Debates of Oct. 28th, 2025

Forestry Industry

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the B.C. forestry workers I know do not want handouts; they want their well-paying jobs back. The BC Council of Forest Industries president and CEO, Kim Haakstad, said last week, “The recent increase in U.S. tariffs and duties is a serious blow to an industry already strained by years of uncertainty, mill closures, and job losses. The federal government must make resolving the softwood lumber dispute a national priority.”

When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for B.C. forest workers?

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, that is why we have put together a $700-million liquidity package. That is why we put together a $500-million retooling fund. That is why we are meeting with the premiers to work on this every single day. This industry has been unfairly and unjustly treated by the Americans. We will work hard to fix that.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora—Kiiwetinoong, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised he would negotiate a win with the United States, but he has broken that promise when it comes to softwood lumber. Softwood tariffs were at 14% when he took office; they then jumped to 35%, and they are now at 45%. The Prime Minister has sold out our workers, and softwood tariffs have tripled.

Now the Ear Falls sawmill is facing an indefinite shutdown, affecting hundreds of workers and devastating the entire community, yet the Liberals have not lifted a finger to provide any support. Will the Prime Minister stop selling out Canadian workers?

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, $50 million in EI support is not nothing; $700 million in liquidity support is not nothing, and $500 million in retooling support is not nothing. We are working hard to resolve this problem for the Canadian workers.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised he would negotiate a win with the United States by July 21. He has broken that promise, leaving softwood lumber workers out of work and out in the cold. When he took office, softwood tariffs were at 14%, and now they are at 45%. The Prime Minister did not even mention our mill workers in Washington.

Workers in Grand Forks are worried about their mortgages, their neighbours and how they are going to afford their next meal. When will the Prime Minister stop selling out our lumber workers and finally get the deal that he promised them?

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we have been clear: The U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber are absolutely unjustified. We are working at every level to resolve this. With $50 million in EI support, $700 million in liquidity support and $500 million in retooling, we are working very hard to resolve this issue.

[Mike Dawson, Conservative, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians he would negotiate a win with the United States. When the Prime Minister took office, softwood lumber tariffs were at 14%; they then climbed to 35%, and now they are at 45%. Because of his failures, mills have closed their doors, and forestry towns are paying the price.

In Miramichi, we have seen mill closures at Arbec Forest Products because the Prime Minister cannot close the deal. When will the Prime Minister put his big-boy pants on and finally stand up for Canada's forest industry?

[Karim Bardeesy, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the people of Miramichi, Bathurst, Chipman, Minto and Madawaska, all through northwest and northeastern New Brunswick, know that the softwood lumber industry is a key part of our economic future, but the tariffs are putting our workers and businesses in jeopardy.

That is why we put real solutions on the table: $700 million in support through the Business Development Bank, $500 million for retooling and $50 million for workers' supports. That is alongside the strategic response fund, which helps our business owners pivot and adapt. This is the kind of support we need in New Brunswick and across Canada.

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister took office, U.S. tariffs on lumber were 14%. Then they rose to 35%. Now they are 45%, not to mention the possible additional 10% that is coming.

Back home in Saguenay—Lac‑Saint‑Jean, that represents $910 million in wages for our workers. Not only did the Prime Minister fail to negotiate an agreement, but tariffs have tripled since he took office.

Why is the Prime Minister abandoning forestry workers and their families?

[Karim Bardeesy, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we know that our country is built on lumber, whether it is construction materials or furniture, whether it comes from Quebec, Saguenay or New Brunswick.

We also know that the U.S. tariffs put our workers and businesses at risk. That is why we have solutions, namely $500 million for businesses, $700 million for the Business Development Bank of Canada and $50 million to support employment insurance.

These measures are in addition to the strategic response fund and help our businesses adapt and innovate. We are there for Quebec and New Brunswick.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the forestry sector is under attack with U.S. tariffs of 45%. The Liberal government's failed negotiations with the Americans are putting thousands of Canadian forestry jobs at risk.

In Chaudière-Appalaches, more than 8,000 workers are directly threatened. Have trucks full of lumber ever come out of downtown Montreal? No, lumber comes from rural areas.

My question is simple: Will the Liberal government finally stop favouring big cities and start looking after the regions?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, just last Friday, I was with my colleague from Les Pays-d'en-Haut to meet with representatives from one of these companies to discuss the measures that the federal government has put in place: $700 million in liquidity supports through the Business Development Bank of Canada and $500 million to modernize these businesses.

We are supporting the sector. We will be there for the softwood lumber sector from coast to coast to coast. I am from La Tuque. I know exactly what is at stake. We will be there for workers, and we will be there for communities.

Public Safety

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I drafted a Conservative private member's bill, Bill C-225. This is known as Bailey's law and is the most dramatic bill to address intimate partner violence in Canadian history. Bailey's family, Trish and Debbie, are present in Ottawa, and they are watching.

They want to know, and victims want to know, will the Liberals back Bill C-225, yes or no?

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, the member raises a very important concern that Canadians have and that our government shares.

We have always stood up against gender-based violence. We currently have a bill in the House, Bill C-9, which addresses femicide and makes it a conditional first-degree crime. In that bill, we are also making bail harder to obtain for those accused of sexual offences, including those involving choking, suffocation and strangulation.

We are also going to be bringing in a gender-based violence bill later on this year. We are working on all fronts.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals tell us all they are doing in Bill C-14. They could be doing more by passing Bill C-225.

I spoke with Flo Bellman and Paul Henderson. Their daughter Darian was killed by her intimate partner. They support this bill. Trish and Debbie support this bill. An NDP premier, David Eby, supports this bill.

I see that the minister is wearing a button. Why does she not swap that button for a purple ribbon and get behind this bill? Can she let the family know? Will she ditch the button, get the ribbon and support this bill, yes or no?

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, it is not about buttons or ribbons. Of course, my button is about supporting the RCMP. I support law enforcement across this country, which often has to address a lot of these situations.

What is important is that we take important measures and steps to fight gender-based violence in our country, and we are doing exactly that. We have a bill in the House right now. We are bringing in a very comprehensive bill in the coming weeks on gender-based violence. I would love to work with the member opposite to address this very serious issue in the best way possible.

Families, Children and Social Development

[Eric St-Pierre, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when I was in high school in northern Ontario, the breakfast program at school was often a great help to me. This is not easy to talk about, but this program helped me do really well at school. These are life-changing programs. They are not garbage, as the opposition calls them.

Can the secretary of state tell us how many children have already benefited from Canada's national school food program?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, we provide $65 million in funding to support the province's school food program, reaching more than 500,000 students and 2,200 schools.

In addition, our support helps families save $800 a year in groceries. This program is not garbage. We are delivering this program for the well-being of children across the country.

International Trade

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Chinese tariffs on Canadian canola are punishing farmers and driving up food costs for Canadians. Almost six million tonnes of canola are being blocked from China, yet the Prime Minister and the agriculture minister have not met with their Chinese counterparts. In fact, at committee, the agriculture minister admitted that he has not even discussed the tariffs with his Beijing counterpart. While farmers are being punished by these tariffs, the Liberals are standing on the sidelines.

Will the Prime Minister, when he meets with his Chinese counterpart this week, fight for farmers and get tariff reductions, or will he come back empty-handed yet again?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, one thing we can be proud of is our canola producers, because they produce the best canola in the world. China is imposing completely unjustified tariffs on our producers.

Yes, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food are in Asia right now. They are there to explore new markets for our producers. They will also try to resolve this trade dispute.

That is not all. In the meantime, we are here to support our producers by developing a Canadian biofuel market. We are also supporting them by—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Foothills.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, they should be supporting Canadian producers by getting those markets back. When the tariffs were put on Canadian canola, the Prime Minister promised that he would have high-level engagement. It has been eight months with no engagement, and the tariffs from China have actually increased.

It is not just canola. Peas, pork and seafood are all facing Chinese tariffs. Canadian beef has been blocked from China since 2021. Farm families are literally paying for Liberal inaction. Farmers deserve to be a priority.

When the Prime Minister meets with the Chinese president, will he get reductions on these tariffs, or will he come home empty-handed yet again?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is completely false to claim that the government is not advancing the interests of Canadian farmers and Canadian agriculture. When I was in the Indo-Pacific just 10 days ago, I raised the issues related to agriculture with my Chinese and Indian counterparts.

Let me assure the House that, at all times, we are advancing the interests of our farmers. Let me assure the House that the minister responsible is in the region at this time and doing just that.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Swift Current—Grasslands—Kindersley, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is not even meeting with his counterparts on his trip, and he is proving to be as ineffective as his predecessor. Harvest on the Prairies is coming to an end, and Canadian farmers are still enduring tariffs imposed by China on canola and pulse products. Exports of these crops to China have halted. They need relief, but the government is slow to act. Ahead of a meeting with the president of China, the Prime Minister says that things will take time. Meanwhile, farmers' bins are full and there are no new markets for them to go to.

With food prices skyrocketing and farm profitability dropping, Canadians want to know this: Is the Prime Minister getting a deal done, or will he come home empty-handed yet again?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, let me reiterate.

When I was in the Indo-Pacific, I reiterated the interests of Canadian farmers and the agricultural sector writ large on canola and agricultural products, as well as on seafood and other items.

Let me also reiterate that we will seek to diversify supply chains for Canadian industry across the board with countries outside and inside the region so as to grow this economy and make it the strongest in the G7.