The hon. member for Côte‑Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan.
House of Commons Hansard #68 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was maid.
House of Commons Hansard #68 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was maid.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1 Second reading of Bill C-15. The bill implements the budget, drawing Conservative criticism for increasing debt and inflation, undermining the resource economy, and failing to address affordability. Liberals assert the budget supports Canadians and creates jobs, while the Bloc Québécois objects to its length, perceived authoritarian measures, and the repeal of the Digital Services Tax Act. Debates also cover productivity, housing costs, and federal overreach into provincial jurisdiction. 17200 words, 2 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Criminal Code Second reading of Bill C-218. The bill seeks to indefinitely exclude individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental disorder from MAID eligibility. Conservatives argue that mental illness can cloud judgment, making irremediability unpredictable, and that expanding MAID undermines suicide prevention. Liberals and the Bloc Québécois note that expert panels found MAID for mental illness implementable with safeguards and that Parliament already extended the exclusion to March 2027 for further review. 8100 words, 1 hour.
Forestry IndustryOral Questions
Marilène Gill Bloc Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister needs to appease lumber workers, not Donald Trump. By refusing our forestry industry's main request—support for dealing with the countervailing and anti-dumping duties—the Prime Minister is turning his back on them. The softwood lumber dispute has been wreaking havoc since 2017. Donald Trump's tariffs are just making existing problems worse. Our industry is at the end of its rope, and layoffs are on the rise.
When will the federal government stop neglecting our lumber workers?
Corey Hogan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, obviously, the unjustified trade war that the United States has brought on softwood lumber is unacceptable. We are working hard to resolve it. Today, the United States Chamber of Commerce called on the Trump administration to drop tariffs on lumber. We are seeing that the pressures are beginning to build.
We will continue to work at all levels to resolve this, and we will continue to provide supports. We welcome suggestions from members opposite on what supports to bring.
John Brassard Conservative Barrie South—Innisfil, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told Canadians that he should be judged by the prices at the grocery store. Well, the verdict is in. The 2026 “Canada's Food Price Report” warns that grocery costs will rise by 4% to 6% next year, meaning the average family of four will pay nearly $1,000 more, bringing annual food costs to over $17,500.
One in four Canadian households is already food insecure, and Canadian families, seniors and single moms are being squeezed at the checkout. Why are these Liberals not cutting their inflationary spending, the industrial carbon tax and their new fuel tax, so that Canadians can afford to eat?
Sophie Chatel LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
Mr. Speaker, the rise in food prices is difficult for families, which is why we are helping lower grocery bills through, for example, the national school food program.
However, Professor Sylvain Charlebois, the lead author of the recent study that my colleague just quoted, said that obviously what comes back every year is the impact of climate change on prices, and he noted in particular the effect of drought on the price of beef. If the Conservatives want real solutions, they have to start to look at real facts.
John Brassard Conservative Barrie South—Innisfil, ON
Mr. Speaker, the member is blaming climate change for the rise in food prices.
The Liberals will say that things have never been better, but the reality is that things have never been worse. In Ontario, there were 8.7 million visits to a food bank, and grocery prices are expected to cost families $1,000 more in 2026. The Prime Minister said he should be judged by the prices at the grocery store. Well, the verdict is in, but there is still time for him to enter a plea deal on his lower grocery price promise. Will he plead guilty of breach of trust, fraud or both?
Leslie Church LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour
Mr. Speaker, it is good jobs and a strong economy that are going to benefit all Canadians. Statistics Canada this morning announced that we created 54,000 net new jobs, with 50,000 for young people alone.
We stood up in the House last week, last Friday, and talked about how our GDP is growing. Today, we are telling members that wages are up, rents are down, unemployment is down and youth unemployment has dropped by almost two points in two months. That is no accident. That is a plan that is working, and that is a plan that these Conservatives continue to vote against.
Rhonda Kirkland Conservative Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister asked to be judged by the prices at the grocery store. Canadians are obliging, and the result is a political receipt he does not want to read. After 10 years of Liberal government, Canadians already pay $17,500 a year for groceries, and “Canada's Food Price Report” confirms that, next year, Canadians will pay an extra $1,000.
When will the Prime Minister finally stop driving food prices through the ceiling and end this daily grocery store misery for Canadian families?
Leslie Church LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour
Mr. Speaker, it is jobs and a strong economy will benefit every family in this country, which is why it is significant that, just this morning, Statistics Canada confirmed that we have created over 54,000 net new jobs this past month. When jobs are there for families, families benefit, but it does not stop there. Just yesterday, we announced a new early learning and child care deal in Ontario. Parents are going to be saving over $10,000 a year on child care.
These are the kinds of real actions that help Canadian families, and these Conservatives vote against them.
Rhonda Kirkland Conservative Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, as a single mom of two, I know first-hand that moms and dads want affordable groceries they can buy themselves. They do not want to rely on a government handout. The Prime Minister is giving better deals to his Brookfield buddies than everyday Canadian families. Moms and dads want affordable, nutritious groceries that, again, they can buy themselves.
Will these Liberals ever stop living in their own elite bubble and start living in the real world with the rest of Canada?
Leslie Church LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour
Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, we announced a new child care agreement with Ontario that is going to save families up to $10,400 per year, but do not take my word for it. Kristina Medow is an Ontario mom here in Ottawa, and she says that early learning and child care has changed her family's future. She says, “Having access to high quality affordable childcare is the biggest piece of mind that you can ever have as a parent, so we are...happy about the announcement today”. This is delivering for families, delivering for kids.
Why will the Conservatives not support affordable child care?
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
Mr. Speaker, the latest food price report confirms what Canadian families were well aware of, that grocery prices are still going up. The average Canadian family will spend an additional $1,000 on groceries next year, and this is seven months after the Prime Minister said Canadians would judge him by the prices at the grocery store. Well, that is what Canadians are doing, and they are wondering why the Liberals are increasing their industrial carbon tax, which makes it more expensive to grow, ship and sell food. They are wondering why the Liberals are not stopping their inflationary spending.
We have given Liberals the solutions. Will they please steal these ideas too?
Ryan Turnbull LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, I want to start with a quote from an infamous author and professor: “climate change is our agri-food sector's greatest challenge, and we need to address it.” Do we know who said that? It was Sylvain Charlebois, the food professor, on November 1, 2024, in response to my question at committee. What is interesting is that the members do not take the time to read the report. They will not acknowledge that climate change is real at their conventions. They have no plan to fight climate change, yet the very person they quote every day cites it as the greatest challenge for our food system that is increasing food prices—
The EconomyOral Questions
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
Mr. Speaker, groceries are so expensive that Canadians cannot afford the baloney the Liberals are selling. What the average Canadian family will have to spend on groceries this year is $17,500. A single parent in my riding making minimum wage would need to work 1,000 hours, half their year, just to put food on the table for their children. This has doubled since the Liberals took office in 2015. The Liberals may not do their own grocery shopping, but Canadians do and they cannot afford it.
I have a simple question for the parliamentary secretary: How much is a litre of milk?
Ryan Turnbull LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that I do my own grocery shopping and all the cooking in my household as well. What is interesting is that Canadian families want an empathetic, compassionate government that actually acts on the challenges and struggles they are facing, not one that weaponizes their struggles for political gain. We are standing up for Canadians every day. We have offered an income tax cut for 22 million Canadians. We have cut child care fees by more than half, saving families $10,000 per year. The Canada child benefit puts hundreds of dollars into Canadians' pockets. That is how we feed families for generations to come.
Sukhman Gill Conservative Abbotsford—South Langley, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he should be judged by grocery prices. Eight months later, they have only gone up. Today's 2026 food price report says things will only get worse. Grocery bills have doubled since 2015. Next year, Canadians are projected to pay $1,000 more on groceries. Instead of lowering costs, the Liberals keep spending more and raising taxes, which drives up prices, especially for food.
When will the Liberals cut their inflationary spending, scrap the industrial carbon tax and cancel their new fuel tax so Canadians can afford to eat?
Ryan Turnbull LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, it is a shame the Conservatives have attached their political fortunes to the failure of the Canadian economy and the struggles of the Canadian people. They rejoice when our economy does badly. On this side of the House, we are looking for indicators and signs that our plan is working, and guess what. Today, we had another sign that our plan is working to build a strong Canadian economy, which was 54,000 new jobs added to our economy. This is 181,000 jobs added in just the last three months. Real GDP has grown faster than expectations. Inflation is within the Bank of Canada's target range—
The EconomyOral Questions
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' climate betrayal was not the only reason why the member for Laurier—Sainte-Marie resigned as minister.
We have learned that two expert members of the Canadian Environment Domestic Advisory Group, who were supposed to advise the Prime Minister on the climate, have also thrown in the towel. They say that they were accustomed to giving advice that was not followed. Now, they are not even given a hearing. In other words, the Prime Minister pushes away everyone around him who cares about the environment, whether they are ministers or experts.
How can the Liberals support a Prime Minister who refuses to listen to the science?
Wade Grant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, we would like to express our gratitude and thanks to Mr. Donner and Mademoiselle Abreu for their years of service and leadership at the net-zero advisory board. Their important contributions to the board have helped guide our government's work in advancing decisive climate action in Canada, and we are better off for their contributions.
Maxime Blanchette-Joncas Bloc Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the environment, the Prime Minister is ignoring the science. If that was not obvious enough from all the recent resignations, then take it from Canada's chief science advisor, Mona Nemer. I asked her questions about the Liberals' plan to push through major projects such as the pipeline by circumventing every law but the Criminal Code. She called it a nightmare scenario. She also confirmed that she was never consulted.
Do the Liberals think it is normal in their country for the chief scientist to be completely left out of the process?
Wade Grant LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to express our thanks and gratitude to Mr. Donner and Mademoiselle Abreu for their years of service. Our government values the role of the net-zero advisory board as an independent expert body that provides important advice to inform climate policy. We remain committed to working closely with the board, as we continue advancing Canada toward a net-zero future.
Gabriel Hardy Conservative Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC
Mr. Speaker, the holidays are fast approaching, but for many families, there will be no festivities on the menu. Today, nearly 85% of Canadians say that the cost of food is their main financial concern. A record 2.2 million visits to food banks were recorded in a single month. Many of those lining up for food are children. Families are reducing portion sizes, skipping meals and turning to less nutritious food options to make ends meet.
How can the Liberals claim that they are helping families when their policies are literally pushing families to hunger?
Anna Gainey LiberalSecretary of State (Children and Youth)
Mr. Speaker, we are here for families. We are investing in the support measures that families need. These include investments in affordable child care, which puts more than $10,000 back into Canadians' pockets and reduces costs by 50% across the country. This helps families pay for rent and all sorts of fees. The same goes for the Canada child benefit. Canadians receive $8,000 per child under six. These measures are there to help families. These are support measures that the members across the way keep opposing and keep voting against.