Debates of Oct. 28th, 2025

The Economy

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I just heard the Leader of the Opposition say that the CEO of Food Banks Canada does not know what she is talking about, when she wrote the report the Conservatives are quoting from. It is really hard to follow, is it not?

It is clear the member opposite is driving for a Christmas election. I really hope that is not true, because Canadians are counting on us to pass this budget, to make the school food program permanent and to increase benefits that Canadians are working so hard for, including the announcement yesterday for personal support workers.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, if they want their budget passed, they have to make it an affordable budget so that there is affordable food and an affordable quality of life for the Canadian people, including people like Jaclyn Stone. As I said, she works at a grocery store and cannot afford groceries. We already know about carpenters who build homes but cannot afford a home after 10 years of the Liberals. This is the story that she tells. She says:

You find yourself going through the grocery store, grabbing what you need and when you are ready to check out, you pretty much have to do an audit of your cart to see if you can afford everything. Sometimes you have to put things back. It’s embarrassing and disheartening.

People like her have been working too hard for too long. Will they get an affordable budget?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives cannot have it both ways. They say Canadians are facing challenges, yet they dismiss the ways of helping them to get through these challenges. The same Food Banks Canada report they cite mentions the Canada disability benefit, the Canadian dental care plan, the national school food program and the national housing strategy as steps taken to address the underlying conditions that contribute to poverty.

When it came time to step up, what did the Conservatives opposite do? They voted against these supports. They will have another opportunity to change their tune and support the budget.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, if any of those promises were actually coming true, we would not have had a 100% increase in the number of people lined up at food banks, a number that has increased again this year after the Prime Minister took office after promising that he would be judged by the prices at the grocery store. A record 700,000 kids are lined up at food banks while the Liberals make phony promises that they never keep on that side of the aisle. Every dollar the government spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians who cannot pay any more. The more Liberals spend, the more things cost.

Will they finally bring forward an affordable budget for affordable food, so Canadians can have an affordable life?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, either the member opposite, the leader of the Conservative Party, wants a Christmas election, or he wants to deny what is in that actual report, which says to take action to make the programs that are making Canadians' lives more affordable stronger, permanent and more generous, and that is what we have done. That is what we are doing, and we are going to continue to do it. In fact, what the CEO has said is that we are on the right track. We have to continue to move forward, and we really hope the Conservatives do not vote against these things again.

Canada-U.S. Relations

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada, and thus Quebec, is in the midst of one of the worst trade crises we have ever experienced, and rather than improving, the situation is only getting worse. The Prime Minister gave everything away and got nothing in return. Now he is in a full-fledged quarrel with the President of the United States.

What I want to know, and what people need to know, is what the government is going to do to re-establish a decent relationship with the United States of America.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, our colleague knows full well that our government is always ready to sit down and work with the American government, with the secretaries in Mr. Trump's administration, to negotiate an agreement that serves the interests of Canadian industries and Canadian workers. We are always available. The Prime Minister has repeated this.

In the meantime, we are not going to wait around for that moment to come before we protect Canadian industries and build a strong economy here in Canada. We are investing in all the industries necessary to meet Canada's supply needs.

International Trade

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, despite the Prime Minister's promises and occasionally boastful claims during the election campaign, things have not improved, they have grown worse: 25% tariffs on trucks and cars, 45% tariffs and countervailing duties on lumber and forestry products, and 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum.

What has the government got to say to workers, to vulnerable consumers and to investors being told that nothing is expected to change until well into 2026?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, what are we going to say to investors who see Canada's economy in a positive light? What are we going to say to Canadian workers who are obviously worried about the tariffs?

We are going to tell them that the government is here to support them, that we have a series of measures for investing in major projects in Canada. We are going to tell them that we support the industries being impacted by the tariffs.

At the same time, we are prepared to negotiate an agreement with the United States that will put us in a better economic position.

The Economy

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is waiting for the U.S. to be in a better mood. It has not done anything yet. It is setting us up for inflation, a recession and business closures. It is doing nothing to bring people together so that Canada and Quebec can speak with one voice. It can say whatever it wants, but it is not doing anything to help businesses, nor is it doing anything to help people who lose their buying power.

When will the government admit that it has failed and start collaborating so we might have some hope of achieving something?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Bloc Québécois knows full well that our government always collaborates with our provincial and territorial counterparts, with business leaders and with workers' representatives.

The good news is that I will be in Montreal on Thursday morning to meet with Minister Fréchette. We will talk specifically about what more we can do together to support Quebec industries and workers in Quebec and across Canada.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the signature promise on which the Prime Minister was elected was to “negotiate a win” with the Americans, and he promised to get a deal by July 21.

Today, there is still no deal, still no win. U.S. tariffs have doubled since the Prime Minister promised to eliminate them. He is blaming an Ontario government ad for the fact that he cannot get a deal.

Did the Prime Minister or anyone on his team see the ad before it went out, yes or no?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition knows full well that the government will not accept just any deal. We have been clear that we will negotiate an agreement with the U.S. government that is in the interests of Canadian workers and the Canadian economy.

Canadians know very well that the Leader of the Opposition would have accepted any old deal. That is not Canada's position. We are going to support both Canadian industries and Canadian workers.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the signature promise on which the Prime Minister was elected was to negotiate a win with the Americans, to get a deal by July 21. Here we are in late October with still no deal, still no win, still no elbows and still no jobs, and the American tariffs have doubled since the Prime Minister promised he would get rid of them.

Yesterday, his latest excuse was that an Ontario government ad prevented him from keeping his promise. Yes or no, did the Prime Minister or his staff see the ad before it went out?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat the answer I just gave to the Leader of the Opposition in French because he asked the same question in English.

Our government was elected to negotiate an agreement with the United States that is in the interests of Canadian workers and Canadian industries. Unlike the Leader of the Opposition, we are not going to sign whatever agreement the Americans might suggest. We are going to sign an agreement that benefits Canadian workers and the Canadian economy.

At the same time, we are going to build in Canada, we are going to invest in Canada and we are going to support workers and Canadian businesses.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised that he would have a good deal by July 21. That date has come and gone. His latest excuse is an ad from the Government of Ontario. He claims that is why he could not keep his promise to get a deal.

Yes or no, did the Prime Minister see the ad before it went out?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, as I said a moment ago, our government is committed to working with all partners in our federation, to working with premiers in every part of the country, to working with union leaders and business leaders to support the Canadian economy and Canadian workers, and to negotiating with the Americans for a deal that is in the interests of Canada. That has been the government's position from the beginning. I am proud of the work that we have done with all the premiers, the businesses and the union leaders across the country.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is the Prime Minister who said that the ad prevented him from keeping his promise and getting a deal. He claims he was on the verge of getting that deal, so surely, if he saw an ad that would interrupt the deal, he would have said no and hit the brakes.

The question is, yes or no, did the Prime Minister or anyone on his staff see the ad before it went out?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to doing the serious work necessary to get a deal with the United States and to build a strong, resilient Canadian economy. This was the commitment we made to Canadians in the election. This was an election the Leader of the Opposition lost because people did not believe he would be serious in either supporting Canadian workers and Canadian businesses or standing up to the Americans for a deal that is in the interest of all Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, being serious means being honest. Did the Prime Minister—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The member can continue and will get a few extra seconds to make up for the interruption.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, being honest is a joke to these Liberals.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

There cannot be too many interruptions because I cannot afford that much time. The member can continue.