Debates of Nov. 3rd, 2025

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, every dollar the Liberal government spends comes out of the pockets of hard-working Canadians through higher taxes and inflation. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is forcing young Canadians to sacrifice more so he can spend more. A costly budget leads to a costly life for Canadians.

The Liberals promised a $42-billion deficit. If the Prime Minister really is spending less, the deficit will be lowered.

Instead of trying to cause a costly election on a costly budget, why not an affordable budget for an affordable life?

[Eleanor Olszewski, Liberal, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as a fellow Albertan, I know families want more than just to get by; they want good jobs, stable incomes and a fair shot at building a better life. That is exactly what we are focused on.

Last year, the Prairies development agency helped create more than 9,000 jobs in Alberta. Budget 2025 will keep that momentum going. The Conservatives can support it and help grow Alberta's economy, or keep voting against the opportunities that Albertans and Canadians deserve.

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

Mr. Speaker, I can promise that Albertans will not be happy with that answer, because nine costly, inflationary Liberal budgets have given Canadians double deficits, double debt, double food bank usage, double rents, double mortgages and double inflation. What Canadians do not want is for the Prime Minister to double down on the same failed policies that send 2.2 million Canadians into a food bank every single month.

Instead of trying to cause a costly election on a costly budget, why not an affordable budget for an affordable life?

[Eleanor Olszewski, Liberal, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives keep talking and talking about affordability, but when it comes voting, they oppose the very measures that create jobs and strengthen local economies.

We are delivering real results: thousands of new jobs, real investments in prairie communities and stronger paycheques for Alberta families. If the Conservatives actually care about helping families make ends meet, they should support budget 2025 and the jobs it would create for Albertans and all Canadians.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, every dollar the government spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians in higher taxes and higher inflation.

The Prime Minister is giving billions of dollars to Liberal-connected insiders and consultants, yet at the same time, he is telling young Canadians they have to sacrifice more. He has promised to cap spending at a 2% increase, but he is actually growing it by 8%. Who is paying for this inflationary spending? It is the two million Canadians lining up at food banks every month.

Instead of trying to cause a costly election on a costly budget, why not deliver an affordable budget for an affordable life?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Secretary of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, what will make a real difference in fighting food insecurity is seniors being able to access the benefits they are entitled to. That is why we are going to make it easier for one million lower-income Canadians to access the benefits they worked so hard for, with automatic tax filing. We are going to make sure Canadians, especially older Canadians, keep their hard-earned money, with the first national anti-fraud strategy. What does Alma from Marathon, Ontario, say about this strategy? “Great news yet again by our amazing government! Thanks for always taking care of the things that matter to Canadians!!”

We will continue to protect and empower Canadians like Alma.

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

Mr. Speaker, after more than a year's delay, the Liberal government is finally going to table its budget tomorrow. We know that since this Prime Minister came to power, the deficit has doubled and $48 billion in investments have poured out of Canada.

My question for the Prime Minister is simple: Will his budget contain concrete measures for eliminating the indirect taxes on food products? Does he realize that, instead of provoking a costly election, the better course would be to present an affordable budget for an affordable life?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives fritter away every question period with talk of imaginary taxes, we on this side of the House are working on real programs with tangible effects on the lives of Canadians and Quebeckers. Take, for example, the national school food program. It is a school for all.

The Breakfast Club of Quebec says that this program is having a major impact on the lives of thousands of Quebeckers living in the most disadvantaged areas. The Conservatives are incapable of supporting it. They are incapable of supporting a real plan for housing.

They can keep talking about imaginary taxes all they want, but we, on this side, are going to keep on building.

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

Mr. Speaker, one thing that is not imaginary is the C.D. Howe Institute report, which gave the Liberal Party an F, as in fail. What is even more embarrassing is that the Prime Minister promised a maximum deficit of $42 billion. Now we see that the Liberals are going to more than double that number.

Given the Prime Minister's experience in finance, does he recognize that he needs to put an immediate stop to this inflationary spending, as our party has repeatedly proposed, and present an affordable budget?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, I am really looking forward to my colleague hearing tomorrow's budget. The Minister of Finance will be presenting a generational budget for Canada. It will enable us to build the strongest economy among G7 countries, so that we can afford to have social programs that support Canadians.

Here is the big difference between us on this side of the House and the Conservatives. They do not care about the Canada child benefit, the Canadian dental care plan or the national school food program.

We believe in the economy. We are building the economy so that we can help Canadians from coast to coast to coast.

International Trade

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent a riding with a vibrant Filipino-Canadian community that has contributed so much to Canada. Across the board, Canadians overwhelmingly support our government's work to help businesses grow and reach new customers around the world. That is why the Prime Minister and his government's efforts to be out there expanding trade ties are so important for building a strong, secure economy for the future.

Could the Minister of International Trade please share how our government is strengthening Canada's foothold in the Indo-Pacific and what is at stake ahead of tomorrow's budget?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her important work on Filipino Heritage Month.

Last week, I joined the Prime Minister in the Indo-Pacific, one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, to expand trade and investment opportunities for Canadians. We announced the launch of the Filipino and Thailand free trade agreement and led forward on the Canada-ASEAN FTA.

The numbers typically show that within six years of signing an FTA, trade doubles. That means more opportunities for Canadian workers here in Canada.

This new government is laser-focused on opening markets, creating opportunities across the country and expanding trade by double for non-U.S. exports.

Justice

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, the Supreme Court struck down mandatory jail time for predators convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material. That decision is disgusting. These offenders were not caught with a few files; they had hundreds of images and videos of children as young as three being tortured and abused, yet instead of standing up for victims, the Liberal government stays silent.

Why is the Prime Minister more interested in protecting pedophiles than protecting Canada's children from monsters?

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

Mr. Speaker, plain and simple, child abusers should face the toughest penalties under Canadian law. Child abusers are among the most reprehensible in our society. That is why we have introduced sweeping reforms, through Bill C-14, that would make bail stricter and sentences tougher and would make child sexual offenders serve time behind bars. However, let us not forget Bill C-63. A Liberal government introduced that bill to protect kids online, but the Conservatives refused to support it, and a few months ago—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with the Liberals, why do the charter rights of pedophiles come before the charter rights of children? Shamefully, every single member of that party, including the Minister of Justice, remains silent. There are crickets. This ruling means pedophiles with hundreds of videos of children being sexually assaulted can escape mandatory jail.

They cannot claim to stand for victims while they defend a system that shields the predators. Why will the Prime Minister not call the ruling what it is, disgusting, and commit to restoring mandatory jail time for pedophiles?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are not silent on this issue. That is why we introduced sweeping reforms under Bill C-14 to make bail stricter and sentences tougher. We are making sure that child sexual offenders serve time behind bars, but let us not forget the conduct of the Conservatives. They refused to support Bill C-63, which would have helped protect our children against online crime and online predators, and a few months ago, they refused to support lawful access to help police catch pedophiles.

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

Mr. Speaker, on the same topic, the Supreme Court ruled that sentencing pedophiles to minimum sentences could be cruel. However, one of the offenders had 317 images of children in his possession, 90% of which were images of girls aged three to six. Canadians are shocked by this decision to protect these child abusers. There are certain crimes for which mandatory minimum sentences, particularly for pedophiles, are necessary. I hear the members across the way saying, “Come on, honestly.”

How can the Liberal government minimize this and be more inclined to protect these criminals than—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

[Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, criminals who exploit or abuse children are among the most serious and despicable offenders in our society. It is simple: Child molesters should face the harshest penalties under Canadian law. In the coming weeks, our government will introduce a new measure from our election platform to better protect children from horrific crimes.

Bill C-242 will be introduced this Friday, but there is nothing in the bill about eliminating those sentences.

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

Mr. Speaker, the heavy responsibility of protecting Canadians, especially the most vulnerable among us, our children, falls to the government. The government introduced Bill C‑14, which could have brought back minimum sentences and done something useful. But no, that is not what it did. Instead, criminals are being let off the hook. The Supreme Court confirmed it just last week.

Why is this government more inclined to protect the charter of rights of pedophiles than the charter of rights of children?

[Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, every child in Canada deserves to grow up free from fear, abuse and exploitation.

Our government will always stand up for children through stricter laws, better protection and unwavering support for victims. In the coming weeks, our government will be introducing a bill to protect children.

Again, Bill C‑242 is scheduled for debate this Friday, yet it makes no mention at all of mandatory sentences.

The Economy

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, every dollar the Liberal government spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians, in the form of higher taxes and inflation. A costly budget will lead to a costly life. While Canadians are lining up at food banks, the Liberal government is using its money to hand out bonuses. The Business Development Bank got $60 million, EDC got $45 million, and CMHC got $30 million.

Instead of trying to cause a costly election on a costly budget, why not have an affordable budget for an affordable life?

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

Mr. Speaker, in the last number of weeks, I have been trying to learn French. I want to say to the people of Canada, when we see a lot of measures that we are undertaking as a government to make life more affordable, we see opposition from the opposition on really good measures. I have learned, in English, to say that they are the problem. In my native language of Cree,

[Member spoke in Cree]

[English]

I have now learned, in French, tu es le problème.

The bottom line is—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

In the past, members have invoked references to languages in different contexts. It can sometimes be a sensitive issue. We should leave out references to different languages and how some people who understand one do not understand the other.

The hon. member for Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek.