Debates of Nov. 21st, 2025

Transportation

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

Mr. Speaker, every motor vehicle accident is a shock to families. Our hearts go out to the victims of these accidents. That is why we are working with agencies, authorities and the provinces to ensure that these kinds of tragic events stop happening. We are strengthening our transportation and safety rules, and we are working collaboratively with all stakeholders in this sector.

National Defence

[Philip Earle, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, under Stephen Harper's decade of darkness, funding for Canada's military dipped below 1% of GDP for the first and only time ever. This had a very negative impact on military bases like 5 Wing Goose Bay in my own riding. Our new government, on the other hand, is committed to rebuilding, rearming and reinvesting in our Canadian Armed Forces.

Unlike the members opposite, I proudly voted for our budget, a budget that delivers generational investments in our capacity to strengthen and protect sovereignty. To those who voted against these investments in our defence—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board.

[Tom Osborne, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, we live in an increasingly divided and dangerous world. We need to defend our people. We need to defend our values, our borders and our sovereignty. We need to be a strong and reliable partner for our allies.

This is the largest investment in national defence in decades, and while the Conservatives voted against a pay raise for our Canadian Armed Forces and an increase in national defence spending, we supported our Canadian Armed Forces and will build them strong. We will build Canada strong because we believe in Canada.

Natural Resources

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, potash is a critical mineral and a pillar of Canada's trade strategy, yet this week, Nutrien, a Canadian champion in potash, chose to put $1 billion into a U.S. port project instead of building here at home. Why? It is because the aimless regulatory environment created by the Liberal government is too complex and unpredictable.

This is not just about potash; it is about Canada's ability to compete and lead in critical minerals and global trade. Why is the government letting Canada become the last choice for Canadian companies?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I would note that this story has already been corrected. This is a commercial company-led decision and it is not final. Nutrien has said that a final investment decision will come in 2027, with any new terminal only online near the end of the decade.

We will keep engaging with Nutrien and others so that Canadian options are as competitive as possible. Canada has the potash the world needs, and potash is on Canada's critical minerals list because of its importance to food security and global supply chains.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let me provide the member with a quote: “This is a failure on Canada's part, a condemnation of our regulatory environment and our inability to permit port infrastructure the private sector actually wants to pay for.” This is a government throwing money out the door while Canadian companies are walking out the back door.

Will the member please acknowledge that it is Liberal policies that are pushing investment out and reverse this regulatory mess?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, we are already investing heavily to strengthen trade corridors and port-rail capacity across the country. We have all seen the major announcements in the last few days and in budget 2025, and they include major long-term projects through the national trade corridors fund. These investments are aimed exactly at improving reliability, reducing bottlenecks and keeping the value chain here in Canada.

Carbon Pricing

[Ned Kuruc, Conservative, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

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

The Liberals had a chance to lower food costs for Canadians by scrapping the industrial carbon tax. They chose not to listen to Canadians. They chose to make food more expensive by increasing it. The Liberals mislead and insult Canadians by calling this tax imaginary.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian deserves an affordable life and opportunities. Costco's CEO was at the agriculture committee yesterday with other grocers. On the cost of food and the factors that influence the cost of food, guess what they said. They all agreed that the main factor was weather conditions, like the droughts we have experienced recently, as well as commodity conditions and currency.

To be a responsible government—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. member for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek.

[Ned Kuruc, Conservative, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think I can use the word “drought” as an explanation to the Stoney Creek Community Food Bank. Yesterday, it told me that in the last two months, 40% of the people who needed help were children.

Food prices have risen nearly 40% faster in Canada than in the U.S. The Liberals had a chance to lower food costs for Canadians by scrapping the fuel tax, but they chose to keep it. It will cost Canadian families up to 17¢ more per litre when they fill their gas tanks.

I will ask this again: Why is the Prime Minister keeping the fuel tax and making food more expensive?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, let me add to what my colleague just said to the House. The Canadian Climate Institute yesterday said, “Industrial carbon pricing has essentially no impact on the price of food and the agricultural sector.” Farmers do not pay the industrial price.

The air is a little thin on that side of the House today, and I would like to remind those members that they voted against making the national school food program permanent, they voted against the Canada child benefit, which went to families yesterday, and they voted against a tax cut for 22 million Canadians.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that is not true. The fact is, the current Liberal government is the most expensive government in Canadian history. Every dollar the Prime Minister spends drives the cost of everything up, especially food.

The Liberals had an opportunity to scrap the industrial carbon tax to reduce the price of food, but instead they are increasing it, driving up the cost of fertilizer, farm equipment and food.

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

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, the other side of the House does not want to listen to the facts and to the stakeholders that work in these areas, so let us come back to the Conservatives' record. Let us talk about the measures this House has put in place to make life more affordable for Canadians.

That side of the House says child care does not create spaces and dental care is a duplication. They say pharmacare is radical. They say school food programs are “garbage”. They say the Canada child benefit is redistribution. These are the very programs that help Canadian families have a more affordable life. They vote against them. This House stands for them.

Forestry Industry

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the lumber industry is part of the backbone of my province of New Brunswick, and 80% of our lumber exports go to the United States. However, a pulp and paper mill in Maine is no longer accepting softwood lumber from New Brunswick due to tariffs.

When the Prime Minister took office, softwood tariffs were at 14%. They then rose to 35%. Now they are at 45%. The Prime Minister promised he would negotiate a win with the United States by this past July. He has broken that promise.

When will the Prime Minister stop selling out our lumber workers?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the forestry industry is the lifeblood and is so important for many communities, particularly in rural areas. That is why we have already announced a series of measures: $700 million in liquidity, $500 million for transformation and $50 million for helping with salaries.

We are listening to everyone in the industry. I would love to work with my colleague, because we plan on announcing more measures to help the industry.

[Rob Moore, Conservative, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, these workers are not asking for new programs. They want their jobs back.

These forestry workers are being left out in the cold by the Prime Minister. He is touring the world while tariffs on softwood lumber have tripled under his watch. The Liberals are not helping workers. The only thing they are helping is themselves, while Canadians lose jobs and families struggle to make ends meet, pay their bills or put gas in their cars.

When will the Prime Minister show some respect to hard-working Canadians and stop selling out our softwood lumber workers?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear on how important the softwood lumber industry is for this country and the government, and we will continue to support it while we navigate this.

The member may not remember, but it has been more than 40 years of discussions, tariffs and all kinds of activities with the American side. He knows this is a long-term dispute, but we will support our workers and our industry.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, British Columbia used to be the largest producer of softwood in our nation. Since 2015, over 30 mills have closed in British Columbia, with 14 in Cariboo—Prince George alone. It has been 10 years without a softwood lumber agreement, and these guys, these Liberals, have done nothing but make it worse.

Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost. Just last week in Cariboo—Prince George, there was another mill closure, and 165 jobs were lost in 100 Mile House, gone because of Liberal incompetence.

When will the Prime Minister finally do his job and realize that forestry matters?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, there are some people in this House who have historical amnesia. It has been 40 years that we have had problems with the American market for forestry trade.

We feel terribly sorry for the families that are affected by this. We will continue to do everything we can to support them. We are actively working on and hoping for a deal in the future with the Americans.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in 2006, our former Conservative government put to bed the longest trade war with the U.S. government. We negotiated a one-year grace period, which these guys wasted.

We are tired of waiting. It has been 10 years, with tens of thousands of jobs lost. Our forestry workers do not need more programs or more handouts. They do not need charity; they need their jobs.

When will the Liberals wake up and realize that forestry matters?

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the member to know that our government knows that forestry matters. These tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber are unjustified. We are working at every level to fix this dispute.

In the meantime, our government is going to continue supporting workers. We are going to prioritize Canadian materials in construction, and we are going to change the federal procurement process to procure Canadian lumber.

We will continue to support Canadian workers and industries with Canadian products. Let us work together.

Natural Resources

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Government of Canada announced its second tranche of major projects to build Canada strong.

A number of critical mineral projects have been referred to the Major Projects Office to accelerate their development. Critical minerals are key to Canada's economic development and national security.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources tell us more about one of these projects, the Nouveau Monde Graphite project in Quebec?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Beauport—Limoilou for his question.

I was present at the announcement and I have met with the people of Nouveau Monde Graphite a number of times in the past. This project will provide significant economic benefits for Quebec, particularly in the battery industry. This project will be integrated with a battery material plant in Bécancour, which is also going to be built.

This project will strengthen the resilience of the Canadian economy and accelerate the transition to a clean economy. It will create more than 1,000 jobs and attract $1.8 billion in investments in Quebec.

Our government is building a strong economy, building—