Debates of Nov. 18th, 2025

Finance

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, that is precisely the question Canadians are asking themselves at home. How could the Conservatives have the nerve to vote against Canada yesterday?

Our budget is all about strengthening Canada's sovereignty. Our budget invests in our military capacity. Our budget increases military salaries.

How are the Conservatives going to go back to their ridings and explain to their constituents that they voted against Canada yesterday, when we all need to work together to meet a historic moment in our nation's history?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are cash-strapped and needed a break. Instead, the Prime Minister gave them the costliest budget in Canadian history and put it all on the national credit card.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer revealed that the Prime Minister doubled Trudeau's deficits, added $16 billion more to the debt than he promised and is increasing the debt-to-GDP ratio, breaking another promise. The $78 billion of additional debt works out to about five grand for every single cash-strapped family in this country.

How does the Prime Minister expect single moms, seniors and small business people who cannot pay their bills to pay another five grand for his inflation?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. What they did yesterday under their leader was to vote against investment in infrastructure. Under their leader, they voted against investment in housing. Under the Conservative leader, they voted against productivity and innovation in our country. Under their leader, they voted against investment in our sovereignty.

On this side of the House, we will build a strong Canada, we will empower Canadians and we will protect our sovereignty, because we believe in Canada.

Housing

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think anybody has been able to cram that many slogans into one answer, and this is coming from me.

Let us take housing. The minister says they are spending billions of dollars more on housing. The results are out today, and housing starts are down 17% year over year. Where we need the most, in Toronto, they are down 42% year over year. In Vancouver they are down 36% year over year. In Ontario they are down 35%, and in B.C. they are down 22%.

Why is it that the more the Liberals spend, the less we can build?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is ignoring the year-to-date results. He is looking at month to month. He is twisting the facts. He is getting confused with the numbers. Conservatives have a tough time with numbers sometimes; we understand that.

Year to date, 2025 versus 2024, we are up 5% with housing starts.

International Trade

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, what are Canadians getting for the 28 trips, the 150,000 kilometres, which is enough to circle the world four times, that the Prime Minister has billed back to Canadians? He met with the Americans, and they doubled tariffs on our steel, aluminum and autos, and tripled them on our forestry. He met with the Chinese, who increased tariffs on our farmers and fish harvesters. He met with the Indians, and they increased tariffs on Canadian peas. He met with the Brits, and they are keeping their blockade on our beef.

Why is it that whenever the Prime Minister gets on a plane, Canadians end up paying more tariffs abroad?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, we have good news for Canadians. Germany just signed a $1-billion deal with Lockheed Martin Canada to support jobs right here in this country. This is what Canadians are getting from the Prime Minister's being on the world stage, selling what Canada has to offer. It is about unlocking new markets and creating good jobs here in Canada.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, with the Prime Minister billing millions of dollars for his high-flying trips around the world, 28 trips and 150,000 kilometres, now is the time for a scorecard. The Americans have increased tariffs on Canadian autos, aluminum, steel and lumber. The Indians have increased tariffs on our peas. The Chinese increased them on our farmers and our fish harvesters. Now, allow me to introduce a comprehensive list of all the tariffs the Prime Minister has successfully had reduced on Canada.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader continues to stand against support for Canadian workers and businesses. He has refused to support our government's plan to double non-U.S. exports over the next decade. In fact, he called Canadian exports other than oil “pixie dust”. Does the Conservative leader think our $5 billion in beef exports is pixie dust, or the LNG headed to South Korea from B.C.? What about the 7.6 billion dollars' worth of fish and seafood caught by hard-working Canadians? Whether it is imaginary taxes or pixie dust, the Conservative leader needs to get on board and out of the way.

Canadian Identity and Culture

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebecor announced last week that it is laying off 87 employees in its media division. Over the past two years, nearly 800 people have lost their jobs at TVA. That is a tragedy for Quebec culture. It is a tragedy for news diversity in Quebec. Quebec's largest private television network is teetering on the brink, and Ottawa is just watching it die a slow death.

How many more layoffs will it take before the government wakes up?

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

Mr. Speaker, our thoughts are certainly with the families and communities affected by these job losses. However, my Bloc Québécois colleague's question might have been more relevant if the Bloc Québécois had not voted against the most important budget in the history of the country, which includes funding for local journalism. The member opposite is rising in the House to say that what is happening is so unfortunate, while also voting against investments for local journalism in Quebec and across Canada. I cannot understand it.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, try to imagine how the people at TVA feel about the Liberal message. The Liberals are talking about historic investments in culture, but there is not a penny for TVA. The government does not care about them. That is the message that the Liberals are sending to the people at TVA. These same Liberals are the only ones who refused to appear on TVA, which was asking for money because it has run out. TVA broadcasts our music and our stories. It sparks debate. Quebeckers identify with TVA, but Ottawa could care less.

What do the Liberals have against our television?

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

Mr. Speaker, in the budget that the Bloc Québécois voted against, there is $150 million for CBC/Radio-Canada, Quebec's largest cultural producer. The Bloc voted against that. There is $26 million for the National Film Board of Canada, which is located in Montreal, and the Bloc voted against that. There is $127 million for the Canada Media Fund and $48 million for the Canada Music Fund. The Bloc voted against all these cultural initiatives in Quebec and across the country. That is outrageous.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yes, but there is nothing for private broadcasters. In order to please the very powerful American president, the Prime Minister decided to abolish the digital services tax. The revenue from that tax could have been used to create a fund to provide long-term support to the cultural and media sectors. That would have helped TVA, which is in great need. Not only did the Liberals refuse to create a fund, but they also did absolutely nothing to secure the future of private television in Quebec and Canada.

Why have the Liberals abandoned private broadcasters?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, like my colleague who just listed the budget points that highlight our achievements and commitments to culture, I am baffled to see that Bloc members are demanding landing strips, ports, docks in Saguenay, investments in major projects, support for health care and housing in Quebec and then, oops, they cross the bridge over the Ottawa River and vote against all of that.

Why did the Bloc Québécois not stand with the Liberals to vote for Quebec and for this budget?

Finance

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's costly credit card budget puts today's reckless spending on tomorrow's taxpayers. He is maxing out Canada's credit card. Watchdogs are exposing the Liberals' accounting tricks. Fitch and the budget watchdog say that Canada's credit score is at risk because the Liberals always break their own made-up fiscal targets.

How many more fiscal watchdog reports is it going to take for the Prime Minister to finally rein in his costly credit card spending?

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, I have some advice for the leader opposite. He should go back to his lobby and push reboot on chat CPC, because all it does is rehash the same tired old talking points.

Last night, the House passed a generational budget. We are going to invest in infrastructure, in defence and in housing. We will transform the country from reliance to resiliency. It is too bad that the members opposite did not support us.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the CRA is a mess under that guy, and he is trying out to be a comedian in here. The budget watchdog exposed the Liberals' shady accounting tricks. He said that the Liberals have a less than 8% chance of meeting their own fiscal targets, which they made up while trying to hide $100 billion under so-called investments.

The Prime Minister tried this trick in the U.K. He is trying the same trick on Canadians. Instead of cooking the books to hide his $100-billion ego, why does he not just rein in his out-of-control, costly credit card spending?

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, they want to talk about slogans and quoting slogans. They quote the food professor so much, one would think he was the leader's personal chef, serving up the same tired old leftovers time and time again.

Last night, we passed a generational budget that will transform this country. It is too bad that the party opposite did not support our budget.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian should be thanking their lucky stars that we have a Parliamentary Budget Officer whose job it is to be independent and honest about the state of government deficits, debts and spending. The budget watchdog, last week, called out the creative accounting in the Prime Minister's credit card budget, saying that he is using “a definition of capital investment that expands beyond the current treatment in the Public Accounts and international practice”.

In other words, the Prime Minister is cooking the books, and his out-of-control deficit is pouring more gas on the debt and deficit fires.

How many more alarms must go off for the Prime Minister to rein in his spending in his credit card budget?

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

Mr. Speaker, this budget is a game changer for families across the country, whether it is the school nutrition program, which I know the Conservatives like to talk down, that is feeding hungry mouths in my riding of Thunder Bay—Superior North and all across the country, or our early learning and child care program that is reducing fees.

Listen to this: “ELCC has taken a huge mental and financial load off our family, particularly during these times.”

That is from a parent. We cannot beat that.

Government Appointments

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what is the Liberals' response to the interim PBO's warnings? They put him on notice that they will be looking to replace him with someone who has “tact and discretion”. Presumably, that means replacing the budget watchdog with someone from the Prime Minister's inner circle of corporate buddies, who take their marching orders from him.

The independence and oversight of the budget watchdog is designed to call out deception and raise the alarm, to ensure that every MP and Canadian knows when the books are being cooked.

Why are the watchdogs who are challenging the wolves on the credit card budget being threatened?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, of course, there is a well-worn process for the appointment of the Parliamentary Budget Officer, which involves consulting with all members of the House, including the Leader of the Opposition. We look forward to the members' feedback on that very important job search.

Finance

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's credit card budget passes the bill for today's spending on to our children. After 10 years of this government, families are struggling. They have to put 50% more of their household expenses on their credit cards just to get by. Meanwhile, Fitch Ratings says that federal finances run a high risk of further deterioration since the Liberals keep exceeding their own fiscal anchors.

Will the warning from Fitch convince the Prime Minister to stop his reckless and irresponsible spending?

[The Honourable Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Joël Lightbound]

Mr. Speaker, it is fascinating to listen to the Conservatives during question period. It is not surprising that Quebeckers and Canadians rejected a leader who spends his time writing slogans for question period that his members happily regurgitate. The Conservatives are incapable of supporting a budget that presents a real vision for building Quebec and Canada. This budget includes investments, particularly in defence, that will support good jobs in Chaudière-Appalaches, at the Davie shipyard and among all its suppliers. It will also support good jobs at Base Camp Connect in Lévis, which provides communication systems to the Canadian Armed Forces.

That is what they voted against yesterday, and that is a shame.