you confirm that?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I can confirm that whatever compensation arrangements Treasury Board prescribes, governs and puts in place will be rigidly followed. We will ensure that all—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

I'm sure there will be bonuses.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

We will ensure that pay linked to performance is only paid when performance has been achieved.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Minister, I'll have to move on since you're not answering.

In the spring economic statement, you guys talk about economic growth.

Do you agree with Statistics Canada's Friday report that Canada has had two consecutive quarters of GDP decline? Give me yes or no.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

I will allow those who analyze such matters to analyze them.

Here's what I can tell you. We are seeing a very promising horizon of transportation and infrastructure projects in Canada. That would include high-speed rail—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Minister, the reason for my question—

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

—and all of these things will yield economic growth. I'm very focused on leading indicators—

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

You said economic growth, but the PBO, in their new report, is actually saying the opposite.

In fact, we have been hearing from you for a year that Canada would be the strongest economy in the G7. In three out of the last four quarters since the Prime Minister took office, the GDP has shrunk, totally debunking that claim, and now you're talking about economic growth.

Can you confirm that we're in a recession? Give me yes or no.