Debates of Nov. 6th, 2025

Carbon Pricing

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Ponoka—Didsbury, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal industrial carbon tax drives up the price of food. Since the Prime Minister took office, strawberries are up 25%, beef is up 25% and coffee is up 20%. The food professor, Sylvain Charlebois, told us that the widening gap between Canadian and American food prices was driven by one single factor: the carbon tax. He predicts bad news for 2026 and states that we are the only country in the G7 that has seen four consecutive months of a food inflation rate increase.

Why is the Prime Minister insisting on making food more expensive for Canadians by raising—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Minister of Fisheries.

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to stand today and support a budget that is not only growing this country but also paying attention to rural communities. I can tell members that in Newfoundland and Labrador, investments in roads, bridges, hospitals, houses and communities matter. I ask my Conservative Newfoundland and Labrador colleagues, are they are going to vote for the things that matter to all of the province?

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government is the most expensive in Canadian history. Every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes out of the pocket of Canadians, and the more they spend, the more things cost. The Liberals just had a chance to lower food prices by scrapping the industrial carbon tax. Instead, they chose to make food more expensive by hiking the industrial carbon tax, which makes food, fuel and farm equipment more expensive. These costs are passed directly on to Canadians at the grocery store.

Why is the Prime Minister not scrapping the carbon tax and making food less expensive?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Secretary of State (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives are focused on imaginary taxes, we are building Canada strong. Budget 2025 invests $51 billion into the build community strong fund. This is good news for families in southwestern Ontario, like the folks that live in the area my colleague represents. This includes money for the new athletic park in Surrey. It includes the Royal Athletic Park in Victoria. It includes the Hamilton downtown YMCA. It includes the sports centre in Montréal-Nord. We are going to build Canada strong, and that includes sports facilities for our communities. I hope that member of Parliament will vote for our budget.

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the following is not imaginary: The food professor said, “The gap between wholesale prices in Canada versus the U.S., food wholesale prices, has [widened], and...one factor driving that is the [industrial] carbon tax.”

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Go ahead, mock.

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G7 country that has had four consecutive months of food inflation increases. Farmers, manufacturers and builders across the country are paying more for fertilizer, steel and concrete, costs that end up on Canadians' plates.

While other G7 countries are lowering costs, the Prime Minister is ignoring the experts, increasing the carbon tax and making food more expensive. Why?

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

Mr. Speaker, the very-often-quoted Sylvain Charlebois had exactly this to say about budget 2025: our investments and logistics and corridors and trade will bring prices down for food. The food professor went on to say, making the national school food program permanent will “make a difference where it counts.” Making that program permanent is exactly what the food professor has called for.

[David McKenzie, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we now know the government is the most expensive in Canadian history. Every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes out of the pocket of Canadians. The more the Liberals spend, the more life costs. Every economist knows this. The Prime Minister could have scrapped the inflationary industrial carbon tax. Instead, he chose to increase the tax and increase costs for all Canadians.

My question for the Prime Minister is simple: Why is he increasing the industrial carbon tax and making our food more expensive?

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

Mr. Speaker, here is what our government is doing: Last week, we worked with nine different countries to announce 25 different transactions to bring $6.4 billion to six new mining and processing facilities all across this country. Voting for the budget will bring a lot more of that.

The Budget

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the budget is kind of the worst of both worlds. It is a Liberal deficit with Conservative ideas: nothing for health, nothing for seniors, cuts to the environment. It is Stephen Harper all over again.

I am not the one saying so. The leader of the government said yesterday that this is a budget that Conservative voters can get behind. The Liberals are not even trying to hide it any more.

Quebeckers did not vote Conservative. They did not vote for cuts to health care. They did not vote for abandoning seniors. They did not vote for giving up on the fight against climate change.

Why are the Liberals not responding to what Quebeckers want?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers voted for 44 Quebec MPs to sit on this side of the House.

People may recall who the president of ADISQ was in 2003. It was the leader of the Bloc Québécois. Does anyone know what ADISQ said about our budget? It welcomed the government's budget.

This is the most significant investment in culture in the history of Canada. The leader of the Bloc Québécois is going to tell all his members to vote against investments in culture in Quebec for film, television, music and homegrown artists. He is going to say no to all that. He is going to tell them to stand in the way of all these investments.

Climate Change

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this budget is the epitome of climate capitulation. The Department of the Environment's budget is being cut by 15%. The emissions cap for the oil and gas sector is being eliminated. Oil companies are getting tax credits. That is just a short list.

The commissioner of the environment and sustainable development was clear this morning. He confirmed that, even before the budget, Canada was not on track to meet its greenhouse gas reduction targets by 2030, and now with the elimination of carbon pricing, we are going backwards. The budget's response is fewer environmental measures and more money for oil companies.

We are headed for disaster. Why are the Liberals stepping on the gas?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I keep repeating again and again, our government will continue to fight climate change.

If we take a closer look at the budget, the impact it will have is obvious. We are going to strengthen industrial carbon pricing, reduce methane emissions and much more. Looking through the pages of the budget, we can clearly see that all government departments will be involved in this fight. We are going to get the job done. We will build a strong country, a strong Canada.

Housing

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Toronto homebuilding industry released a scathing report on the government’s budget, warning of 100,000 job losses in the sector despite the Prime Minister's promising 500,000 new homes a year during the election.

The government continues to refuse to implement our policy of cutting the GST on all new homes under $1.3 million. Now, housing starts have plummeted and developers are laying off their trained staff because the cost of government is just too high.

Why will the government not listen to the experts and cut the GST on all new homes under $1.3 million, so builders can get back to work and build the homes Canadians so desperately need?

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

Mr. Speaker, here is the reality check: The Conservative Party of Canada is voting against the largest investment in infrastructure in Canadian history, meaning thousands of jobs and apprenticeship opportunities, opportunities for our youth, opportunities to train the next generation, roads, bridges, community centres, hospitals, major projects in the national interest and homes.

None of this happens if the Conservatives vote against the budget. I hope they will reconsider.

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if spending money could solve the housing crisis, we would have a surplus right now.

This is a government that named a housing minister who made housing taxes 141% more expensive in Vancouver and increased the price of homes by 149%. We are in a housing crisis now, and it is clear this guy does not get it. The experts are warning of 100,000 job losses in this sector.

If the government will not listen to us and to what we are saying about cutting the GST on homes under $1.3 million, why does it not listen to the experts?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the real question is, will the Conservatives support the most aggressive housing budget in Canadian history?

The government is proposing the biggest investment in our history in affordable housing, putting Canadians to work to build the affordable housing we need. We are seeing unprecedented levels of housing starts. We are seeing progress in housing right now, and we are doubling up on that.

We are going to build, and we expect your support on the budget in order to do more.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Again, members need to go through the Chair. I do not have an opinion on this.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, Canadians saw the truth about the Liberal government's disastrous housing plan. The Liberals promised to build 500,000 homes a year, but it turned into a plan to kill 100,000 jobs. Toronto's Building Industry and Land Development Association says the budget is “particularly troubling”, not an actionable plan to reduce housing fees with any urgency. The Liberals promised to cut development charges by 50% but, surprise, it is another broken Liberal promise. Housing sales have collapsed, down 82% in the GTA.

Will the Prime Minister finally admit that he is not building homes but rather building only a long list of broken promises?

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

Mr. Speaker, this is a budget that will invest in Canada, invest in young Canadians and invest in Canadian families from coast to coast to coast.

We are supporting youth by giving them opportunities to help them build skills in trades and access high-paying careers and jobs across projects, building homes and building out major national projects. We are investing in training and supports for 20,000 youth facing employment barriers, and in 24,000 additional Canada summer jobs opportunities, co-ops, internships and apprenticeships across the country.

We hope the members opposite will support young people and these opportunities for jobs.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we have heard the recycled ideas before, and Canada's housing industry continues to fall. Housing sales are down 82% in the GTA. Toronto's BILD association warns that this budget is built on backward-looking data that provides false assurances. In simple terms, builders cannot build, sellers cannot sell and buyers cannot buy. The budget would also cost 100,000 jobs and commit us to a future with fewer homes and fewer opportunities.

Will the Prime Minister come to his senses and finally address the cost of development charges so we can unleash our housing construction?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, when Conservatives talk about affordability, what they really mean are cuts: cuts to the programs that Canadians vitally rely on.

Parents and families know they can trust that our government has their back. We strengthened the Canada child benefit, providing families nearly $8,000 for children under six years old and $6,570 for children aged six to 17. Through the budget, we are making permanent the national school food program, which will give parents the peace of mind of sending their kids to school for a full meal.

What the member was really referring to was that the only thing recycled on the other side of the House is the Conservatives' slogans.

Finance

[Amarjeet Gill, Conservative, Brampton West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is the most expensive in Canadian history. Every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes right out of Canadians' pockets. The more he spends, the more everything costs.

The Prime Minister promised to lower the debt-to-GDP ratio, but he raised it. He promised to spend less, but he has blown $90 billion, costing every family $5,400. Now the Liberals are spending more on interest payments than on health care. They are spending $55.6 billion to service debt while Canadians struggle to pay for groceries and housing.

When will the Prime Minister stop mortgaging Canadians' future and deliver an affordable budget for Canadians?