Human Resources Committee on Nov. 18th, 2025

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Yes, unemployment and poverty.

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Unemployment and poverty.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

How do you make the connection? I'm talking about the worst unemployment rate in 14 years, which stands at 14.7%. Today, on November 18, 2025, you're telling me that there are no measures in the budget for tomorrow or next week. There will eventually be some for 2026.

How do you respond to a crisis? The government says it will put out the fire, but not for two months.

Can you explain that to me?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

It's interesting to note that, according to the October labour market report, nearly 21,000 young people—I believe—entered the labour market last month. Since February, the employment rate has been at its highest level for youth aged 15 to 24.

I know there are barriers. This is a time of uncertainty for everyone around the world.

That said, I believe that things are moving in the right direction and that the investments in budget 2025 will help us continue in that direction.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Okay. Let's keep going in the right direction.

Young Quebeckers are asking for an interest-free loan for a down payment on a mortgage. Home ownership is no longer a dream; it's a pipe dream. You're offering an exemption from the goods and services tax, or GST, that doesn't even lower home prices. This exemption doesn't help the 80% of young people who hope to one day become homeowners.

Why are you refusing to put in place a genuine measure to help young families access home ownership?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

The budget invests heavily in Build Canada Homes to make it easier to build affordable homes. This will enable young people to become homeowners. Again, I'm here to talk about my mandate. It doesn't concern building houses.

That said, I agree with you that it's important for young people. We'll continue to work on that.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

This affects youth, Madam Secretary of State.

I'm going to continue on the topic of youth. Your budget creates a record $78‑billion deficit, the second-highest deficit in history.

How can you claim that this is an investment in young people, when it's the young people themselves who will be paying this debt for decades to come?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

With this budget, I think the government will build a stronger economy. We are working to make our economy the strongest in the G7. We will build, protect and empower Canadians. We're going to reduce spending so that we can invest more for Canadians, including young Canadians, so that they can move forward.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

That's not very reassuring.

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

The government will invest in our hospitals, public transit, infrastructure, housing and community centres. All of this is centred on the future of young people.

It also includes major projects. I think that's important.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Ms. Gainey.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Blanchette‑Joncas.

We'll now go to Mr. Lawton for five minutes, please.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Secretary, for being here today. You mentioned earlier, in a statement that I hope is accurate, that everyone in this room is committed to protecting the most vulnerable, and obviously, in your portfolio, it's children. Would that be fair?

Your portfolio as the Secretary of State for Children and Youth is about the well-being of children and youth in Canada.

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC]

Yes.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Okay. That wasn't a trick question. I appreciate your candour on that and giving a simple answer.

I'm assuming you're aware that a few weeks ago the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that a mandatory minimum sentence for someone convicted of possessing and sharing child sexual exploitation and abuse material was cruel and unusual punishment, a mandatory minimum sentence of even just one year.

Now, on the cases that led to this, in one of them, a gentleman from Quebec had “317 images of children constituting” what the court called “child pornography”. I'm quoting the court decision: “Of those images, 90 percent were of young girls between 3 and 6 years of age, some showing victims being subjected to acts of penetration and sodomy committed by adults and minors.”

The other case involved another man, also from Quebec, who had “531 images and 274 videos...of children from 5 to 10 years of age being subjected to sexual abuse, such as fellatio and vaginal and anal penetration, by adults.”

I do not enjoy reading those words. I know that no one in this room enjoys hearing them. Do you believe that a mandatory minimum sentence of one year is cruel and unusual punishment?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

I have a point of order, Mr. Chair.

Is this within the bounds of the committee and certainly within the secretary of state's portfolio? I think the member opposite would be aware that it is actually—

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

On the same point of order, Mr. Chair, in her very first response, the secretary of state said that her role is—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

Thank you, Mr. Lawton.

Mr. Lawton, it is outside of the matter currently before the committee.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

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

Chair, on that point of order, I'll challenge the chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I'm going to suspend for two minutes.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Come on....

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

I'm going to suspend.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bobby Morrissey]

The committee is back.

Mr. Lawton, I would just ask you to stay within the relevance of what the committee is studying at the moment.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

As I understand it, this is mandate and priorities, and I appreciated the secretary of state saying in her first response that the well-being of children and youth are within her purview.

Returning to this, do you believe that it is cruel and unusual punishment to impose a mandatory minimum sentence of one year on someone who possesses images or videos of children being sexually abused?