Evidence of meeting #5 for Finance in the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was garon.
A video is available from Parliament.
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Garon, you are the vice-chair of the committee, but I don’t hear much happiness in your voice this morning. I’m surprised because this is good news. In fact, you asked us to be clear. We have been very clear, and I held a press conference—
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
—and you asked me to present our new way of doing things; that is what I have done. You asked me to respect Parliament; I respect what Parliament asks of us. You asked me to be more transparent; I am doing that. You asked me to consult with the provinces; I have done so. You asked me for more clarity; we have issued a press release and I also responded to the press earlier today. I am before the committee this morning.
You should therefore be happier this morning, since I have done everything you asked me to do, Mr. Garon. That should help you tell Canadians and Quebeckers that we are working together.
Personally, I want to work with the committee. The proof is that you asked me to do things and I did them. That’s good, because it benefits parliamentarians. Just imagine, you will have the whole summer to hold consultations. You can travel—
October 6th, 2025 / 11:20 a.m.
Liberal
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
Madam Chair, the minister has taken his minute and a half. We know what the minister does with the clock.
The minister is telling us that he is going to table a budget, that he has not consulted anyone in public, that the committee is not consulting anyone in public, and he is telling us that the world and the situation have changed. He is telling us that we should be in a good mood because they have not consulted anyone. Groups are calling us to say that they are not getting any response from his office. The minister is telling us that we will be able to consult with people next year. That is the new approach: closed doors. It seems we have an omniscient Prime Minister and minister.
Minister, have you lost control of your department?
I will tell you why I am asking this question. In the middle of summer, you asked ministers to reduce spending by 15%. For three budgets, the Liberals have been saying that they will reduce consulting budgets, but in the spring estimates, you increased them by 26%. For equipment purchases, for example, the new estimates show a 300% increase; for current government spending, the increase is 16%.
What happened over the summer to make you change your mind? Have you lost control?
Are you the one making the decisions?
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Garon, I don’t hear much happiness in your voice this morning.
This summer, all I did was work. As for budget consultations, there were actually fifty round tables. I think your colleague Mr. Turnbull must be offended by your comments.
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
There were 57 bilateral round tables. We visited 26 cities, 13 provinces and territories, and 83,729 questionnaires were completed by Canadians. There were 3,743 electronic submissions. I have only been here for 10 years, but in the history of Canada, the consultations we conducted are among the most extensive ever undertaken.
You should sound happier this morning.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
I know you like my questions.
How can you, in the same statement, tell us that the committee’s and the opposition’s consultations are important, that they must take place, that they are important, but that we have to wait until next summer? We are putting together a budget, but in the end, the 200 or so groups that were supposed to appear here before the committee have to wait a year.
How can you say that?
Liberals held a party during the summer, and you don’t think the committee is important. Now you’re telling me that I should be cheerful and rejoice at how much you respect Parliament.
What world are you living in, Minister?
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
I live in the real world, Mr. Garon.
I don’t need to make clips and post them on social media. I work for Canadians. The reality is that 83,729 questionnaires were completed.
Bloc
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
That is an insult, Madam Chair. My questions are tough, but respectful.
Groups come to us and tell us that they have written to the minister’s office, but have not even received an acknowledgement. That happened last week.
The minister comes to tell us that we should be happy, that we should be cheerful, because five minutes before the committee meeting, he announced something he should have announced a month ago. Then he tells us that our way of defending people is to make clips on TikTok.
Madam Chair, do you see how this government behaves and how out of touch it is with the people? It tells us that the world has changed, but that the committee’s consultations can wait another year.
This is embarrassing, Minister.
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
Mr. Garon, you should be pleased that I follow you on social media.
Furthermore, as I told you, we received 83,729 comments. Yet today, you are claiming before the people of Quebec that there were no budget consultations—
Bloc
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
—and I ask you to keep some perspective.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Karina Gould
Mr. Garon, your speaking time has expired.
I am going back to the Conservatives.
Mr. Hallan, you are going to be taking this round.
Conservative
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary East, AB
Thank you.
Minister, since your government doubled the national debt, Canadians are stuck with a bill that sees more tax dollars going to bankers and bond holders in interest payments on the debt your government accumulated than what goes to health care transfers to the provinces.
Can you confirm that in budget 2025 bankers and bond holders will get less than what goes to provinces for health care transfers?
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
I won't stand here and be lectured by a member of the Conservatives, Madam Chair, who voted against every measure we presented to support Canadians. This member and his colleagues have voted against pharmacare, against dental care—
Conservative
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary East, AB
Minister, it's a simple question. Can you confirm for Canadians—
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
—and against helping children with the children's food program across the nation.
Conservative
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary East, AB
—that health care transfers will be larger than what goes to bankers and bond holders? It's a simple yes-or-no question, Minister. As usual, you're not answering.
Liberal
François-Philippe Champagne Liberal Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC
For Canadians who are watching, I think they should go look at your voting record and and why you voted against families and workers when we provided support—
Conservative
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary East, AB
I will take that to mean that bankers and bond holders—