Debates of Nov. 27th, 2025

Intergovernmental Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, I am standing up, as are all my colleagues on this side of the House, because we have work to do. We are going to build a country, work with the provinces, consult with first nations and develop a climate framework that will enable us to achieve net zero by 2050. We are going to work together with all Canadians from coast to coast to coast. That is what we are going to do. That is the mandate we received from voters.

The Bloc Québécois can say what it wants, but we are here to build a strong Canada.

Ethics

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the rules pertaining to a public office holder, the Government of Canada's Conflict of Interest Act clearly states that “No public office holder shall...give preferential treatment to any person or organization based on the identity of the person or organization that represents the first-mentioned person or organization”.

The federal Liberal member for Laval—Les Îles is currently under investigation by Quebec's chief electoral officer for having participated in financial funny business in Ottawa.

Can the Prime Minister confirm that no minister, member of cabinet or member of his caucus is involved in this so-called funny business?

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Let us move on to the next question.

The member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let me get back to the functions of the Government of Canada. My question is about conflicts of interest. We know that the federal Liberal member for Laval—Les Îles is currently under investigation by Quebec's chief electoral officer. That is a fact.

Now, the question is a simple one.

Can the Prime Minister confirm that no members of his cabinet or of the federal Liberal caucus are involved in this scandal?

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

Mr. Speaker, this is not a question about government operations, but I can confirm that all members and all ministers sitting on this side of the House rigorously follow the code of ethics imposed on us, which is one of the strongest and strictest in the world.

International Trade

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, people in Windsor are tired of hearing promises. They just want to know why the Prime Minister stopped fighting for them. He said he would go elbows up at the U.S., but when he failed, he shrugged and said, “Who cares?” Workers in Windsor care. Our auto sector and our suppliers care. Conservatives care. Meanwhile, the U.S. signed an $80-billion nuclear deal with Brookfield, the Prime Minister's own company.

Why is it that every time the Prime Minister travels, business only gets better for Brookfield, while Canadians are left out in the cold?

[John Zerucelli, Liberal, Secretary of State (Labour)]

Mr. Speaker, I find that member's suggestion that the Conservatives care interesting because the Conservatives voted against 18,000 construction jobs at the Darlington new nuclear project, 9,700 jobs at the north coast transmission line in B.C., over 10,000 jobs at the LNG tube facility and 5,000 jobs at the graphite mine in Quebec. These investments represent real progress for workers.

Here is something that we should know: Conservatives vote against jobs and Canadians. Our new government stands up for workers and jobs.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week we found out that the government sent 500 million tax dollars to the European Space Agency. Guess who owns half the U.K. campus that money is going to. You guessed it right, Mr. Speaker: Brookfield. At the same time, Windsor workers are being shut out of plants, contracts are stalling and families are worried about their futures.

Why is the Prime Minister sending money overseas and helping a company he is tied to instead of fighting to protect jobs in Windsor, which has the highest unemployment rate in the country?

[John Zerucelli, Liberal, Secretary of State (Labour)]

Mr. Speaker, that member voted against the largest infrastructure investment in Canadian history. There were jobs for the IBEW, jobs for the carpenters, jobs for LiUNA and jobs for the union members in his riding.

We will be building big and building with Canadian steel and Canadian lumber. When will the Conservatives get on board with Canadian workers?

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is yet another scandal.

In the federal budget, the Liberal government prioritizes funding for the construction of modular housing, as does Brookfield. The Prime Minister prioritizes funding for nuclear energy, as does Brookfield. The Prime Minister prioritizes funding for rail transportation, as does Brookfield. The Prime Minister prioritizes funding for data storage, as does Brookfield.

Why is the Prime Minister sacrificing our national interest for his own personal gain?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, while I do recognize my colleague's flair for the dramatic every time he rises in the House, his remarks remain rather weak.

When the Leader of the Opposition was in charge of the housing file, he built six housing units across the country. On this side of the House, we are making unprecedented investments to build affordable housing, increase the housing supply and reduce pressure on first-time homebuyers, among other things. That is great news for Canadians.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, here are some more examples. The Prime Minister is prioritizing funding for artificial intelligence, and so is Brookfield. The Prime Minister is prioritizing funding for clean energy, and so is Brookfield. Last week, we learned that the Liberals have earmarked 500 million taxpayer dollars for the European Space Agency. Guess who owns 50% of the campus? Yes, it is Brookfield.

Why is the Prime Minister sending our jobs abroad and our money into space, and why is he putting his own financial interests ahead of the interests of all Canadians?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, whose interests did my colleague have in mind when he voted against the budget, which provides for a tax cut for 22 million Canadians, the Canadian dental care plan, the Canada child benefit, jobs at the port of Quebec City, jobs at the port of Saguenay, economic development, and jobs in his region at the Davie shipyard? He certainly was not thinking about his constituents' interests.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Brookfield conflicts of interest continue to grow with his keeping his shares, options and performance pay, which are worth millions of dollars. Every major decision the PM says he is making for Canada, such as nuclear deals, AI, EU space agencies and many more, has the potential to make him wealthier. While Canadians suffer, business for Brookfield has never been better.

When will the Prime Minister admit his conflicts, divest his shares and prioritize Canadians' best interests rather than his own portfolio investments?

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

Mr. Speaker, today, the announcement with the Prime Minister and the Premier of Alberta is good news for workers all across the country. It is good news for workers in Alberta. It is certainly good news for skilled tradespeople and the young apprentices who are and learning these trades. This is an announcement about prosperity and shared prosperity. It scopes in indigenous people and creates wealth. I certainly hope that the member understands that this is something that will deeply benefit not only his province but also the entire country.

The Environment

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning's announcement of yet another dirty oil pipeline has cracked the Prime Minister's green veneer. Beneath that veneer, he is bitumen-black, just like the Conservatives, and maybe even blacker, because Stephen Harper himself could not get a pipeline through. The Liberals announced a second one this morning. There may even be others. They have given up all hope of meeting the greenhouse gas reduction targets.

On environmental issues, are they worse than the Conservatives, or is this a pot-kettle situation?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have said it before, and I will say it again. We can only achieve our climate goals if we work with the provinces and territories. Canadians elected us because they wanted to see us work with the provinces and territories.

This agreement represents Alberta's commitment to work with us on an industrial price, on methane regulations and on clean electricity. That is what we need to do to fight climate change, and we are doing it with the provinces and territories.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the environment minister is defending pipelines. Now we have seen it all. Let us take a look at our new so-called green Prime Minister's new record: He scrapped carbon pricing, abandoned targets for zero-emission vehicles, sabotaged oil and gas emissions caps, offered billions of dollars in tax credits for fossil fuels and boycotted COP30. He is exempting oil projects from environmental assessments with Bill C-5 and he is building another pipeline that will violate the west coast moratorium on tanker traffic in a marine protected area.

Is this the Liberal record, or Donald Trump's?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected us to build a strong Canada, and we are going to build it.

Let us look at the projects we have put forward, including a hydroelectric project in Iqaluit and a clean electricity project in northern British Columbia. We have projects, and we will continue to do the work.

Again today, we are showing that we are moving forward with industrial carbon pricing, methane regulations and clean electricity. We are not just putting forward regulations. We are showing how we are going to build Canada, and we are going to do it right.

International Trade

[Éric Lefebvre, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after failing to reach an an agreement with the United States, the Prime Minister said, “Who cares?”. The Prime Minister backed down on the digital services tax without getting anything in return. I mean he got nothing in return for Canadians, because one day later, the Americans signed an $80-billion nuclear deal. Who did they sign it with? They signed it with Brookfield, the Prime Minister's company.

Why is the Prime Minister sacrificing the interests of Canadians rather than his own interests?

I can predict what the member is going to say. He is going to talk about the budget, pipelines, housing, when pigs fly, and I will not get an answer.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have good news for all the workers across Canada. All of the major projects we are introducing will generate good jobs for unionized workers in all trades across the country.

This will move Canada forward.

[Roman Baber, Conservative, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, “Who cares?” answered the Prime Minister, when asked about contact with the U.S. President on a trade deal.

Everyday Canadians care, everyday Canadians who are going broke or who are losing their jobs because of this trade uncertainty. In my city of Toronto, investment, commerce and real estate have been frozen. Only 25 new condos were sold last month in a city of three million. Other than Brookfield, nobody can make a decision because of the uncertainty caused by the Prime Minister's failure to get a trade deal.

Instead of being dismissive and derisive, why does the Prime Minister not keep his word and finally get a trade deal?

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

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I stood with the Prime Minister and the president of Dofasco as we announced additional supports for steel, for lumber, for communities, for organizations and for their employees, who have been deeply impacted by tariffs. They are not only encouraged by our support; they are excited about the future. Do members know why? It is because they have an opportunity through buy Canada policies to pivot their products and sell to Canadian projects.

That is what Canadians expect, that we invest in ourselves and take care of ourselves, something these guys cannot get.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister went from promising elbows up to throwing his hands up and saying, “Who cares?” the moment the President pushed back. He caved on the digital services tax, abandoned countertariffs, and walked away from the softwood legal fight, leaving Canadian workers totally defenceless. We thought he got nothing in return, but it turns out he got nothing for Canadians, because just days later the Americans signed an $80-billion nuclear deal with his former company, none other than Brookfield. While Canadian workers are left standing in the penalty box, the Prime Minister's friends are skating away with the puck.

Why is the Liberal Prime Minister trading away Canada's national interests while advancing his own personal interests?

[John Zerucelli, Liberal, Secretary of State (Labour)]

Mr. Speaker, again, that member voted against the budget, which is going to see the largest investment in infrastructure across this great country. We are going to be building homes, community centres, hospitals, bridges and roads, all with Canadian steel, Canadian lumber and Canadian unionized workers.

Every day when the Conservatives come in here, they vote against jobs and they vote against Canadians.