Debates of Nov. 4th, 2025

Andrew Moor

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on this historic day, I rise to recognize the life and work of the late Andrew Moor, who served 18 years as CEO of EQ Bank and who was a long-time resident of Toronto—St. Paul's. We lost him suddenly this summer. Our thoughts are with his wife, Mags, and his three children, Dan, Cat and Sarah.

Andrew was a true Canadian pioneer driven by an unwavering belief that banks should, above all else, serve their clients and serve Canadians. He was an innovator who advocated for greater competition in the financial industry in order to give Canadians more options and more control over their finances.

At this moment of profound economic disruption and opportunity, let us follow the example Andrew set. Canadian innovation and Canadian ingenuity can help us navigate this moment and create a stronger and more resilient economy for all Canadians.

Affordability

[John Williamson, Conservative, Saint John—St. Croix, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Liberals measure success by how many tax dollars are spent. They say that the number in today's budget is what matters, yet Canadians know why more debt financing is being offered. Liberal policies have failed to build, empower or protect our country.

Conservatives are calling for an affordable budget for affordable lives. We want affordable lives for the one in five Canadian food bank users who work hard but cannot afford to feed themselves. We want affordable lives for seniors who are being crushed by higher prices because of the industrial carbon tax and the food packaging tax. We want affordable lives for parents who are forced to spend $800 more this year on food, compared to last year.

The Prime Minister said to judge him by the prices at the grocery store. Canadians have judged. They want no more of the same. They want change.

Municipal Elections

[Claude Guay, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC]

Mr. Speaker, all municipalities in Quebec have just completed their municipal elections, and although the results are not yet official, I would like to warmly congratulate the new mayor of Montreal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, the newly elected borough mayors Nancy Blanchet, Véronique Fournier and Céline‑Audrey Beauregard, as well as all the newly elected officials in LaSalle, Verdun and Sud‑Ouest.

I am excited to work with everyone for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun's benefit.

I also want to thank all the candidates who ran.

Our democracy is based on the diversity of choices and ideas that guide our various levels of government. Our constituents are lucky to be able to count on such dedicated and courageous people to represent them.

Finally, I thank all the voters who participated. Our democracy triumphs when we all engage. Know that I am looking forward to working with our newly elected municipal representative.

Mandatory Minimum Sentences

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

Mr. Speaker, our justice system hit absolute rock bottom this past Friday when the Supreme Court ruled that there would be no mandatory minimums for monsters who access and possess child sexual abuse content. This comes after 10 years of soft-on-crime Liberal policies. Let me be clear. We are talking about two monsters who were in possession of hundreds of images and videos that were made by torturing innocent children.

Conservatives immediately announced that we would use the notwithstanding clause to overturn this very dangerous ruling. Monsters who possess child sexual abuse content are not victims. They are criminals. We should lock them up and throw away the key. As a father and a parent, I find this disgusting. The innocence of our children should be protected at all costs. If we cannot protect our children, who are we?

The Prime Minister has remained silent on this issue. Canadians want to know why.

National School Food Program

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight a life-changing program for our children: the national school food program.

Every day, this program provides healthy, free, nutritious meals to more than 711,000 children in 2,232 schools across the country. This is not just a social program. It is a real investment in academic success, health and equal opportunities. It is an investment in the future of our young people, because when young people eat well, they do better. I am proud of this program, which reflects our values of justice, dignity and inclusion. It helps build a society where every child can learn on a full stomach.

I would like to commend the exceptional work of the schools, community organizations and volunteers who make this program possible, such as the Breakfast Club and La Tablée des chefs, which operate in Quebec. Through their commitment, we can collectively say that eating well at school is a right, not a privilege.

Prime Minister of Canada

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want an affordable budget and an affordable life, not a prime minister who profits in secret while people line up at food banks in record numbers, since $6.5 billion is how much experts say the Prime Minister's former company, Brookfield, sheltered in offshore tax havens over the last five years. The Prime Minister helped set up three multi-billion dollar investment funds in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, funds he stands to benefit directly from through bonus pay.

Canadians deserve to know that the Prime Minister is making decisions in the public interest, not his own financial interest. Liberals can keep protecting their boss. Conservatives will stand with taxpayers. We will expose the abuse. We will defend hard-working Canadians. We will hold the Prime Minister accountable for putting his profit ahead of their lives.

Burnaby Firefighters

[Wade Chang, Liberal, Burnaby Central, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, we are honoured to welcome members of Burnaby Firefighters IAFF Local 323 to Ottawa, these brave women and men on the front lines of public safety.

I welcome them to Ottawa.

I remember visiting Fire Station 8 in Burnaby, a modern, purpose-built facility where our firefighters have the best tools to return home safely after every call. Day after day, they face danger with courage and compassion, often at great personal risk. Beyond facing emergencies, they are pillars of our community, supporting families in need and volunteering for local charities. I want to recognize president Doug Petti for his years of service and for leading by example through every challenge.

On behalf of the people of Burnaby Central, I honour these women and men, whose courage turns fear into hope and duty into commitment. Let us stand together and applaud our true heroes, and let us make sure they are well protected by the law of our country.

Finance

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, every dollar the Liberal government spends comes out of the pockets of hard-working Canadians in either inflation or tax hikes.

Today, we will find out just how many dollars the government is going to take out of the pockets of Canadians. There will be one difference. After today, every tax rate, every piece of red tape, every rule, every regulation and every bit of wasteful spending will be exactly how the Prime Minister wants it. Conservatives have been clear: We will not support a costly budget that makes life more expensive for Canadians.

Instead of asking Canadians to pay more for big, bloated bureaucracy, why not bring in an affordable budget that lowers prices for everyone?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a great day for the official opposition because we are going to have an affordable budget. We are going to have a historic budget that creates opportunity for young people and Canadians from coast to coast to coast, so we can build this country and make sure that government works for people and invests in their communities.

We look forward to having the Conservatives support this great budget.

Carbon Pricing

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, that would be an eleventh-hour change because the government has been telling young Canadians they are going to have to sacrifice more so that the government can get bigger and bigger. The government even tried to deny that its hidden taxes on food make life more expensive. It called those hidden taxes “imaginary”.

Let me tell everyone that the farmer who has to pay the industrial carbon tax on his new equipment or on the fertilizer he buys has to pass those costs on to Canadians, and food prices go up as a result. He does not have the option to not pay the industrial carbon tax on farm equipment and fertilizer. A concrete measure to help bring prices down would be to scrap the industrial carbon tax.

Will the Liberals do that today?

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

Here we go again, Mr. Speaker, with these imaginary taxes. There is no tax on food. There will never be a tax on groceries.

I have great news for the opposition. Today's budget will not have any of these imaginary taxes in it either. The budget will have historic investments in young people, in building this country, in building communities and in making this country stronger.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, maybe farmers can call up CRA and say the carbon tax on farm equipment and fertilizer is imaginary, or maybe they can write imaginary cheques to pay for them.

It is not just the industrial carbon tax that is driving up food prices; it is also the Liberal fuel standard. When truckers take the food from farms to factories to grocery stores, they cannot tell the Canada Revenue Agency that those taxes are imaginary. They have to pay that extra 17¢ a litre.

To help bring prices down for working Canadians, why not scrap the fuel standards that are driving up food costs?

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

Mr. Speaker, this is more about the talk of imaginary taxes coming from the other side. If members want to talk about clean fuel regulations, they do not even have to take my word for the fact that they are not taxed. They can check the Canola Digest, because it points out that this provides opportunities for farmers. When we are talking about biofuels, this is important. It is an opportunity for canola farmers.

I hope the Conservatives support it, and I hope they support our budget.

The Economy

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in less than two hours, the Liberals will table their 10th budget with their 10th colossal deficit. I would remind the House that those folks got elected in 2015 on a promise to run three small deficits and then balance the budget in 2019.

The reality is that the debt has doubled under the Liberals. Housing costs have doubled under the Liberals. What did the Prime Minister say to young people? He told them they would have to make more sacrifices.

Instead of asking young people to make sacrifices, instead of triggering a costly election on a costly budget, why do the Liberals not present an affordable budget for an affordable life for all Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, today is a great day for the member opposite because we will have an affordable budget that protects the most vulnerable, invests in our young people, invests in all Canadians, invests in communities and regions across the country, builds the country and creates employment and investment opportunities in Canada, all to build the strongest economy in the G7.

I invite the member to support us today.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian wants a budget that will curb the cost of living, which is very high for everyone. The grocery store is where it hurts the most. Food inflation is twice as high as other areas, and there are now 2,200,000 Canadians who use food banks. Do not forget what the Prime Minister said in order to get elected. He got elected by saying that he would be judged by the price of food.

What is the result of 10 years of Liberal governance? Professor Sylvain Charlebois explained that we are currently the only country in the G7 to have had four consecutive months of rising food inflation. That is the Liberal record.

Will Canadians get an affordable budget for an affordable life?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, the affordable budget includes historic investments to strengthen Canada, strengthen families and help Canadians across the country. These investments will create quality jobs and careers for young people, build more affordable housing for young Canadians and protect the supports that help families get ahead.

Our government will present a budget that aims to build, protect and strengthen Canada. I expect the members opposite to support this budget.

Carbon Pricing

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for months now, we have been suggesting something that will help bring down food prices: Axe the industrial carbon tax. Yes, it directly affects food. Food does not fall from the sky. It has to be produced, processed, transported and packaged. That is the reality. The Liberal industrial carbon tax applies to all that.

In fact, Professor Charlebois told a parliamentary committee yesterday that “the gap between food wholesale prices in Canada versus the U.S. have actually increased. We believe that one factor driving this is the carbon tax”.

The Liberals should give Canadians a gift and axe the industrial carbon tax—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

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

Mr. Speaker, what I would like to say is that there are always those who talk about imaginary taxes, and that is exactly what they are—imaginary. Let us talk about reality. Our government will present a responsible budget that will focus on affordability to help Canadians.

We support Canadians. We are ready to work hard for Canadians and to build our country. I hope that the Conservatives will support us.

Climate Change

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have announced that they are scrapping their plan to plant two billion trees. This proves once again that they have completely missed the point. Everyone laughed at them over this program, not because it was a bad program that needed to be scrapped, but because the Liberals were simply incapable of planting the trees. Everyone laughed at them because, year after year, they missed their target.

Today, we learned that they are scrapping the program. Instead of changing tack when they mess up, they prefer to give up. Is that really the Liberal approach?

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, our budget today will seize a generational opportunity to transform our economy through ambitious investments and rigorous discipline, ensuring every dollar goes to help build the strongest economy in the G7. We look forward to sharing that with the member opposite.

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister is looking at the wrong paper. The Liberals are cutting their program to plant two billion trees. That is what I asked about. They also reduced carbon pricing, and they are also using Bill C‑5 to bypass their own environmental assessments.

All the environmental measures introduced under Justin Trudeau, as feeble and inadequate as they were, are being abandoned one by one. The government is taking no steps forward and two steps back. They could actually pass for Conservatives.

Therefore, the question is: Do the Liberals believe in climate change?

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

Mr. Speaker, my esteemed colleague will have to wait for the budget, but I can confirm that we will maintain Canada's climate change leadership on the world stage. I can confirm that Canada will not go backward, but will march relentlessly forward.

I am sure the member would not want us to avoid undertaking major projects in Quebec and the rest of Canada. I can assure the member that we will invest. We will invest in our young people and our communities. We will invest to move the country forward.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals announced today that they are scrapping their program to plant two billion trees. This decision to abandon this strategy is a big deal. It was one of the only green measures left over from the Trudeau era, and this is happening on the same day as a budget full of bad news for the environment. The budget will provide details about the new federal strategy, known as climate competitiveness.

If climate competitiveness means abolishing carbon pricing, EV quotas and tree planting and instead encouraging the expansion of oil and gas, should we not call it climate capitulation?