Debates of Nov. 18th, 2025

Natural Resources

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

Mr. Speaker, the Crawford mine will help anchor Canada's leadership in clean industrial materials. It will supply high-grade, low-carbon nickel for batteries in green steel, with projected emissions close to 90% lower than the global average, while creating 1,000 direct jobs and 3,000 indirect jobs over the 40-year mine life. This is an example of acting decisively, building a stronger, more reliant Canada and getting projects built faster with the Major Projects Office.

Carbon Pricing

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is the most expensive in Canadian history, and every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes out of the pockets of hard-working Canadians, driving up the costs of everything.

Food prices are 50% higher than the target rate, and experts have warned the Liberals that the industrial carbon tax is driving up the cost of fertilizer, farm equipment and food. The Liberals like to say this tax is imaginary, but they are increasing their own imaginary tax in the budget. Is what they tell parents of the 700,000 kids lined up at food banks that they are imagining things?

Why is the Prime Minister increasing the industrial carbon tax when food is already unaffordable?

[Heath MacDonald, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, this budget meets the moment, speeding up national building projects and boosting trade diversification for agri-food and agriculture, for our economy and for the generations to come that the member speaks of.

There is $150 billion for infrastructure alone in the plan, including for trade corridors, AgriMarketing, AgriStability, the clean fuel regulations and biofuel incentives; CFIA funding for digital trade; and investments in CanExport, EDC and Global Affairs. This is all for trade diversification and growing agriculture. There is also the buy Canada plan, which is so important to all our agriculture farmers and ranchers out there.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what this budget does is put intergenerational debt on Canadian families.

Here is a fact the minister just ignored entirely: Food inflation is rising 40% faster in Canada than it is in the United States. Canada is the only G7 country where food inflation has actually increased for four straight months. We have a record-shattering 2.2 million Canadians forced to go to a food bank in a single month.

Why is the Prime Minister breaking his promise to Canadians, increasing the industrial carbon tax and increasing food costs for Canadians who already cannot afford to put food on the table?

[Heath MacDonald, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we all know the Canadian Climate Institute's most recent research shows that industrial carbon pricing systems have essentially no impact on households.

Agriculture plays a significant role in their achievement to lead the G7 nations. We are going to stand alongside our growers, our ranchers and our farmers.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is the most expensive in Canadian history. Every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians and drives up the cost of everything.

The cost of baby formula has jumped nearly 84% since 2017. The growing reports of parents going to desperate measures to feed their babies is truly alarming, yet when the Liberals had a chance to lower food costs, they chose to increase them.

Why is the Prime Minister increasing the industrial carbon tax and making food more expensive?

[Buckley Belanger, Liberal, Secretary of State (Rural Development)]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out that when it comes to the budget, Saskatchewan is watching. Saskatchewan is here.

For 10 years, the Saskatchewan Conservatives have voted against billions of dollars in project commitments and programs that would have helped my home province move faster and build stronger. They did this just for their petty and immature political games.

That ends today, because this Saskatchewan MP is voting for the budget and for the interests of Saskatchewan.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal budget and those initiatives are not working. Parents are still struggling to afford baby formula under the Liberal government's watch, and now StatsCan is reporting another year-over-year increase of 6% on the price of baby formula.

The Liberals had a chance to lower food costs for Canadians by scrapping the industrial carbon tax, but they chose to make food more expensive by increasing it, so I will ask this again: Why, when so many parents are struggling to feed their babies, is the Prime Minister increasing the industrial carbon tax and making food more expensive?

[Buckley Belanger, Liberal, Secretary of State (Rural Development)]

Mr. Speaker, I know the Conservatives have not developed a budget in the last 10 years, so they are a little out of practice. What part of this budget would they cut? Would it be the RCMP heritage project? Would it be the thousands of houses that we are going to commit to building in Saskatchewan? Would they shut down the nation-building mine in northern Saskatchewan, or take out the $370 million in biofuels to benefit our canola farmers? Would they vote against $257.6 million for firefighting aircraft?

Where would you cut? What would you sacrifice on Saskatchewan's behalf?

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Once again, go through the Chair, please.

The hon. member for Montmorency—Charlevoix.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I was with a beef farmer in Château-Richer last week, and we were talking about the federal industrial carbon tax, which is driving up the cost of energy, transportation and processing throughout the supply chain. This has resulted in a 17% increase in the price of beef for his customers.

However, he is not the only one noting these increases. According to Statistics Canada, the price of apples, oranges, chicken, fruit juice, carrots and even coffee has risen by 35%. Food prices are rising 40% faster in Canada than in the United States.

Why do the Liberals keep raising the price of groceries for Canadians?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, perhaps I should begin with a reminder that industrial carbon pricing does not apply in Quebec. My colleague might want to familiarize himself with the issue. Furthermore, industrial carbon pricing is not what is making food more expensive in Canada.

Our government wants to continue fighting climate change while supporting families across the country. I hope the Conservatives will also decide to help families.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is another completely made-up tax: the fuel tax.

Yesterday, the Liberals had the opportunity to lower the cost of food by getting rid of the fuel tax, but they chose to keep making food even more expensive. Families and couples where both partners have jobs are coming to food banks in Quebec to get food because they have to choose between putting food on the table, a roof over their heads and gas in their cars to get to work. It will cost Canadian families 17¢ more per litre every time they go to the pump.

Why is the Prime Minister maintaining the fuel tax and continuing to make food even more expensive?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, my colleague had the opportunity to vote to lower taxes for 22 million Canadians. Yesterday, he had the opportunity to vote for a school food program for the most vulnerable children in Quebec. Yesterday, he had the opportunity to vote for investments in housing, infrastructure and the Espace Hubert‑Reeves. Yesterday, he had the opportunity to invest in defence to increase the salaries of the men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces, but he voted against all that.

Now, the good news is that he can redeem himself after question period by supporting the ways and means motion. If not, he can always take a walk behind the curtains, like some of his colleagues did.

The Economy

[Jagsharan Singh Mahal, Conservative, Edmonton Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is the most expensive government in Canadian history. Every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians and is driving up the cost of everything. The Liberals could have lowered food costs by scrapping the plastic packaging tax, which drives up the cost of produce by 34% and costs the average household $400; instead, they chose to keep it.

Why is the Prime Minister keeping the packaging tax and making food more expensive?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, why does the member opposite keep choosing to make things up? There is no plastic packaging tax. Does he want me to repeat it for him?

I wish the Conservatives would look at the facts, and I wish they would work with us to continue to work for Canadians.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every dollar the Liberals spend comes out of the pockets of hard-working Canadians. Senior Liberal appointee Pierre Tremblay nearly doubled his former travel budget to allow him to spend thousands of dollars on unnecessary limo rides.

Instead of asking young Canadians to sacrifice their future, why does the Prime Minister not ask one of his top bureaucrats to maybe sacrifice a limo ride here and there?

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

Mr. Speaker, the government is spending less so we can invest more. We have invested $60 billion in the first tranche of major projects and $57 billion in the second tranche. This is creating jobs and making Canada stronger.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard that tired line from the current government and the previous one: “Canadians have never had it so good”, but the reality is that Canadians are struggling, families are struggling and workers are struggling, yet the government keeps defending the indefensible. While Canadians are lined up in record numbers at food banks, Liberal bureaucrats are living the Liberal life of luxury.

Will the government take any disciplinary action against the individual and maybe even curtail his travel budget?

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

Mr. Speaker, the agency is an independent agency. It does good work and is helping us build a nuclear future for this country. We are building at Darlington, we are building at Pickering and we are building at Bruce. We are building Canada strong.

Canadian Identity and Culture

[Marianne Dandurand, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in regions like mine, the Eastern Townships, we have local media and cultural organizations, both anglophone and francophone, that play an essential role in keeping us informed and keeping our culture alive. Today, with the rise of digital technology and globalization, the ways we stay informed and consume culture are evolving.

I would like to ask the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture how our government will protect and promote the rich culture and diversity that make our region so strong.

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

Mr. Speaker, in the face of global uncertainty, it is vital that we protect our identity and our cultural sovereignty. That is why budget 2025 invests historic amounts in culture, identity and media, including $38 million for local media across the country. The government made a strategic choice to strengthen our cultural and media sectors by investing $150 million in CBC/Radio-Canada. This sector accounts for $65 billion in GDP and nearly 670,000 jobs.

To invest in our cultural sovereignty is to invest in our future and preserve the stories told—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Windsor West.

Public Safety

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, extortion is out of control. It is up 330% across Canada and nearly 360% in Ontario since 2015. Two weeks ago a home in Windsor got sprayed with bullets in an extortion attack. As a former police officer, I know that criminals are taking advantage of our weak bail laws and the lack of tools for law enforcement.

Canadians deserve safety, not excuses. When will the Liberals get serious and support our Conservative plan to crack down on rampant extortion and protect our communities? For God's sake, will they do something?

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

Mr. Speaker, we take extortion very seriously in Canada. Extortion with a firearm carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Extortionists think they are not going to get caught. Do members know why that is? It is because we have not given law enforcement the tools they need to catch extortionists. Those tools are in our Bill C-2, but Conservatives do not agree with the bill and will not give our police lawful access tools in order to catch extortionists, so they know they are going to get away with it.