Debates of Oct. 29th, 2025

Public Services and Procurement

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the only thing that is revolting is those answers.

The Prime Minister promised Canadians that he would stop outrageous spending on high-priced consultants. Only six months in, and this promise is broken. He has already increased spending on consultants by 37%. That is $6 billion. Whether it is arrive scam, McKinsey & Company or now the CRA call centre, the Liberals will always find a way to pay their consultant friends the big bucks.

When the Liberals table their budget next week, how many more billions can Canadians expect to pay Liberal insiders?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians gave us a very clear mandate to reduce the use of consultants and make government more efficient.

Spending less to invest more is exactly what we are going to do on November 4 in a historic budget that will lay the foundation for a strong Canadian economy.

I hope the Conservatives will support it.

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I doubt it.

While Canadians line up at food banks, Liberal consultants line their pockets.

Yesterday, the president of Shared Services Canada admitted he learned a very hard lesson on the contract for CRA call centres, which quadrupled to $190 million under the Liberals' watch. It is the same hard lesson the Liberals learned when GC Strategies blew the roof off the ArriveCAN contract.

I will ask this again: How much will Canadians have to pay to Liberal friends and insiders in next week's budget?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, as I just said, Canadians gave us a very clear mandate to make government more efficient. We will always ensure that we get the best value for Canadians' money.

As we prepare to present a budget on November 4 that will spend less to invest more, we want to make sure we get the best value and build the strongest economy in the G7.

Firearms

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals blew nearly $1 billion on a gun grab that even their own minister admits does not work. He was caught on tape telling the truth: It is a waste of money. The OPP wants no part of it, and the chief of the only police force they found to enforce their vanity project is related to a Liberal MP. This is not safety; it is political theatre with a $750-million price tag.

When will the Prime Minister scrap this farce and go after criminals instead of law-abiding Canadians?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, as I announced several weeks ago, there is a pilot project taking place in Cape Breton, which will be expanded to across Canada over the coming weeks. We look forward to law-abiding Canadians' abiding by the law.

We have brought in many measures to ensure that criminals are off our streets, including Bill C-14, which I hope the party opposite supports. It is part of a comprehensive plan to attack crime in this country.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is pushing ahead with a costly and misguided gun grab that ignores the real problem: illegal guns smuggled from the U.S. Instead, it is targeting the most responsible, law-abiding Canadians. In Cape Breton, the mayor says that he was not consulted. The local police union was blindsided, and the project is run by the brother-in-law of the local Liberal MP. Canadians need an affordable budget for an affordable life. Three-quarters of a billion dollars is being wasted on the program.

When the budget pressures are so high, why are Liberals wasting three-quarters of a billion dollars on political optics and nepotism instead of cracking down on real criminals and keeping Canadians safe?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, our government is doing everything we can to ensure that guns are off our streets. This includes Bill C-12, and this includes a $1.3-billion investment at our border, 1,000 new RCMP and 1,000 new CBSA officers. We have Bill C-14, which will address the issues around bail. We also have a compensation program that will ensure that law-abiding Canadians can get compensation for prohibited weapons, which we hope will be expanded across Canada.

This is our approach to a range of issues involving crime. I invite the party opposite to support these initiatives.

Finance

[Roman Baber, Conservative, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this year the Liberal government will spend $1 billion on interest every week, and while the Prime Minister is planning a record-breaking deficit, his accounting gimmick may put Canada's credit at risk.

Last week the Prime Minister told students they will have to sacrifice even more. Canadians should not be made to sacrifice. After a decade of Liberal failure, they have sacrificed enough. They do not want more Liberal debt, Liberal waste and Liberal corruption.

Why is the Prime Minister spending like Justin Trudeau on steroids?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, inflation in Canada has been within the Bank of Canada's target range for over 21 months in a row. The Bank of Canada also cut rates again today, by 25 basis points. That is more savings, lower mortgages and real relief for Canadians.

While Conservatives seem to root for a recession in Canada, we are making the investments needed for our economy to grow and prosper. Conservatives can shout slogans all they want, but we will continue to implement solutions. They divide; we will deliver. That is progress. That is what Canadians deserve.

[Roman Baber, Conservative, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member does not understand how bad it is out there. More than a quarter of Canadians cannot afford to eat, and now the Prime Minister is telling a roomful of students they will have to sacrifice even more. Young people have sacrificed enough; they have already sacrificed home ownership, and yesterday CTV reported that young Canadians cannot even land a minimum-wage job.

Will the Liberal budget get spending under control so young Canadians can start affording everyday life?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, a AAA credit rating, an inflation rate within the Bank of Canada's target range and job numbers that exceeded expectations by 83% last month are Canada's economic fundamentals. The Citibank CEO, just last week, said, “Canada, relative to other G7 countries, has debt dynamics and fiscal space that, if used wisely, could unlock a lot of opportunities” in this country. That is exactly what we are focused on in budget 2025: unlocking opportunities for all Canadians.

International Trade

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we have just learned that India has placed a 30% tariff on Canadian peas. This is on top of the 100% tariffs already in place from China. As a result, 80% of Canada's pea markets now face tariffs worldwide. This is putting Canadian farmers at risk, as prices have dropped more than 40%. The Prime Minister and his team were just in India, and now they are in China. Every time they go somewhere, it gets worse.

What is the government going to do to ensure that our farmers get the tariff relief they need to ensure that they can stay in business?

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, our government and our Prime Minister have been working hard to ensure that Canadian farmers have access to markets around the world. Part of the work they have been doing is exactly that: cutting deals with more and more countries to ensure that Canadian farmers can sell their products to more and more markets around the world. That is exactly what we have been doing, from Singapore to Malaysia.

These are the things our government is working hard on. Instead of talking Canada down, our government is working with other governments to ensure that markets are available to Canadian producers.

Canadian Heritage

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, to strengthen our Canadian identity, we need to help more people discover the places, stories and landscapes that define us. From national museums to parks and historic sites, these shared spaces remind us of who we are. For many families, every outing counts in the budget.

Can the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages elaborate on how we are helping Canadians explore and celebrate their heritage while ensuring that these experiences remain fairly accessible to everyone?

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

Mr. Speaker, last summer, the Canada Strong Pass allowed families to discover our incredible country while making it affordable to do so. It was a huge success. Over 200,000 children received free admission to the national museums, which saw a 15% increase in visitors. Provincial museums saw a 26% increase in young visitors. Some Parks Canada sites saw a 20% increase in use. In addition, Canadian families saved $6 million on VIA Rail.

Given this enthusiasm for the program, we are very pleased that the Canada Strong Pass is returning this winter and in summer 2026 so that families can continue to discover the most beautiful country in the world.

Forestry Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to negotiate a softwood lumber agreement with the Americans. Today the forestry sector is threatened with tariffs of up to 55%. In my riding of Saguenay—Lac‑Saint‑Jean, 55% tariffs mean 8,000 jobs are at risk and families who will not be able to pay their bills at the end of the month. Our workers deserve better. Since this Prime Minister took office, tariffs have tripled.

Why do the Liberals always sell out forestry workers and their families instead of helping them?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague's anger and I share it, because 55% tariffs on our lumber industry is completely unacceptable. That is why our government is there to stand up for our workers. We are there for the industry. We know that people in the industry are in crisis right now. We will take them by the hand, we will help them through this difficult time, and we will be there to support them. My colleague and I are able to have good conversations. We work well together. I will be pleased to help him.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the forestry sector is being hit with 45% U.S. tariffs. In Chaudière-Appalaches, the forestry sector represents $781 million in employment earnings. The big banker was supposed to figure it all out. It now costs Europeans less to ship wood from Germany across the Atlantic than it does for us to ship it from Saint-Théophile, in Beauce, across the border. What a great negotiator. Well done.

Will the Prime Minister defend forestry workers, yes or no?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is simple: Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes, we will be there for the forestry sector because we believe in it. However, that is not all. We know there are things we cannot control. We cannot control the U.S. administration, but there are things that we can control, and we are going to focus on helping our workers and our businesses. We are going to make sure we are there to help them through this crisis. We are going to offer them support, and we are also going to build a lot of demand for our lumber sector through our major national projects.

Finance

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every single dollar the Liberal Prime Minister spends comes straight out of the pockets of Canadians, through higher taxes, higher deficits and higher inflation. While food bank use surges to 2.2 million visits per month, the Prime Minister thinks it is a brilliant idea to blow $8.2 million on gender-just, low-carbon rice in Vietnam. While the Liberals feed their bloated DEI bureaucracy, Canadians are making sacrifices, with skyrocketing food prices, record housing costs and rising unemployment.

When will the out-of-touch Liberal Prime Minister stop funding his radical DEI programs, stop lecturing working Canadians and finally deliver an affordable budget for an affordable life?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Secretary of State (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, every time the Food Banks report comes out, I read it. I read what the recommendations are and what the organizations that are focused on reducing poverty and food insecurity in Canada recommend that our government do.

The report recommends that we undertake measures like the national school food program, a program that one Conservative member from Newfoundland said last week was “garbage”. We are investing in our social safety net. We are investing in programs that support families. We are investing in Canadians, while the other side, the Conservatives, talk them down every chance they get.

Northern Affairs

[Philip Earle, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Arctic has been home to indigenous peoples for countless generations. Inuit Nunangat stands at the heart of Canada's identity, its security and its future. Last week, the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs was in Iceland at the Arctic Circle Assembly, advancing partnerships and Canada's Arctic leadership.

Can the minister tell the House how the new government is acting decisively—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Philip Earle, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, they are arguing over there because they think they are still in caucus.

How is the new government's acting decisively, while collaborating with indigenous leadership to build Canada's north, upholding our sovereignty and security as threats increase?