Debates of May 29th, 2025

Canada Health Act

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-201, An Act to amend the Canada Health Act (mental, addictions and substance use health services).

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to introduce the mental health parity act, which aims to address the disparity between physical and mental health in our public health care system. This is the first private member's bill tabled in the 45th Parliament. It is of great importance.

The bill proposes to amend the Canada Health Act, to expand the definition of insured services to include community-based mental health, addictions and substance use services. As it stands, provincial and territorial health plans are only required to cover mental health, addictions and substance use health services when provided by physicians or in hospitals and deemed medically necessary. As a result, many services, such as counselling or psychotherapy, are not covered under public health insurance plans. The lack of public coverage forces Canadians who are struggling to shoulder significant out-of-pocket costs or go without supports they need.

The legislation would begin to address the financial barriers to mental health and substance use care by creating a federal requirement for provinces and territories to include coverage of community-based supports in their health insurance plans.

I want to thank the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association and all those advocating for mental health parity and spreading the message that mental health matters. I also want to thank my colleague and friend, the member for Vancouver Kingsway, for his important work in this area and for seconding the bill.

I hope all members will get behind this very important piece of legislation.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑202, An Act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management).

Mr. Speaker, during the last Parliament, all of the political parties supported a bill aimed at protecting the entire supply management system, which then protects the interests of both consumers and producers in terms of quality and financial predictability.

As I promised during the election campaign, I am introducing a similar bill this morning. Once again, I note that all of the political parties in the House have indicated that they will support this initiative. I therefore hope that we can move forward quickly, with the support of all members. This bill is extremely important to the economic model in Quebec's regions and many Canadian regions as well, and it deserves our urgent attention.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Human Rights

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition about the very important human rights situation in Tibet.

The people of Tibet have a unique and distinct cultural, linguistic and religious heritage that has been increasingly endangered since Tibet was annexed by the People's Republic of China in 1951. Reports from human rights organizations have documented serious and ongoing human rights abuses in Tibet, including extreme restrictions on freedom of religion, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

Further, many Tibetan political prisoners, including those engaged in peaceful protests, as well as Buddhist monks and nuns, are detained unjustly and subject to brutal and violent treatment.

The petitioners call on the government and the Prime Minister to advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of Tibetan political prisoners, who have been detained for exercising their right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression and freedom of religion, and to place sanctions on five PRC officials responsible for serious human rights violations in Tibet. Their names are as follows: Chen Quanguo, Zhang Qingli, Wu Yingjie, Wang Yang and Qizhala, a.k.a. Che Dalha.

Centre of Excellence for Peace and Justice

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present this petition as the new critic for defence for the federal NDP on behalf of residents from Bamfield, Port Alberni, Parksville and Courtenay in my riding.

The petitioners highlight that Canada signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, pledging to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms; that Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Canada's adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples reflect our commitment to the principles of justice, equality and freedom; and that upholding the basics of justice, equality, freedom, security and well-being for all is essential for preventing war and conflict.

They highlight that an open society and an informed public and Parliament are essential for the understanding of complex issues of violent conflict and for the achievement of lasting peace and disarmament. With the closing of the Pearson Centre, Canada lost an important civilian-led, independent institutional structure that supported effective research policy and training in peace operations and conflict.

The petitioners call on the House of Commons to assemble, re-establish and fund a centre of excellence for peace and justice focused on research, education and training in conflict resolution, diplomacy and peace operations for Canadian civilians, police, military personnel and the international community.

Questions on the Order Paper

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

The House resumed from May 28 consideration of the motion for an address to His Majesty the King in reply to his speech at the opening of the session, of the amendment and of the amendment to the amendment.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great humility that I rise to respond to the Speech from the Throne, delivered by His Majesty King Charles III. The royal visit was a reminder of the bond between Canada and the Crown, one forged over generations, shaped by shared history and grounded in common values. This bond has evolved over time, just as Canada has, to reflect the strength, diversity and confidence of our people.

The historic honour of having Canada's sovereign open this new Parliament matches the weight of our times. Serving Canadians at this hinge moment of our history is a privilege of the highest order, one that I share with every member of this chamber.

I would like to congratulate all of my colleagues in the House of Commons on their election. Canadians have given us the honour of serving them. Every member of Parliament has a great responsibility, one that is greater still given the nature of our mandate to overcome the tremendous challenges that define this hinge moment for Canada's future.

In a more dangerous and divided world, geopolitical risks are rising, threatening our sovereignty. The global trading system, which has helped power Canada’s prosperity for decades, is undergoing the biggest transformation since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

At home, our long-standing weak productivity is straining government finances, making life less affordable for Canadian families and threatening to undermine the sustainability of vital social programs on which Canadians rely. Canada’s new government has an immense responsibility to address these challenges head-on, with focus, with determination and with innovation. In this, our government will be guided by the priorities His Majesty the King outlined in the Speech from the Throne.

The government welcomes yesterday’s decision by the U.S. Court of International Trade, which is consistent with our long-standing position that the U.S. IEEPA tariffs were unlawful and unjustified. That said, we recognize that our trading relationship with the United States is still profoundly and adversely affected and threatened by similarly unjustified section 232 tariffs against the steel, aluminum and auto sectors, as well as continuing threats of tariffs against other strategic sectors, including lumber, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. It therefore remains the top priority of Canada’s new government to establish a new economic and security relationship with the United States and to strengthen our collaboration with reliable trading partners and allies around the world.

We welcome yesterday's United States Court of International Trade ruling, but there are still other unjustified tariffs and too much uncertainty. Our economy is still under threat. We therefore remain relentlessly focused on obtaining the best possible trade agreement for Canadian businesses and workers, no matter how long it takes.

In parallel, we will work with the provinces and territories to build one Canadian economy by removing internal barriers to trade and labour mobility and by identifying and expediting nation building projects that will connect and transform our country. We will bring down costs for Canadians and help them get ahead, including through the middle-class tax cut and cutting the GST for first-time homebuyers, measures that are now before the House.

We will make housing more affordable by unleashing the power of public-private co-operation, catalyzing the housing industry and creating new careers in the skilled trades. We will protect Canadian sovereignty and keep Canadians safe by strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces, securing our borders and bolstering law enforcement. We will return our overall immigration rates to sustainable levels while attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy.

We will spend less on government operations, so Canadians can invest more to build Canada strong. Day-to-day government spending, the government’s operating budget, has been growing by an unsustainable 9% every year. We will bring that rate down to 2%, less than half the average nominal rate of growth in the economy.

We will not cut transfers to provinces, territories or individuals. Instead, we will balance the operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplicative programs and deploying technology to boost public sector productivity. Government must become much more productive by deploying AI at scale, by focusing on results over spending and by using scarce taxpayer dollars to catalyze multiples of private investment.

In all our initiatives, Canada’s new government will be guided by our conviction that our economy is only strong when it serves everyone. That means bringing costs down. That means helping Canadians to get ahead. Canadians will keep more of their hard-earned money with a middle-class tax cut that will take effect by Canada Day, saving a two-income family up to $840 every year.

We will protect and expand the programs that are saving Canadian families thousands of dollars every year. These include pharmacare and child care. We will expand the Canadian dental care plan to cover eight million Canadians, saving them more than $800 per year.

We will work to bring about the change that Canadians deserve, without losing sight of what defines Canada. Here in Canada, we celebrate our diversity, we are proudly bilingual, we promote the French language, we take care of the most vulnerable, we appreciate and showcase our natural heritage, we have confronted the truth and are working toward reconciliation with first nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, and we respect and defend the rule of law and democratic institutions.

Canada's new government will protect, reinforce and promote our official languages. We will ensure the sustainability of the vital social programs on which Canadians rely. We will protect our natural heritage and fight climate change. We will advance reconciliation with indigenous peoples. We will uphold the rule of law, protect our democratic institutions and reinforce the unity of our country. We will protect what makes Canada Canada.

In his speech, His Majesty the King touched on Canada's unique history. Our sovereign embodies Canada's British heritage, which is a source of pride for many of us. I am speaking to you today in French, thanks to the cultural contribution of Quebeckers and francophones across the country that defines the Canadian identity.

This Parliament, built on lands stewarded by indigenous peoples since time immemorial, now has a record number of first nations, Métis and Inuit members.

In short, Canada is more than a nation. It is a confederation based on the union of peoples, and our government's approach will reflect that reality.

To deliver the change that Canadians deserve, we will work constructively across parties in Parliament. We will work in true partnership with territories, provinces and indigenous peoples. We will bring together labour, business and civil society to advance the nation-building projects and investments needed to create the strongest economy in the G7.

Canadians voted last month for big, bold changes. They called for a transformative plan for a confident, independent nation. They called for unity. Our plan is bold. Our plan is transformative. Our plan is unifying. Its success will breed more success. As Aristotle taught, and as Canadians instinctively know, we become just by doing just acts and brave by committing brave acts. When we work together, unity grows. When we work together, Canada grows.

Throughout our history, there have been turning points when the world's fortunes were in the balance. That was the case at the start of the Second World War, just as it was at the end of the Cold War. Each time, Canada chose to step up, to assert ourselves as a free, sovereign and ambitious nation, to lead on the path of democracy and freedom, and to do so with compassion and generosity. We are once again at such a hinge moment. Now is the time to address the challenges and seize the associated opportunities with urgency and determination.

We are masters in our own house. To shape our destiny, we have to accomplish things that once would have seemed impossible, and we have to do so at an unprecedented pace. We need to ensure our prosperity in a world that has been profoundly transformed.

Now is the time to build a Canada worthy of its values, a Canada worthy of its people, and a Canada for all and for all times.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Prime Minister introduced a spending bill. It was the main estimates for 2025-26. To be fair, his spending is not as bad as Justin Trudeau's; it is actually worse.

To start, the Prime Minister inherited an obese Liberal government. We know that. He promised to “spend less”. The first spending bill that he dropped in the House of Commons spends 8% more than Trudeau did in his last year in office. That is almost three times bigger than population and inflation combined.

We know that the Prime Minister is going to say that this new spending is an investment, but he is going to spend a record $26 billion on consultants. That is $1,400 per family, per year, and that is more than the tax cut he just talked about. He literally said, on Tuesday morning, that he would cap government spending, and he said it again today, at 2%. By the afternoon, he dropped a bill in the House of Commons to raise spending by 8%.

How is the Prime Minister going to reconcile what he said on Tuesday morning with what he did on Tuesday afternoon?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member's question goes to the heart of the transformation the government intends.

The first step is to shift the core of spending from day-to-day spending, operational spending, to investment spending. In other words, spending that catalyzes investment, particularly investment in the private sector. We will see that through “build Canada homes”. We will see that through the nation-building projects. We will see that through facilities to accelerate private business investments, such as accelerated capital allowances.

The government is putting in place the mechanisms to control operating spending, to shift the rate of growth that has been seen in recent years and reduce it to less than the rate of growth of the economy. It is an effort that will be undertaken across government, including by the Minister of Government Transformation, the Minister of Finance, the President of the Treasury Board, the Minister of National Defence and all ministers of His Majesty's government, to deliver the results that Canadians deserve.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate you on being elected Speaker. I wish you every success during this Parliament.

I would also like to congratulate the Prime Minister for surviving his baptism by fire, his first question period and his maiden speech today. We do not mind saying that he did well.

However, a number of questions remain unanswered. One specific question of mine concerns farmers in Quebec and Canada who operate under supply management. This morning, my colleague and leader, the member for Beloeil—Chambly, tabled a bill similar to the one that we introduced in the previous Parliament to protect supply management from any concessions made in future trade negotiations with foreign countries and partners.

The bill is roughly the same as the one that was supported by all the parties when we tabled it during the 44th Parliament. Will the Prime Minister promise today, as he did during the election campaign, that the Liberal Party and his government will support the bill introduced this morning by my colleague and leader, the member for Beloeil—Chambly?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader of the Bloc Québécois for his bill.

I have been clear about this since January. Supply management will never be on the table in negotiations with the Americans. We will protect supply management. There will be a direct response. We will protect the French language and Canadian culture in its entirety in any discussion or trade negotiation with any country around the world, including the U.S.

We will carefully consider the Bloc Québécois bill that was introduced this morning.

[Jake Sawatzky, Liberal, New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk more about affordability and the measures our government is proposing to help Canadians across the country. The past five years have seen difficult times. A global pandemic, wars and geopolitical instability have caused market crashes and strained relations between those who have historically been international allies, including our own relationship with our neighbours down south. I welcome the proposal of a middle-class tax cut that would save a two-income family up to $840 a year. This will be a welcome change for all of my constituents and Canadians across the country.

I understand that we have made progress toward change this week, which is very exciting. We are getting straight to work to support Canadians, true to the mandate on which we were elected. I would ask the Prime Minister to please elaborate on what material changes the Canadian family can expect in the coming months to help with tightening budgets at home and other areas of affordability. For example, what housing measures will he focus on to increase access?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome the hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville and congratulate him on his maiden intervention.

The government will begin by focusing on affordability. That is why the first item we tabled was the middle-class tax cut the hon. member referred to, a tax cut that will save up to $840 per year for every two-earner taxpaying family in the country. Up to 22 million Canadians will benefit from this measure.

Rightly, the focus of the question was on housing and housing affordability. The first and most immediate thing we can do is cut the GST on homes for first-time buyers, saving up to $50,000 on the purchase of a home.

Ultimately, fixing the housing crisis requires a dramatic increase in housing supply. That is why we need to catalyze major investment in housing. We will do that through the creation of “build Canada homes”, which will focus first on deeply affordable housing, a sector that has been neglected for decades. I recall the record of the former member for Carleton, which was that he built six deeply affordable homes during his time.

I will end with this: Fundamentally, we will rely on the private sector to build affordable homes, including by supplying $25 billion in direct financing to private developers to build the housing the country needs.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I listened closely to the Liberal Prime Minister's speech. It seems that the Prime Minister has not yet made the transition from candidate to Prime Minister. He kept repeating his slogans, including the one about having a plan for Canadians.

Household debt has reached record highs. The number of people who cannot pay their mortgage is on the rise. Lineups at food banks are getting longer. TD Bank predicts a recession, which means hundreds of thousands of job losses.

The Prime Minister has acknowledged the damage caused by the Liberals over the past 10 years, with their irresponsible borrowing, the massive inflationary deficit, and the carbon tax that drove up the price of everything and scared away investors. Now he has the opportunity to present a real plan, a costed plan, a plan with tangible measures, a plan based on the current state of the public finances. That plan is called a budget.

Why is he so afraid to table a budget this spring?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I know it is difficult to be an opposition member because now, at the beginning of this parliamentary session, they have a choice to make.

We are offering a tax cut for the middle class, cancelling the carbon tax, and cutting the GST on new home construction.

He has a choice. Will he say yes or no?

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, welcome to the Speaker's chair. Today I will be splitting my time with the member for Long Range Mountains. It will be her premier speech in the House. For many of us, it is our first time rising in this House of Parliament.

I want to welcome everybody to the 45th Parliament. I thank the voters of Calgary Centre for sending me here for a third mandate, in the 45th Parliament. I have many people to thank: my colleagues, people around Calgary Centre, all the hundreds of volunteers who came out and knocked on doors with us, and, of course, my wife and my family, who were so supportive throughout the whole process and have been very supportive of the role I play here in the House of Commons. Also, I thank the energy community in Calgary and the finance community across this country, which are looking for better results from governments they elect to run Canada.

I know we have a new Prime Minister.

I welcome the new Prime Minister to the House. He is new here, but I am confident that he will learn about the workings of the House of Commons and democracy in Canada. I am sure this is all new to him, but there are customs here that the new Prime Minister did not have to practise in his life prior to politics. It is obviously different.

I am looking forward to debating with the Prime Minister, because I have been here five and a half years and have had little debate with the other side of the House as far as economic matters go. I have heard Liberal talking lines again and again, so I am looking forward to some actual economic debate that does not just float things by but actually addresses what I think are some of the key issues Canada faces going forward.

Real economic questions require real economic answers. Our country's economic future has been at risk for some time now, 10 years. As we know, we have had the second-worst-performing economy of the OECD's 36 countries around the world over the last decade. That is a choice the previous government made, including the majority of the front bench that allowed this to happen and allowed the economy to go down as far as it did.

I do have to respond to the Speech from the Throne, because there are many things in that speech. The first thing I will say is that there were some excellent issues and concerns raised in the Speech from the Throne. One is tax cuts. Who has been campaigning on tax cuts the entire time we have been in Parliament? The Conservative Party has. We thank the government for picking up that Canadians need tax cuts, not more inflation, not more taxes all the way through and not an extra capital gains tax increase, but tax cuts and the GST cuts to housing. That would be a great position to have during an election, and I thank the Liberals for finally coming to the table and emulating the Conservative position on tax cuts for housing.

Reducing internal trade barriers is a great idea. We have had that idea for Lord knows how long now, to actually get things such as one major project office done in Canada again. It is the instruments that the previous Liberal government put on the table that have hindered economic development in this country. With respect to a safer, more secure Canada, there is border investment, and we thank the government. On military investment, we thank the government. On taking crime seriously, we thank the government.

It is almost as if I were talking to my own colleagues here on this side of the House, with all the great things that were in the Speech from the Throne. I appreciate that the other side of the House has actually come to the realization that this is something that Canadians are experiencing. Therefore I am congratulating the government on the excellent parts of the speech, including, by the way, the indigenous loan guarantee program, which again was promulgated by this side of the House as an idea to advance indigenous reconciliation, economic reconciliation, across this country.

Nonetheless, the government fails at a few things in the Speech from the Throne. Number one is that it is not particularly ambitious, although I realize it is high-level. At the same time, it has to address a number of issues. The Prime Minister, in his Speech from the Throne, talked about spending less and investing more. This is where I am critical of financial subterfuge, because it is subterfuge.

The current government and its predecessor government have run advancing deficits for years and years. If we look at the Liberal program during the election, we see that it increased the budget deficit this coming year and for the foreseeable future to over $60 billion per year. That is not the actual deficit; that is the planned deficit. Events always come forth here that actually push that higher. I guarantee, and I will tell this to my colleagues on this side of the bench, that there is going to be nothing that actually reduces that number.

Financial subterfuge and fooling Canadians about what the government is spending by putting it in a different category is nonsense. Get real. Let me say that to the Prime Minister. These are economic measures that we measure ourselves by in Canada to make sure we are not throwing the baby out with the bathwater as far as the economic future of Canadians goes.

I am going to quote the Speech from the Throne, which was written by the Prime Minister and his staff: “Day-to-day government spending—the government’s operating budget—has been growing by nine percent every year.” Surprise. It goes on: “The Government will introduce measures to bring it below two percent.”

Transfers to provinces, territories, or individuals will be maintained. The Government will balance its operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the public service, ending duplication, and deploying technology to improve public sector productivity.

I could have written some of that myself, but I am going to ask this: If they are limiting the growth to 2% as far as the operating budget goes, and inflation is at 4%, how do they continue to fund the provinces, which have to fund health care, if they are penalizing them as far as the money they are transferring to them goes?

Inflation is going to be a factor. It has been a factor and will grow to be a factor as they continue with large budget deficits. This is a problem that is going to have to be addressed sooner rather than later. Hiding the numbers in an operating budget or an investing budget is not solving the problem at all. The government has a spending problem, and it has to address the spending problem.

Now I am going to get to something I am really critical of in the speech, and I will quote the government again:

Critically, the Government will undertake a series of measures to help double the rate of home building while creating an entirely new housing industry—using Canadian technology, Canadian skilled workers, and Canadian lumber. The Government will introduce measures to deliver affordable homes by creating Build Canada Homes.... The Government will drive supply up to bring housing costs down.

This is in contradiction to what the housing minister himself said about not bringing down the price of housing. The proof is in the pudding again here, and let me challenge the other side of the aisle, because over the past eight years, from 2016 to 2024, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's budget went from $2 billion a year to $5 billion a year, all while building about 40,000 more homes per year in that period. That is 40,000 homes for an extra $3 billion per year.

Do the math: That is $75,000 per home. The result was that it drove up the price of housing by $200,000, which is 45%. That is great success on that side of the bench: driving up the price of housing and making Canadians more indebted. Therefore, regarding “build Canada homes”, the Liberals are blowing the budget every time, and their results are not there. They need to figure out something else.

I actually spoke to the housing minister and said that the Liberals need a restart. Continuing to spend is not solving anything. They need to get back to a solution where house prices can actually come down, and that starts with their own house. That starts with balancing the budget.

One thing we have not seen here in the lead-up to this Parliament is the commitment to a budget. That is one of the most fundamental democratic instruments we have here in Parliament to hold the government to account for what it is going to spend, and we have seen none of that at this point in time. When is the last time this happened? The last time it was more than 150 days before there was a budget was when Ralph Goodale was the Liberal finance minister, in 2005. The last time we did not have a spring budget, because the Government of Canada operates from April 1 to March 31, was over 25 years ago.

The government has to start respecting the rules of Parliament, the rules of running this country, the accountability it owes Canadian people and the transparency that is required. I do challenge the government to do better. There is much in the throne speech, but there is much that could be much better.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, let me start by saying congratulations to you on your election to the Chair. It is very well deserved, and I know you will keep us in good standing here in the House.

Even if the hon. member for Calgary-Centre and I do not always agree, I think he does deliver his speeches here with a level of class and professionalism that should be the way in which this place operates. I listened to portions of his speech; I will admit I did not hear the entirety. He talked about the importance of balancing budgets. I think that, obviously, perhaps he missed in the Speech from the Throne that the Prime Minister and the government have committed to an operational balance within three years.

I think this is extremely important. I hope the member would agree, but he must also acknowledge and recognize that we do have major expenditures in defence and in the investment in housing and infrastructure. Surely he is not talking about a completely balanced budget and absolutely not investing in the critical infrastructure that is needed in the time for the country.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, every government has to make choices. The continuation of blowing Canadians' money is putting a burden on future generations of Canadians. It is putting a burden on inflation. It is creating a monetary mess in this country. We are going to have to address it.

We do have to make choices, and yes, as the member will probably know, even my party during this election projected deficits for the next four years and, balancing that, going down to a much smaller number than the government has put forward, for the next five years. The government is a very different government directionally with respect to making choices and not throwing out the baby with the bathwater for the future, so future Canadians can actually spend on the programs they are going to need rather than spending on the programs that were delivered by their parents and their grandparents.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, congratulations on your election.

I would like to sincerely thank the voters of Rimouski-Neigette, La Mitis, Matapédia and Les Basques who placed their trust in me for this new mandate. I salute them and thank them from the bottom of my heart.

The Speech from the Throne shows no respect for jurisdictions. With regard to social programs, housing and immigration, it is a direct affront. The Quebec government is clear, and it is asking the federal government to give it full responsibility for immigration.

My question for my Conservative Party colleague is this. Does he agree with the Quebec National Assembly's request that the Government of Quebec be fully responsible for immigration?

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague from Quebec on his return to the House of Commons. What a great achievement. I believe this is his second term in the House of Commons.

Immigration is a federal government program that coexists alongside provincial government programs. I know that Quebec has a more elaborate program than some of the other provinces, but all the provinces still have to work with the federal government on immigration because we are one country, after all. There is no border between Quebec and the rest of Canada. People who arrive in Quebec become citizens of Canada. That is why it is important for the federal government to uphold its commitments on this issue.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora—Kiiwetinoong, ON]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your election. If you would permit me, I would like to use this opportunity to briefly thank the people of northwestern Ontario for placing their trust in me once again. It is an incredible privilege and honour to serve in this place.

I would like to note that the Prime Minister was elected on a promise that he was the man with the plan to take on Donald Trump and get our economy back on track, but now we know that there really is not that much of a plan. In fact, the Prime Minister is not even planning to bring forward a budget this spring. I would like to know whether the member for Calgary-Centre has any thoughts about how concerning and irresponsible it is to not be bringing forward a budget this spring.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is one of the most fundamentally imperative jobs of the House of Commons to hold the government to account for the spending it is going to undertake. Right now the government thinks it is going to have a blank cheque for the next year, so it has to put its election promise on the table. However, now it is not actually being accountable at all, as 150 days from the time the government actually got elected to the time it is going to pay is far too long for Canadians to know what to expect in their finances going forward.

[Carol Anstey, Conservative, Long Range Mountains, NL]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour and immense privilege to rise in this chamber as the elected member of Parliament for Long Range Mountains, which is a region of breathtaking beauty and unwavering resilience.

I will repeat this morning that I stand not only as a representative of my constituents, but as the first Conservative woman ever elected in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador. I say that again not for my own sake, but for what it means to so many others. As a mother of four with three daughters, I think of them in this moment. I think of all the young women across Newfoundland and Labrador in small towns and coastal communities who are watching our politics and wondering if there is a place for them here. My message to them is clear: Yes, there is. They belong here. This chamber needs their voice and our country needs their leadership. I hope that my presence here opens the door just a little wider for each and every one of them.

This historic opportunity is also one rooted in legacy. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have always had a fierce sense of place and pride. We know that Ottawa can feel far away, not just in geography but in priorities. The last Conservative to represent the majority of the Long Range Mountains riding as it looks today in the House was Jack Marshall, a man of great integrity, compassion and conviction. He once said that the voice of Newfoundland must never be quiet in Ottawa, and those words still ring true today. I intend to raise that voice clearly, consistently and passionately every day that I serve here, and I will do so with the full weight of responsibility that comes with representing the people of Long Range Mountains.

However, I did not get here alone; no one does. I want to thank the incredible team of volunteers who gave everything they had to our campaign. They knocked on doors regardless of weather conditions, drove long distances and brought joy and purpose to every single moment of this journey. It was their belief in me that made all the difference. I bring with me not just a Conservative voice, but a mother's voice, a rural voice and a Newfoundlander's voice.

My riding spans the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula all the way down to Port aux Basques, and it is home to some of the most beautiful rural communities in this country, places like The Beaches, Burnt Islands, Reidville, Bird Cove, Conche and Hawke's Bay. These communities are proud, resilient and full of heart, but far too many of them are facing decline. We see it in the closed up fish plants, the boarded up and abandoned businesses, and the crumbling roads. We feel it with the rising cost of living, with fewer kids in schools and with fewer young families putting down roots. We hear it in the voices of residents who are worried about the future of their communities. The heart of the communities is still strong, but the next generation is slipping away.

There were so many memorable moments during my campaign that I will never forget. One day, while in Port Saunders, I spoke with a young man who was a harvester with the 4R shrimp fleet. He has poured his heart and future into the fishing industry, and he shared his frustrations with policies that made no sense to someone who actually works on the water. He said something that struck me. He said, “I need you to do more than hear me. I need you to really feel what I am going through.” What he was really saying is that his voice, like so many in our coastal communities, is falling on deaf ears. He is not being heard, and he is certainly not being understood.

He is right. To truly represent him, I cannot just listen. I have to understand the weight of what he is carrying and bring that into this House with the urgency and respect it deserves. However, in light of all these frustrations, I come to this House with hope for a better future and a deep belief in what Newfoundland and Labrador can become.

We have what it takes to build a province that is affordable and self-reliant, a province where families are not forced to leave to build a life, a province that stands tall on its own two feet. The opportunities are right in front of us, especially in our natural resource sector. From our offshore energy and our forestry to our mining opportunities and our fisheries, we are rich in potential, but that potential must be harnessed in a way that puts our people first, creates jobs at home and keeps the benefits in Newfoundland and Labrador, where they belong.

Throughout my career in real estate, I have seen first-hand the growing pressure on supply in our housing market, leading to higher prices, especially in places like Corner Brook, and as prices go up, young families are being pushed out. What we need is a government focused on policy that brings costs down so that construction can be fired up. We have the skills, we have the tradespeople and we have the communities ready to grow, but we need federal policies that make it easier to build, not harder. In Newfoundland and Labrador, that means policy focused on rebuilding our rural communities, not writing them off. That is how we create homes, create jobs and create hope.

At this time, instead of more of the same, we need change. We also need smart, common-sense leadership that unlocks opportunities, and need leadership of vision and commitment. It is time for policies that reflect the strength and resilience of our people and that will give our young people a reason to stay, build and thrive at home.

Newfoundland and Labrador does not need to be managed by more control from Ottawa. We need leadership that unburdens our hard-working people so they can go further and reach higher. We need the people of Newfoundland and Labrador to have the opportunities to stay in the communities they love.

Recently, I had the immense privilege of returning to my old high school, not just as a former student but as a mom, to play volleyball with my own kids in the same gym I grew up in. Every time I walk those halls, I see the graduation photos of past years. I see the faces of people who were once full of hope for the future, and I know how that many of them had to move away to Fort McMurray, to Ontario or to the mainland in search of jobs and opportunities that simply were not available back home. That is a loss not just for their families but for our province.

This has given me perspective on the deep privilege it is to live in my home community. I want that for all the young people living in my riding and in Newfoundland and Labrador. We can build an economy that allows our children to grow up and stay close to the communities they love. We can ensure that no one is forced to choose between opportunity and home.

I did not run because I thought it would be easy; I ran because it is necessary. As a Conservative, I believe in unlocking the immense potential in the communities in my riding. I believe in responsibility. I believe in hard work. I also believe in community.

In conclusion, I thank my family, especially my husband Dwayne and our four children, Bree, Paige, Emma and William, for their patience, their support and their sacrifices. As many working mothers know, the balance is not always easy. People often ask me how I will manage a political career—