Debates of Dec. 10th, 2025

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, because the member wrote the biography of the member for Battle River—Crowfoot, he knows very well the tricks of the trade when it comes to obstructing legislation.

Here is the problem the Conservatives have. We have systematically tabled legislation in the House to battle child pornography, extortion and intimate partner violence and to do bail reform. We have put border measures and we have put immigration crackdowns all in front of the House. What do the Conservatives do? They filibuster and jam, just like the book says.

[Juanita Nathan, Liberal, Pickering—Brooklin, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect jail time for the most serious crimes, especially those involving children.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Order.

The hon. member for Pickering—Brooklin.

[Juanita Nathan, Liberal, Pickering—Brooklin, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect jail time for the most serious crimes, especially those involving children.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Order. We do not want strike three here. I could always upset the order of questioning.

The hon. member for Pickering—Brooklin.

[Juanita Nathan, Liberal, Pickering—Brooklin, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians also expect laws that will withstand court scrutiny and respect the charter.

Can the Minister of Justice please inform the House about what the government is doing to preserve strong mandatory minimum penalties for imprisonment while ensuring laws remain constitutional and enforceable?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague her support in advancing the protecting victims act, which would treat more seriously femicide in this country, which would criminalize coercive control and which would include new higher maximum penalties for a range of sexual offences. In addition, this bill would restore mandatory minimum penalties for a range of sexual crimes and trafficking-related crimes that were struck down because they were not constitutionally compliant.

We are moving forward with a path that will ensure that people who commit heinous sexual crimes, including against our kids, spend time behind bars, if only the Conservatives would get out of the way and let the House adopt the law.

The Economy

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, nearly one in four British Columbians is food insecure and food bank usage is soaring. The Prime Minister told Canadians to judge him by grocery prices. Well, the verdict is in. Under the current Liberal government, food banks are not just for emergencies anymore. They are now an entrenched lifeline of support.

When will these Liberals stop their inflationary spending and cut the hidden taxes on food so Canadians can afford to eat?

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, opposition MPs are too comfortable with fiction and fantasies. British Columbians demand facts, and the respect that they can tell the difference.

Here are the facts: We are delivering a middle-class tax cut to put savings in the pockets of 22 million Canadians. We have made the national school food program permanent to save families up to $800 a year, and we are investing in 175,000 youth and student employment opportunities. British Columbians deserve the facts, and the fact is that we are delivering for Canadians.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that member should be ashamed of outlining fiction and fantasy in respect to the challenges of British Columbians in feeding their families.

The 2026 food price report says grocery prices will keep climbing to $1,000 more next year, forcing families to compromise on healthy food and to rely more on food banks. Farmers in my riding, the breadbasket of British Columbia, tell me they are drowning in costs. Fertilizer, fuel and transportation costs have all skyrocketed nationally. Producers are taking on more debt than at any time since 1981.

Instead of raising taxes to grow, ship and sell our food, when will the government face reality and lower food prices?

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

Mr. Speaker, as Christmas approaches, I am reminded that there are 143 Conservatives over there who might as well be named “Scrooge”. British Columbians in my riding of Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke know that Scrooge from Battle River—Crowfoot does not want to feed hungry children in schools, that Scrooge from Thornhill does not want money going to seniors through old age security and that Scrooge from Haldimand—Norfolk does not want parents to get a cheque for child care benefits.

I sure hope that the Conservatives get a visit from the ghosts of Christmas present, past and future, so that they embrace the Canadian spirit of compassion.

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

Mr. Speaker, while Canadians cannot afford to put food on the table, the Liberal Prime Minister spent nearly 800,000 taxpayer dollars to charter a flight to Egypt. While he was jet-setting, the reality here at home is that grocery prices have skyrocketed, and “Canada's Food Price Report 2020” shows that it is expected to get even worse. The report confirms that, in 2026, Canadians will pay an extra $1,000 per year on groceries. When will the Liberals stop their reckless spending so that Canadians can afford to feed themselves?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on creating opportunities. Let me tell that member that jobs are up in this country, wages are up and growth is up, but we are not stopping there. We are creating opportunities for Hamilton. We are building big, with the largest infrastructure investment in Canadian history, which that member voted against. We are going to be building major projects in the national interest, such as community centres, hospitals and health care.

When are the Conservatives going to get on board? We are doing the hard work on this side; they are not.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the member from Hamilton over there that, instead of chirping us and heckling us, he should visit a food bank in Hamilton. The Stoney Creek Community Food Bank is serving 60 people per day. That is up 400% in the last two years. Last week, youth visits were up double compared to this time last year. It is no wonder food is so expensive. The industrial carbon tax, the packaging tax and the new fuel tax all raise food prices.

Will the Liberals cut their hidden taxes on food so that—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The Secretary of State for Labour.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative record in the House speaks volumes. That party has voted against every affordability measure that this side of the House has brought forward. They voted against dental care, which is helping Canadians get to a dentist; the Canada child benefit, which gives cheques to parents to help their kids with food and clothing; Build Canada Homes, which will reduce the price of housing in this country; and automatic tax filing.

That party has voted against every measure to help Canadians. They come in here to say that they support affordability, but they do not.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Heather from Airdrie is a senior who has worked in Canada since she was 13 years old. She and her husband paid their dues, but now, after a lifetime of contributing, they are, in their words, next to having to use the food bank just to get by. It is unacceptable that, after 10 long years of the Liberal government, the seniors who built this country cannot even afford groceries.

When will the Prime Minister axe his inflationary spending, his industrial carbon tax, his fuel tax and his food packaging tax, so Canadians can afford to eat?

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

Mr. Speaker, the industrial carbon tax has next to zero impact on the cost of food. School food programs, on the other hand, lower food costs for many families, but the Conservatives voted against them, just like they voted against child care, dental care and affordable housing. Day after day, we hear the Conservatives talk about making life more affordable for Canadians. Why do they keep voting against the things that would do exactly that?

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Airdrie—Cochrane, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of people struggling in this country who would beg to differ. I will talk about Justin, a middle-class dad from Airdrie, who says that the cost of living crisis is eroding middle-class stability, with families being squeezed by soaring housing, grocery, utility and fuel prices. That is all because the Liberal industrial carbon tax, the fuel tax and the food packaging tax have increased the cost to grow, ship and sell everything that Canadians need.

Why will the Prime Minister not finally axe his inflationary spending and end his punishing taxes so that Canadians can afford a decent life once again?

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

Mr. Speaker, Albertans are steady people and sensible people, and they know imaginary taxes are imaginary. They know there is no packaging tax, and they know that wages are growing in this country. While there is much work to do, we are managing a very difficult storm very well. We welcome the members opposite to help us with that storm, instead of whatever this has been today, because this has been wild.

There is much work to do in this country, and we want the Conservatives to help.

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

Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling to put food on the table, this Liberal Prime Minister spent $736,000 of taxpayer money to travel to Egypt, a last-minute trip, which tripled the cost. The Prime Minister's responsibilities come at the expense of taxpayers, while next year Canadians will pay $1,000 more for food.

Can the Liberals stop their inflationary spending and get rid of hidden taxes on food so that Canadians can finally eat their fill?

[Nathalie Provost, Liberal, Secretary of State (Nature)]

Mr. Speaker, I think what we are doing right now, as Christmas approaches, is giving Canadians back some of their purchasing power.

On the one hand, we have a series of programs that will bring them relief on a daily basis, with $10 child care, the Canada child benefit, and a host of other measures. On the other hand, we are working hard on the economic front to ensure that Canadians can have good jobs, particularly in the member's riding. We will get there.

I wish everyone a merry Christmas.

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

Mr. Speaker, the reality on the ground is that food prices have skyrocketed.

This week, Ms. Ouellet wrote to me that her grocery bill is higher than her mortgage payment. Ms. Vallée told me that she no longer eats meat so that she can stay within her budget. Mr. Hardy has noticed that people are regularly choosing pop and chips as a meal so they can pay their rent at the end of the month.

Can the Prime Minister come down from his ivory tower and finally acknowledge the reality that Canadian families are facing?