Debates of Nov. 28th, 2025

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Madam Speaker, I say this with all due respect. The member has been the immigration critic for the Conservative Party for almost 10 years. She knows very well that when new information comes in, it can lead to the cancellation of existing visas that allow individuals to be in Canada in the first place. When we understand these matters, we leave it in the hands of authorities to address those matters.

On this side of the House, we continue to be seized with the importance of ensuring a sustainable, responsible immigration system that is focused on the economy from beginning to end.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Madam Speaker, in that case, the government found out that the person was a polygamist and lied about it, and it still let them stay here.

We also this week heard the Liberals argue against my bill that would remove the ability of activists, judges and lawyers to give leniency to non-citizens convicted of serious crimes like sexual assault. For a non-citizen, being able to stay in Canada should be considered a privilege, not a right. Non-citizens convicted of sexual assault or those who are caught lying about polygamy should not be rewarded with the ability to stay in Canada; they should be removed. It is a no-brainer.

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Madam Speaker, the member is or should be aware of the landmark Supreme Court decision of 2013 that says that the courts, and judges in particular, can take note of the immigration status of an individual but cannot use that to condition sentencing in a way that would avoid immigration consequences.

The question is not a serious one. The point is that if we are going to do immigration policy seriously in this country, we have to make sure we allow—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Markham—Stouffville.

Finance

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Madam Speaker, Canada has what the world needs and wants: the best-educated workforce in the world, free trade agreements with every G7 country, an abundance of natural resources, and world-class innovators, entrepreneurs and exporters. Thanks to budget 2025, Canada will also have the lowest marginal effective tax rate in the G7.

Unlike the members opposite, I am proud to have voted in favour of a budget that will boost productivity and attract investments.

Can the parliamentary secretary remind the House exactly what those—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.

[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)]

Madam Speaker, we know that the Conservatives will talk down our industries and workers every chance they get. That may help generate clicks and fundraising emails, but it will not build Canada strong. While they are in the business of saying no, we are in the business of saying yes: yes to productivity tax deductions for businesses; yes to making it easier for Canadian companies to invest in machinery, equipment and technology to help them grow and thrive; and yes to catalyzing investments to supercharge productivity in Canada.

When we say yes to Canada and to Canadians, Conservatives say no. Maybe that is why Canadians keep saying no every time the Conservatives—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge.

International Trade

[Michael Guglielmin, Conservative, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, every time the Prime Minister talks trade, it seems Brookfield comes out ahead and Canadians get left behind. He travels to Washington, and Brookfield gets an $80-billion nuclear deal. He travels to the U.K., and Brookfield gets money from the European Space Agency. He hosts Swedish royalty in Canada, and Brookfield announces an AI deal even before they land back in Stockholm.

Now the Prime Minister is forcing Alberta to put money into carbon capture programs in exchange for a pipeline, and guess who has a major stake in the sector. It is Brookfield.

When the Prime Minister said he would build at a scale not seen in generations, did he really mean just for Brookfield?

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

Madam Speaker, on this side of the House, count us a little perplexed as to the approach of the Conservatives in question period today.

First, there is the news of 2.6% growth in our economy, which leads all published data in the G7. We signed a landmark agreement with the Province of Alberta yesterday that will secure an economic future for families, children, and people looking for jobs, and an economic future across the Prairies and into British Columbia.

It is shameful that the Conservative Party sets up its tinfoil hats—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Nunavut.

Northern Affairs

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, this summer a cargo ship went aground in the Franklin Strait, a rare occurrence. With climate change, the Northwest Passage has become more accessible. Nunavut relies heavily on shipped diesel, and the risk of damaging the pristine waters is increasing. Mapping the sea floor would ensure more predictable navigation.

Will the minister commit to funding Arctic bathymetry as a multi-use project to keep Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Madam Speaker, with our Arctic foreign policy, we are continually ensuring that the sovereignty and the livelihood of the Arctic are protected. That is why we are putting on the table $80 billion for defence spending. In conjunction with indigenous peoples, we are going to make sure that we protect the Arctic and defend the Arctic, and we will do so with our international allies.

I will be travelling to NATO next week to have those—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Vancouver East.

Natural Resources

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Madam Speaker, behind closed doors, without B.C. and first nations at the table, the Prime Minister agreed to lift the tanker ban, put at risk the way of life of coastal communities, bring in a new fossil fuel subsidy at the expense of renewable energy and clean technologies, and move Canada further away from its greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The Prime Minister said they will not proceed without the consent of B.C. and the free, prior and informed consent of first nations, but nowhere is this spelled out in the MOU. Why?

[Corey Hogan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, indigenous treaty rights do not need to be spelled out in MOUs; they are inherent, but I do want to talk a little about the MOU and what it allows. The MOU allows us to have a durable climate plan, one that moves the effective price of carbon in Alberta from $25 to $130. It allows us to reduce methane emissions by 75%. It allows us to take carbon out of the air through carbon capture, and it does that in a way that says that there are going to be ongoing reviews to make sure those commitments toward net zero in 2050 are maintained.

This is great news for the climate, and I encourage every member of the House—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

This is the end of Oral Questions.

Public Safety and National Security

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Québec Centre, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in relation to Bill C-12, an act respecting certain measures relating to the security of Canada's borders and the integrity of the Canadian immigration system and respecting other related security measures.

The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.

Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

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

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, entitled “Proposed Review of the Conflict of Interest Act”.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Madam Speaker, Conservatives support the main report from the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, but want to highlight two concerns in our dissenting report.

The first is that Mr. Flatt and Mr. Teskey refused to appear. They stayed outside Canada to avoid testifying, even though the House could still order them to appear when they return.

The second is that we have deep concerns about the Prime Minister's conflicts of interest. He has massive Brookfield holdings with future bonus pay, possibly in the tens of millions of dollars, and they are not properly managed under the current rules. Administrators of the screen were not even aware that the Prime Minister had met with the COO of Brookfield or that 95% of Brookfield companies are not covered by the screen.

The committee should continue examining fixes to the act to restore public trust. That is what we are going to look to do.

Strong Borders Act

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, I rise on behalf of petitioners for my riding of Courtenay—Alberni. I am honoured to table this petition today.

The petitioners say that Prime Minister Carney made the “elbows up” promise to defend Canadian sovereignty and democracy, and distinguish Canada from the dangerous politics of the United States. Bill C-2, they highlight, appears as a Trojan Horse for sweeping surveillance policies, expanding police access to personal data without warrants—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member knows he cannot use the name of a current member in the House. He has been here long enough.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, I apologize.

It is an honour to table this petition on behalf of petitioners from my riding of Courtenay—Alberni.

They highlight that the Prime Minister made the “elbows up” promise to defend Canadian sovereignty and democracy, and distinguish Canada from the dangerous politics of the United States. They highlight that Bill C-2 appears as a Trojan Horse for sweeping surveillance policies, expanding police access to personal data without warrants, lowering privacy thresholds to reasonable grounds, weakening protections on international data sharing, and allowing Canada Post to open private mail. This legislation, as is, is offensive and undemocratic.

The petitioners also highlight that Bill C-2 tramples on our Charter of Rights and Freedoms and puts Canada on a dangerous path to xenophobia and racism.

They call on the Government of Canada to immediately withdraw Bill C-2 in full, uphold the elbows-up promises to reject Trump-style policies, ensuring that immigration, security and private legislation reflect our nation's commitment to democracy and human rights, honour the responsibility of elected offices and affirm our charter, not trample it.

Zero-Emissions Vehicle Mandate

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to present a petition here today on behalf of concerned residents of Regina and southern Saskatchewan.

The petitioners are concerned about the Liberal government's plan to ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. They say the plan is unrealistic due to the lack of capacity in this country's electricity grid, and the result will be the price of both new and used vehicles being driven up.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to present this petition here today in the House of Commons.

Falun Gong

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Madam Speaker, I am presenting this petition, which has 600 signatures, on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners in China. They are suffering severe human rights abuses, including mass arbitrary detentions, torture, killing and forced organ harvesting on a large scale.

The petitioners are calling on the Canadian government to publicly call on the Chinese regime to end its persecution of Falun Gong in China and end transnational oppression abroad, and to continue to impose sanctions on and pursue accountability against CCP officials and proxies responsible for these human rights violations.