Mr. Speaker, did the Prime Minister or his staff see the ad before it went out, yes or no?
House of Commons Hansard #45 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was amendments.
House of Commons Hansard #45 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was amendments.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Canadian Canola Industry Pierre Poilievre requests an emergency debate on unfair Chinese tariffs impacting Canadian canola producers, a $5-billion industry. He criticizes the Prime Minister's "failed diplomacy" and urges action before the PM meets President Xi. 500 words.
An Act to Implement the Protocol on the Accession of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership Second reading of Bill C-13. The bill implements the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Liberals argue this strengthens the agreement, diversifies Canada's trade, and provides expanded market access and opportunity for industries like seafood. Conservatives support free trade but criticize the government for securing no concessions, leaving pork and cattle farmers with unresolved trade barriers and ignoring frozen British pensions. The Bloc supports the principle but opposes investor-state dispute settlement provisions and demands greater transparency and democratic process in treaty ratification. 30900 words, 4 hours.
Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Bloc MP Christine Normandin raises a question of privilege regarding new forms posted by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner without required parliamentary approval, violating the Conflict of Interest Code. 400 words.
Citizenship Act Report stage of Bill C-3. The bill amends the Citizenship Act to restore citizenship to certain "lost Canadians" and expand citizenship by descent. The Liberal government supports a three-year "substantial connection" requirement for parents. Conservatives and Bloc Québécois propose amendments for a stronger connection test, security screening, language, and citizenship tests. Liberals argue these amendments are inconsistent and could create stigma, while Conservatives contend the original bill devalues Canadian citizenship. 19100 words, 2 hours.
National Strategy for Flood and Drought Prediction Act Second reading of Bill C-241. The bill establishes a national strategy respecting flood and drought forecasting to protect Canadians from increasing extreme weather. Proponents highlight improved coordination and early warning. Critics question its necessity, with some suggesting it's a "duplication" of existing efforts or "greenwashing" due to a perceived lack of budgetary impact and calls for using existing resources. 7900 words, 1 hour.
Pierre Poilievre Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, did the Prime Minister or his staff see the ad before it went out, yes or no?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
Mr. Speaker, I can imagine the frustration the Leader of the Opposition feels when he sees a Prime Minister elected to take this serious economic and sovereignty challenge with all of the seriousness it deserves. This is why Canadians thought the Leader of the Opposition was not up to that task. This is why Canadians chose a Prime Minister who takes serious issues seriously, who will defend Canadian workers and Canadian businesses, and stand up for the right deal for Canada.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says the reason he does not have a deal is an ad.
Did he or his staff see the ad before it went out, yes or no?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
Mr. Speaker, again, I can understand the Leader of the Opposition may be frustrated for a whole series of reasons. He has a caucus meeting coming up this week. He may be very concerned about that as well. What I can tell the Leader of the Opposition, and all colleagues in the House, is that the Prime Minister is committed to doing the difficult, serious work necessary to build the strongest economy in the G7. This starts by supporting Canadian workers, building big in Canada again and doing everything necessary to get the deal with the Americans that will be in the interest of Canadian workers and Canadian businesses.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, there are 100,000 more Canadian workers out of a job since the Prime Minister promised to protect their jobs. He says they are going to get the best economy in the G7, but it is the fastest shrinking economy in the G7. I met with auto workers in Windsor over the weekend who are terrified the Prime Minister's failures are going to cost them their jobs. He looked those workers in the eyes and said he would have a good deal by July 21. He broke his promise.
Now, he is blaming an ad. He has a duty to say whether or not he saw the ad he says blew up the so-called deal he had. Will he do the honest thing and answer the question? Did he see the ad, or is it actually his incompetence—
The EconomyOral questions
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
Mr. Speaker, just because the Leader of the Opposition keeps asserting the same fake premise, it does not make it real. What is real is that the Government of Canada can control certain things. We can control the investments we make in partnership with Canadian businesses and Canadian workers to build a strong economy here. We can work with provinces and territories, as we are proud to do, to defend the Canadian economy and to work with the United States to get an agreement that will be in the interests of Canada. This is something the Leader of the Opposition will never get a chance to do.
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, the cat is out of the bag. Yesterday, the government House leader openly threatened a Christmas election if the House does not support his budget as it stands. The Liberals did not hold any pre-budget consultations, did not hear from any witnesses in committee and did not include any of the opposition's demands in the budget. Now, they are already resorting to blackmail instead of trying to come to an agreement.
Quebeckers elected a minority government. That means an agreement has to be reached with the other parties. Why will the Liberals not get to work instead of threatening an election?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, since the member opposite has done me the honour of quoting me, I will clarify the math for him.
The math is that, although we are a minority, we believe that we received a mandate six months ago to present Canadians with a budget, present them with an economic plan and enter into trade agreements with the United States. Canadians gave us this mandate.
The only question is this: Which opposition party will choose to send Canadians to the polls at Christmas this year?
Jean-Denis Garon Bloc Mirabel, QC
Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister and the mathematician across the way said that they were reaching out to the opposition, we thought it was so that we could work together not so that we could get slapped around. That promise is broken with threats of an election.
Some will say that this is not the only broken promise. The Prime Minister also promised to protect us from Donald Trump. However, unlike the negotiations with Donald Trump, the Prime Minister has complete control over his budget negotiations.
We are experiencing crises in health care, quality of life for seniors, housing, home ownership, infrastructure, and so on. Why not solve these crises together in the budget instead of making threats?
Steven Guilbeault LiberalMinister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my honourable and kind colleague. No one on this side of the House is slapping anyone around.
The Prime Minister, the House leader and the Minister of Finance all met with the leader of the Bloc Québécois. I also met with him to hear about what the Bloc Québécois wants to see in the budget.
There are measures on housing and affordability in the budget. The Bloc Québécois will have plenty of time to help us help Canadians.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, Moisson Québec has informed us that its network supports more than 84,000 people every month. That is a 30% increase since 2022. Since then, an economic study by Aviseo for Food Banks of Quebec has revealed that food insecurity is becoming the new normal and that the need for assistance will continue.
In the meantime, the Prime Minister is asking Quebeckers to make sacrifices, knowing that he will not have to make any himself. Since coming to power, he has done absolutely nothing to lower the cost of living.
When will the Liberals finally realize that their inflationary deficits are driving Quebeckers to food banks?
Steven Guilbeault LiberalMinister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, when a member opposite asks a question like that, I have to wonder whether they have even read the Food Banks Canada report. Let me quote four of the recommendations I have here from that same report.
What does the report propose to help with affordability? It proposes "finalizing the Canada Disability Benefit [or CDB]". The Conservative Party and the member voted against that. The report proposes "rolling out the Canadian Dental Care Plan [or CDCP]". The Conservative Party and the member voted against that. The report calls for "launching a national school food program". One of the member's colleagues referred to that as "garbage". Finally, the report proposes "updating the National Housing Strategy". The Conservatives have already told us that they are going to vote against that.
There is a lot of hypocrisy on the other side of the House.
Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from this government, especially not from a minister who, incidentally, was supposed to resign if the carbon tax was abolished.
On this side of the House, we know that inflationary measures are causing the problems that people are experiencing. Inflation is going up because of this government's uncontrolled spending over the past 10 years.
Does the Prime Minister understand that he needs to stop his inflationary spending in order to help people?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, of all the claims the Conservatives keep making, the one that puzzles me the most is the one about inflationary spending.
What is inflationary spending? Is it pensions? Is it health care? Is it support for young people and youth employment? Is it major projects? What kind of spending is inflationary spending? Finally, once and for all, the member opposite can clear up any doubt by explaining what he means when he talks about inflationary spending.
Raquel Dancho Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Mr. Speaker, Jaclyn Stone is a mom from Landmark, Manitoba. She is working two jobs, one as a bus driver and one at the grocery store, yet she cannot afford to feed her own family and lost her home because of rising interest rates. She said, “You find yourself going to the grocery store, grabbing what you need [and doing] an audit of your cart to see [what] you can afford.... Sometimes you have to put things back. It's embarrassing”, she said.
The only people who should be embarrassed are the Liberals because after 10 years in power, this is how expensive it has become to live in Canada. Their reckless deficit spending has created Canada's inflation problem.
When will it end so that Canadians like Jaclyn can afford to live?
Anna Gainey LiberalSecretary of State (Children and Youth)
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives opposite should listen to Canadians who are on the front lines and who are working in favour of making the school food program permanent. The Coalition for Healthy School Food called the program “a generationally important decision that...will...change the future of Canadian society and the health and well-being of children”.
Children First Canada said, “This isn't just about food—it's about dignity, learning, and equity.”
The Ontario Public School Boards' Association said it will “strengthen student well-being and success”.
These Canadian organizations are on the front lines, fighting food insecurity in our communities.
I would encourage us all to support the budget, which will make the national school food program permanent.
Raquel Dancho Conservative Kildonan—St. Paul, MB
Mr. Speaker, I do not think Liberals understand the state of Canada after 10 years of their government. Ms. Stone lost her home because mortgage rates skyrocketed as a result of rising interest rates caused by their massive Liberal deficits. She works at a grocery store, yet cannot afford the food at the grocery store. In fact, of the over two million Canadians who used food banks in a single month this year, one in five is employed and one-third are children.
Is this what the Liberals envisioned after 10 years in power, that millions of Canadians would be struggling to afford food? They owe Canadians an explanation. How is this possible in Canada in 2025?
Gregor Robertson LiberalMinister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
Mr. Speaker, the hypocrisy of Conservatives is staggering. It is unbelievable to hear this kind of outrage from Conservatives, who voted against and fought against all of the affordability programs, first and foremost, housing affordability, which they have shown no support for, for decades.
We are focused on delivering, and we are seeing results: Average rents are coming down, home prices are coming down, and mortgage rates are coming down. That is affordability.
Fraser Tolmie Conservative Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want dignity and to be able to feed their families without relying on food banks. Under the Liberal government, they cannot. Food Banks Canada reports 2.2 million visits in a single month. The food bank in Moose Jaw is helping out twice as many people as it was two years ago.
Families do not want handouts. They want their paycheques to go further, so they can buy their own groceries.
When will the Prime Minister stop forcing working families into food lines and start reining in the government's out-of-control spending so that parents can actually afford to feed their families?
John Zerucelli LiberalSecretary of State (Labour)
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives voted no to dental care, no to the national school food program, no to the Canada child benefit and no to a tax cut that helped 22 million Canadians. Our government brought in these measures to make life more affordable for Canadians, help families, support workers and build a stronger Canada.
However, there is good news. On November 4, the Conservative Party will have another chance, a chance to say yes to Canadians and yes to measures that make a real difference in people's lives.
Will they stand with Canadians, or will they continue to stand in the way?
John-Paul Danko Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Mr. Speaker, in another display of arrogance and ignorance, the Conservative leader claimed that the national school food program is just “bureaucracy”. Another Conservative said that feeding hungry kids was “garbage”.
In my riding, this program is already making a real difference, and educators say it is one of the best ways to help kids succeed.
How will the Secretary of State for Children and Youth respond to this deplorable Conservative misinformation?
Families, Children and Social DevelopmentOral questions
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec
Liberal
Anna Gainey LiberalSecretary of State (Children and Youth)
Mr. Speaker, Conservative MPs really ought to listen to the folks on the ground fighting food insecurity, such as the Breakfast Club of Canada, the Coalition for Healthy School Food and the Canadian Teachers' Federation, which have all called for the making of the national school food program to be permanent because of the positive impact it has on children. With federal funding, 9.8 million more meals will be served to children across Ontario alone, representing $800 in savings on groceries for families.
We will protect and strengthen the supports that help ensure children have the best start in life right across this country.
Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised he would negotiate a win with the United States. For British Columbia, that means negotiating a softwood lumber agreement. In response to the collapse of trade negotiations on Friday, the Prime Minister failed even to mention softwood. Since he took office, softwood tariffs have tripled, going from 14% to 45%.
Just yesterday, Sinclar Group Forest Products reduced its production by 40% at three of its mills in northern B.C. There are 350 mill workers affected by the cuts. When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for forestry workers?
Tim Hodgson LiberalMinister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, as someone who grew up in a forestry town in northern Vancouver Island, I understand the issue. Softwood lumber is the lifeblood of the small forestry communities in this country.
We are talking with the premiers. We are working together. We have been very clear that the U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber are absolutely unjustified, and we are working very hard to resolve this.
