What I'd say is that time and time again when this government puts forward measures to help with the affordability issues for Canadians, we see the opposition delay, stall and use tactics that actually reduce the ability of Canadians to get those supports. That's what I'm focused on: what we can control and how we can help families.

9:25 a.m.

Conservative

Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB

That's not an answer, though.

9:25 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Mr. Genuis. Your time is up.

Thank you, Madam Minister.

We have Madame Desrochers for six minutes.

Again, I would remind members to respect the interpreters.

9:25 a.m.

Liberal

Caroline Desrochers Liberal Trois-Rivières, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you very much, Minister.

I also want to thank the officials who are attending the meeting.

First of all, thank you for the important work you are doing. I want to commend your leadership in ensuring that budget 2025 preserves the really important programs that provide the social safety nets that Canadians expect in difficult times. They have made Canada what it is today, and I think those are really important.

We know that budget 2025 was a balancing act, and it's wonderful what we've been able to accomplish. I'm thinking about Canadian child care, the national school food program and making it permanent, the dental care plan and, most recently, the groceries and essentials benefit, which is going to benefit over 12 million Canadians.

I'm wondering, Minister, if you could talk a bit about how impactful and how targeted the measures are in the groceries and essentials benefit.

9:25 a.m.

Liberal

Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

I think you're hitting on something really salient for Canadian families right now, which is that they know we're in a trade war. They also know that the world is changing. They have a high degree of anxiety about what's going to happen to their own circumstances and those of their friends and neighbours, and Canadians have been pulling together all across the country.

It's amazing to see, for example, if you go into your local grocery store, how much produce is now being grown in Canada. That's why I think this announcement of the groceries and essentials benefit is not just about tax relief for Canadians and support for low-income Canadians, but also about investments in our own capacity to grow our own local food.

I think of the Windsor-Essex area, which has giant farms that provide all kinds of produce for the country, and how that area might be able to utilize some of the supports of the government to redouble its efforts. I also think about small producers in my own region. I am in northern Ontario, which is not a hot spot for agriculture, but we have local cattle producers, pork producers and greenhouses. In fact, Sleepy G Farm, which I am a shareholder of.... Well, it's kind of a food share, actually. You buy a food share, and then you get it all throughout the summer. These are the kinds of local farms that are really excited about the announcement, because it's going to help increase their capacity not just to produce food, but to store it and distribute it through local food economies.

That's the intent behind the latest announcement. It's support directly to low-income families, but it's also support to the entire ecosystem so we can have a stronger system of sovereignty when it comes to food producing at the local and large industrial scales.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Caroline Desrochers Liberal Trois-Rivières, QC

Thank you very much for this.

I forgot to say that I'll be sharing my time with my colleague from Compton—Stanstead.

Since we're talking about agriculture, I think I'll pass it over to her.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Marianne Dandurand Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Thank you very much, Ms. Desrochers.

Minister, thank you for being here.

As you know, I represent a largely rural riding. My riding actually comprises a large portion of the city of Sherbrooke, that is, several boroughs, and 35 rural communities with populations ranging from 100 to a little over 9,000. It's facing an aging population and a declining birth rate, and there is definitely a labour shortage, which is severe in the regions, particularly in agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.

I really welcomed the part of the budget that mentioned going to work on regionalizing immigration, which reflected a particular concern for not only rural or remote regions, but also for businesses affected by tariffs.

Recognizing that economic immigration is primarily the responsibility of the Government of Quebec, back home, how does your department use federal levers to increase the number of workers in the regions?

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

There is Quebec's approach, which we respect. It's true that there's a labour shortage in some regions, such as very rural regions. It's the same in my area, for example, in northwestern Ontario.

That's why we have to be very careful as we calibrate what we do with immigration.

There are, for example, across the country, a number of pilots called northern and rural immigration pilots. In Thunder Bay, Ontario, we have one. The intent is not to attract temporary labour, but permanent residents who have specific skills that can help small and medium-sized...scale and grow.

It is an uneven story across the country on immigration. In some communities there are many newcomers, and communities have called for tighter controls on immigration. That's exactly what this government is doing, but in other communities there is a severe shortage.

I met with a particular company outside of Quebec City that produces stainless steel, one of our only producers of stainless steel, and it is utilizing some temporary foreign workers whom they would like to make permanent, because the temporary foreign workers have been there for many years and have specific skills related to their business. The company's name is Julien, and it has very sought-after stainless steel worldwide.

This is the work we have to do together to make sure those levels are right, that Quebec maintains its independence and its immigration approach and that we focus on pulling together in these very rural areas where we see a shortage of labour.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

Marianne Dandurand Liberal Compton—Stanstead, QC

Thank you.

9:30 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Ms. Dandurand.

Before we move on, I will remind members that if the interpreters cannot translate properly, I will suspend the meeting, because participants must be able to fully engage in both official languages. When one member is talking over the other, they cannot translate. We will suspend if that occurs.

Ms. Larouche, you have the floor for six minutes.

9:35 a.m.

Bloc

Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Minister, thank you for being here.

You're here to answer our questions on quite important topics, but this is also an opportunity to reiterate how much Quebec has led the way in a number of areas you mentioned, particularly child care. I'd like to point out that early childhood centres are a Quebec model that was put in place by a woman, Pauline Marois. As we have seen, it's the envy of not only other parts of Canada, but also other parts of the world; it has inspired other places around the world.

It's an interesting model that has proven its worth and helped lift women out of financial insecurity. Economic studies have shown that this model has really enabled women to return to the labour market and participate in the economy, so we believe in it wholeheartedly.

You talked about child care in your opening remarks, so I wanted to reiterate Quebec's uniqueness in that regard.

Before I ask you my questions, I'd like to come back to temporary foreign workers. That's one thing in the agricultural sector, but there are other sectors, such as the manufacturing or machining sectors, that don't have the same standards as the agricultural sector.

Last Monday, people came to Parliament Hill, including representatives of small and medium-sized Quebec businesses, members of the Alliance main-d'œuvre étrangère, the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec, the Conseil du patronat du Québec and Manufacturiers et exportateurs du Québec. They came to ask the federal government to reduce the current restrictions on the temporary foreign worker program. Obviously, there's also the whole issue of coordination that needs to take place between Ottawa and Quebec City. That directly threatens the success and survival of Quebec companies. They're calling for a grandfather clause and transitional measures to enable businesses to adapt and avoid adding to the difficulties they face.

I have met with these people, but I'd like to know what your response is to the request they made on Monday on Parliament Hill.

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

As I said, this is a very pressing and very important issue for rural areas. I have also had meetings with those companies.

I have heard from them directly.

You're also right that this is a relationship between Quebec and the federal government. We stand ready to assist Quebec in the direction they wish to go to attach some of these temporary foreign workers in a more permanent way to these businesses.

What businesses are saying is that they have, in some cases, been using the same worker as a temporary worker for six, seven or eight years. The challenge they have is that they don't want another replacement temporary foreign worker; they want to be able to incorporate this worker into their business and enterprise permanently, and to make their families, who are often here and living with them—all of them paying taxes—permanent residents. This is the challenge that businesses are expressing. They also want a short-term solution, though, in terms of not losing a person and extending their temporary status while they work on permanent status.

These are conversations that are happening right now between the Province of Quebec and the Government of Canada. We will act in accordance with Quebec's wishes. This is really a Quebec-led process, and we stand ready to assist Quebec in the direction they choose.

9:35 a.m.

Bloc

Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC

This will be something to keep an eye on. It's a matter of survival for certain businesses in the regions.

I would now like to come back to Bill C‑15 and the respect for Quebec's jurisdictions. How is the government ensuring that the implementation of Bill C‑15 respects Quebec's exclusive jurisdictions, particularly in the areas of family, social services and education?

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

I'm sorry, Mr. Chair. You're going to have to tell me what Bill C-15 is. I don't have my list of bills here.

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

It is the budget implementation act.

9:35 a.m.

Liberal

Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

Thank you very much.

There are many bills, so I don't have the number at hand, but what I would say is that the GST rebate will apply to all people who are getting a GST rebate.

Yes, I see members opposite laughing, but as a minister of a large department, I stay very focused on the work that I'm delivering for Canadians, and memorizing numbers of bills is not really the top priority for me. The top priority for me is making sure I deliver for Canadians in the responsibility areas where I'm being asked to do that.

Thank you very much again for the question, Madame Larouche. All of the work we do is in compliance with the direction of Quebec. In particular, the GST credit will apply to all Canadians who are entitled to it.

9:40 a.m.

Bloc

Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC

You talked about the goods and services tax credit. Because rent has to be paid every month, as with groceries, there are people who say it would have been a good idea to have monthly payments to really help the families who are struggling a little more and certain organizations that support them, for example, to help them set a budget.

What do you think of that suggestion? Should the credit have been reviewed so that it would be paid on a monthly basis?

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

We are always interested in how we can help families. This was a recommendation of the national food bank associations, and we have implemented exactly what they've asked for.

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey

Thank you, Madame Larouche.

Ms. Goodridge, you have five minutes.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Thank you to the minister and officials for being here today to speak to this.

I want to start out with the school food program. You guys have been boasting about it feeding 400,000 kids. Is that accurate?

9:40 a.m.

Liberal

Patty Hajdu Liberal Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON

Let me get my numbers here. That is the target for the program.

9:40 a.m.

Conservative

Laila Goodridge Conservative Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB

ESDC recently commissioned $1 million of research into the school food program to see how many kids it actually feeds after admitting that the claim of 400,000 was basically guesswork. Why?