Debates of May 30th, 2025

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. member for York—Durham.

[Jacob Mantle, Conservative, York—Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we will always support tax cuts, even if they do not go far enough and do not give enough relief. I invite the member to come to my riding, walk down the streets with me and see how tough it is.

I applaud the Liberals for the tax cut. Let us see more of it.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Don Valley North .

In response to the Speech from the Throne, allow me to begin with a few words about the messenger.

On September 5, 1755, in Nova Scotia, the King of England's instructions were read aloud by Lieutenant Colonel John Winslow, in English, to 418 men and boys called to the Saint-Charles-des-Mines church in Grand-Pré. The royal proclamation of Acadian deportation ordered that all of their lands, homes, livestock and herds of all kinds be confiscated on behalf of the Crown, along with other goods, not including money and personal items, and that they be expelled from the province. The King's imperial orders led to the deportation of all French inhabitants of these districts. The soldiers then gathered up the terrified population, expelled them from their lands, and burned their homes and crops to the ground. Acadian families were deported on 16 ships, mostly to lands in New England, France, Louisiana and England. Of a population amounting to about 13,500 Acadians, an estimated 12,600 or more were deported. Others managed to escape to Quebec and Acadia, that remained French. On the Gaspé peninsula, where I live today, and on Île Royale and Île Saint‑Jean, exiled Acadians established a number of villages. Historians estimate that more than half of the 12,600 deported Acadians perished from disease, epidemics, hardship, malnutrition or shipwreck.

On February 15, 1839, at 9 a.m., five patriots climbed the scaffold to be hanged at the Pied-du-Courant prison in Montreal. Of the 99 patriots who were sentenced to death, a total of 12 were hanged. The rest were sentenced to hard labour in Australia.

The Patriotes movement was a push for democracy. The patriots demanded that decisions be made by their elected representatives, not the governor general, who was controlled by the King of England. This fair and legitimate demand for responsible government was harshly suppressed by the British Crown. Quebeckers had their rights and freedoms suspended for four years during the unrest surrounding the Patriotes rebellion.

Perhaps these historical reminders will help the House better understand why having King Charles III visit and deliver the Speech from the Throne did not generate much enthusiasm from me and many of my fellow Quebeckers. Some will say that these events happened a long time ago. I would respond that yes, they did, but as we say in Quebec, je me souviens—never forget.

Perhaps the fact that Quebeckers never forget is also the reason that 87% of respondents to a Leger poll this week said they felt no attachment to the British monarchy. Perhaps this is also why a majority of Quebeckers, 52%, would vote to end the monarchy and create a republic. Perhaps this is also why the Quebec National Assembly unanimously passed a motion this week to sever all ties with the monarchy. In short, in Quebec, we have a problem with the messenger, the person who delivered the Speech from the Throne.

The Bloc Québécois has a plan for independence for the Quebec nation, a plan that will enable Quebeckers to adopt their own meaningful symbols and enjoy the freedom to shape their own future. In the meantime, the Bloc Québécois will introduce a bill during this session to allow elected members of this House to opt out of swearing an oath to the King. Our proposal is to make the oath to the King optional and allow elected officials to take an oath of office instead. This would be a step forward and would show some respect for the freedom of conscience of elected officials. I invite my colleagues to reflect on our motivations and recognize that this bill is legitimate and deserves their support.

Enough about the messenger. Now I want to talk about the message. I will start with something positive and then move on to the things that disappointed me.

On a positive note, I was pleased that the government mentioned that it wants to protect supply management. This is important for Quebec's farmers, our dairy, egg and poultry farmers. In my riding, the farmers under the supply management system are faring the best in the income crisis facing the agricultural sector right now, because supply management provides them with a stable income. We know that when CUSMA is renegotiated, the Americans will again try to get a bigger share of the dairy, egg and poultry markets. That is why the leader of the Bloc Québécois introduced a bill yesterday that would prohibit Canadian negotiators from making any concessions on supply management. The Liberal government's response has been fairly positive. I invite the Liberals to support our bill in order to provide our farmers with protective legislation as quickly as possible.

As for the things that disappointed me, for starters, the throne speech seems light on detail about the government's plan to build the best economy in the G7. The focus is more on eliminating federal barriers to trade and less on diversifying the economy. There is not one word in the speech about fisheries, for example. More than 80% of the seafood produced in the Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands is exported to the United States. The past few months have driven home the importance of diversifying our export markets. We need to reduce our dependence on the U.S. market because it is so unstable right now. I was surprised to learn that there is no federal funding allocated to trade missions for Quebec's fisheries sector. The federal government must support the fisheries sector with multi-year funding so it can find new markets. That is crucial to building a strong economy.

The fact that the forestry sector has been overlooked is another disappointment. I would like to remind the government that the U.S. Department of Commerce announced in March that it planned to nearly triple the duties on Canadian softwood lumber, bringing total levies to nearly 27%. Let us not forget that the Canadian softwood lumber industry is already subject to a 14.4% levy on its exports to the United States. The additional tariffs could come into effect as early as August. If they are implemented, they will have a significant negative impact on Quebec's forestry industry, because 50% of Quebec's softwood lumber is exported to the United States. We need to support our forestry companies, and I made a commitment during the last election campaign to guide them through the coming crisis and to call for assistance programs that are adapted to the reality of the Gaspé and Quebec. The forestry industry must also diversify its export markets and focus on developing the domestic market. In that regard, the Bloc Québécois's proposal to promote local purchasing in federal government contracts could increase market opportunities for Quebec softwood lumber.

That brings me to my final point. Where are the infrastructure investments we were promised? Building a strong economy requires adequate infrastructure, and I am going to try to fill the gap in the Speech from the Throne with two suggestions that would strengthen my region's economy.

First, if the Liberal government wants to build the best economy in the G7, it seems to me that this requires an adequate rail transportation system across the country. The Gaspé rail line will be operational to New Carlisle by September 2025. However, VIA Rail refuses to resume service from Matapédia to New Carlisle, even though regional connections are at the heart of its mandate. Through their tax dollars, the people of the Gaspé contributed more than $400 million in federal funding to VIA Rail in 2024 so that it could provide service in the regions. It should also be noted that when VIA Rail suspended service in 2013, it was because the rail line was no longer safe. I therefore call on the Liberal government to intervene with VIA Rail and compel it to reverse its decision and commit to resuming passenger rail service in the coming weeks. It is an essential service that allows people in my region to travel to other regions. This is a legitimate demand and would help strengthen our economy by improving people's productivity.

My final suggestion is this. If we want adequate infrastructure, the runway at the Magdalen Islands airport needs to be extended.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the hon. member for Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj. His riding has quite a bit in common with my riding and many ridings in Newfoundland and Labrador.

With regard to the Speech from the Throne, the Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to 30% by 30. Right now, 14% of Canada's oceans are considered protected areas. Iceland has 2% protected and Norway has 1% protected, with no plans to go further with that, but the Prime Minister's lofty intentions are to increase marine protected areas to 30% of the ocean.

I wonder what my hon. colleague thinks of that and what impact it could have on the fishing economy in his riding.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what worries the Bloc Québécois about fisheries is the oil drilling that the Liberal government is prepared to green-light. It will definitely disturb marine wildlife, and that worries us.

As for inshore fishing, we want to promote a model where fishing is done by family businesses that are handed down from father to son, with inshore fishers taking just enough from the sea to make a living, without going to extremes, like the factory ships have too often done in recent history.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj. He is actually my neighbour. There is only the estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence between us. Our two ridings have a lot in common. He talked about fisheries and forestry. I would add that we also have tourism in common.

He mentioned the glaring oversight in the throne speech regarding infrastructure and the extensive investments that would be needed to get us to roughly the same level as the big cities. It is fair to ask for this in order to help our communities grow and keep residents from moving away.

I would have liked to hear him talk not only about market diversification, but also about economic diversification. In his opinion, was this also overlooked in the throne speech?

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the challenge is not only to diversify our export markets, but to also diversify our economic activities. The fishing industry in particular needs to diversify the types of products it markets. It is working on diversifying and marketing redfish, but its progress is too slow and it needs support. The same is true for seal hunting, which is gaining ground too slowly even though the resource is available.

The Bloc Québécois wants to support these sectors so they can diversify both their export sectors and their economic activities.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by congratulating my colleague on his election. His riding neighbours mine, actually.

Let me reassure my colleague. The Speech from the Throne underscores our commitment to protecting the people who provide us with fresh, healthy food, like our farmers. We have an ambitious plan to protect Canadian agri-food workers. We are also committed to protecting our supply management system. I understand how important the supply management system is. It is extremely important to my riding's economy as well.

I wanted to use my time to reassure my colleague. We have a plan, and I can assure everyone that we will work to ensure food security.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have given the Liberal government the perfect opportunity to put its money where its mouth is. All it has to do is support our bill.

It is one thing for the government to say that it wants to protect supply management, but it is another to then give up market share during negotiations, as was done during the last negotiation of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement, with compensation for producers that took a long time to arrive.

If the Liberal government is sincere, it should support our bill. Together, we will prevent the next round of negotiations from targeting this crucial sector of Quebec's economy.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to stand in the House today, and I would like to join colleagues who have gone before me in congratulating you. I look forward to your guidance in the House.

I also want to congratulate all of my colleagues on their elections and re-elections. I look forward to working hard with all members on all sides of the House to do good for Canadians.

I am humbled and honoured to serve here. I want to thank the people of Don Valley North for trusting me to be their representative in the House of Commons. I will never take it for granted. I will continue to listen to the views of my constituents and bring their ideas into the decision-making in the House as we confront the great problems that challenge us today.

Don Valley North is one of seven federal ridings of the former city of North York, now part of the city of Toronto. We are known as the city with heart, but this riding holds a winding heart: The East Don River carves its way through quiet ravines where deer cross paths with morning joggers and where the chorus of birdsong competes with the hum of a subway line.

Don Valley North has world-class medical professionals, successful businesses and a wonderful population with a great sense of humour. My riding is a vibrant and welcoming community. The people are innovative and hard-working and understand that if our neighbours do well, we all do well. That is why I am proud of the commitment in the throne speech to making life more affordable for Canadians by cutting taxes and to building the strongest economy in the G7.

I am by nature an optimistic person. I am, after all, a Maple Leafs fan. I am optimistic that we will listen to Canadians to improve our country so that everyone who seeks a better tomorrow for themselves and for their communities can use their skills and contribute fully to our economy.

Young people from all over Canada come here on class trips to watch question period and are told that this is politics, but politics for me is what happens when we come to a consensus and make decisions. Collectively, we shape the rules, and we have an opportunity to improve things and find new and better ways of responding to the needs of our electorate. We all have a shared responsibility to show Canadians that politics can be an instrument of good.

The people of Don Valley North are proud Canadians who want to keep Canada strong and free. They know it is a privilege to be a Canadian, not only because we look after each other with universal social programs and produce the world's best lobsters, but also because it is a good place to achieve our ambitions. My standing here proves the strength of Canadian values.

However, while I think Canada is paradise and there is no better place in the world to live, we know we can do better. The people of Don Valley North and Canadians across the country strive for excellence, and we build on our past successes to reach even greater heights.

As members know, elections are only a small part of what brings us to this place. I want to thank my family. My parents have always stood by my side, and I acknowledge my mom and dad, who gave up everything to start from scratch in a new country. I admire their grit for making a go of it. They have always encouraged me to dream bigger, and I would not be here without their sacrifice and belief in me.

To my dear partner, who could have imagined all those years ago at city hall that this is where we would end up? He has walked every step of this journey with me, always lifting me up and reminding me of what is possible. His love and encouragement have meant the world to me.

I thank my campaign team, who did the hard yards day in and day out; the EDA; and all my friends and volunteers for their tenacity, good humour and kindness. Without them, I would not be standing here representing one of the finest ridings in Canada for the Liberal Party.

For as long as I have the privilege of serving here, I will work every day to leave the place better than I found it.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate our hon. colleague on her maiden speech.

Twenty-five hundred words make up the entirety of the Speech from the Throne, yet it made no mention of the over 50,000 Canadians who have died by overdose since 2016. It made no mention of the fact that our country is gripped by an overdose and opioid crisis. It made no mention that in my province of British Columbia, the leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 18 is overdose.

There was not one mention of the opioid crisis. I would ask our hon. colleague to comment on that.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this is an important topic. Our new government, with the new Prime Minister, is committed to working across the country to tackle this important issue, and I look forward to working together with others as well.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I can sympathize with regard to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Winnipeg Jets did well this year; they were number one in the NHL, but they fell a little short for the Stanley Cup. I think there are a lot of people who continue the dream with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

My question is in regard to the Prime Minister. One of the very first initiatives the Prime Minister took was to give Canadians a tax break. I know that understanding and taking action to deal with the issue of affordability are important no matter where we look in Canada.

I wonder if my friend and colleague could provide her thoughts on the importance of giving that initial tax break to Canadians, in the hopes that we will get unanimous support for it.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this was absolutely one of the top issues I heard on the campaign trail. Young people and young families are concerned. They are concerned about affordable housing and the affordability of their everyday lives, but they are hopeful. After seeing our government's plan for cutting taxes for middle-class families, building more affordable housing and eliminating the GST for first-time homebuyers, they are hopeful and see that we are one of the only parties putting forward a concrete plan to help families across Canada and help young people have access to affordable housing. At the same time, we are also strengthening our economy. We are building one of the strongest economies in the G7.

I look forward to working with my hon. colleague and everybody in the House to make sure that happens. We are starting on day one.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I have a question for her about the budget.

She talked about plans, spending and the future. Meanwhile, we have no clue whatsoever about the budget or what it will include. The government is making plans and spending money without even knowing how much it has at its disposal. In my personal life, it does not work like that. I imagine that it does not work that way for her either.

Could she explain how her government can spend money without knowing how much it actually has?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand with a government with a concrete plan. Throughout the campaign, people were excited to see a concrete plan to cut taxes for the middle class, to eliminate GST for first-time homebuyers and to break down interprovincial trade barriers.

We got to work on day one. We have had conversations with provinces and have had conversations across the table with stakeholders, and I am confident that we can deliver for Canadians.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I congratulate you on your role as Deputy Speaker and I congratulate the member on her election.

As the MP for Nunavut, I hear on a daily basis about the issues of the cost of living. As an example, a package of four corn on the cob is $15 in the community of Pangnirtung. That is how drastic and unaffordable it is.

I wonder if the member agrees that to address the cost of living crisis, there needs to be an increase in investments like airports and marine ports in Nunavut.

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the hon. member on her election as well.

I very much share the concern about the cost of living and affordability. Throughout the campaign, many folks shared their stories and concerns about affordability issues. The tariffs from America do not help with that, and we need to tackle that head-on. Our government has—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Richmond Centre—Marpole.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the chamber for the first time, with deep humility and a profound sense of responsibility. It is an honour beyond words to represent the people of Richmond Centre—Marpole, a community I have called home for over three decades, a place that has given me opportunity, belonging and purpose.

First, I thank the residents of my riding for placing their trust in me. They have given me the privilege of being their voice in the Parliament of Canada, and I will carry that responsibility with integrity, determination and a strong commitment to their values.

To my campaign team, Alice Tang, Luhan Yao, Zenbia Chan, Thomas Leung, Kenny Chiu, Erica Ng, Terrence Lam, Bethia Yuen, Alice YF Wong, May Zhu and many others, I thank them for their tireless work, their belief in our cause and the sacrifices they made. They are the reason I am standing here today.

To my dear wife, Christine, I thank her for her unwavering support. We have walked this journey together, from uncertainty to service. To our son, Micah, a Richmond firefighter and army cadet officer, I thank him for his strength, values and service to the community.

Let me share a little about myself. I came to Canada in 1988 from Hong Kong as a first-generation immigrant, with no family here and little more than determination. Canada welcomed me and gave my wife and me a chance to build a life through hard work, resilience and community. To give back, I served in local government for over 25 years as a school trustee and then as a city councillor. That experience taught me that leadership starts at the grassroots by listening, solving problems and staying grounded in service.

Today, I enter federal office with the same mindset: to ensure Canada remains a land of opportunity, not just for people like me but for future generations and for new immigrants arriving with dreams like mine.

Let me tell members about Richmond, one of Canada's most dynamic cities and a true jewel of the west coast. It is the fastest-growing city in British Columbia and a vital gateway to the Indo-Pacific. It is home to the Vancouver International Airport, the second-busiest in Canada, as well as to a major deep-sea port and the largest commercial fishing harbour in the country.

Richmond is not just a local hub; it is a centre of global trade, innovation and investment. We are also the most culturally diverse city in Canada. Over 60% of its residents were born outside the country, and more than 120 languages are spoken. Richmond is a mosaic of the world, yet a community deeply united by shared values. It has 1.4 jobs for every working-age resident and the longest life expectancy in Canada. It has been named the most active city in B.C. Richmond is a Canadian success story, and we are proud of it.

However, I stand here today not only to speak about our success. I rise to sound the alarm on a national emergency that is devastating families across the country: the drug crisis.

I listened carefully to the Speech from the Throne. I was disappointed and, frankly, alarmed that this crisis was barely acknowledged. Just 18 words were offered on a tragedy that has claimed 50,000 lives in the past decade. Let me say that again: 50,000 Canadians dead from overdoses since 2015. This is more than all the Canadian soldiers who died in the Second World War, yet the government continues to downplay it.

The Prime Minister even said on the campaign trail that Canada is facing a “challenge”, not a crisis. He is dead wrong. This is not just a public health issue. It is a national emergency, and it is deepening. For the past decade, we have seen a steady expansion of failed policies, from supervised consumption sites to taxpayer-funded safe supply and, most recently, drug decriminalization in British Columbia. These were presented as compassionate solutions. In reality, they have led to more deaths, more chaos and more despair.

A 2025 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, offered by researchers from Memorial University, the University of Manitoba, and Johns Hopkins, found that opioid overdose hospitalizations increased significantly in areas where safe supply and decriminalization were introduced. The conclusion was clear: More drugs do not mean less harm. This is a dangerous myth, and our young people are paying the price.

In British Columbia, overdose is now the leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 18 years. In April, a 15-year-old boy died in Campbell River. In February, a 14-year-old girl died alone at home in Surrey. In July 2024, a 13-year-old girl in Prince George lost her life to overdose.

These were not just tragic headlines. These are children. These are dreams lost, families shattered and futures stolen, yet the government clings to the policies that normalized addiction. Terms like “safe consumption” and “recreational use” are misleading. There is nothing safe or recreational about consuming poison.

We must shift the conversation from enabling addiction to promoting recovery. That means investing in prevention, education, mental health, treatment and enforcement. I ask again, when will the government put an end to its reckless drug policy and failed decriminalization experiments?

Let us look at Richmond. In 2023, Richmond recorded 27 overdose deaths, only 1% of the provincial total. That was not by accident. We have no cannabis retail stores. In February 2024, our community came together to oppose the installation of a supervised injection site, and we succeeded. Residents stood up for their families, and I stood with them.

We believe in real solutions, not slogans. We support recovery, not surrender. We focus on education, community services, law enforcement and mental health. That is the approach I will continue to champion in Parliament.

I came to Canada with a suitcase and a heart full of hope. I was given a chance, and I want to ensure that others have the same opportunity to build, not be broken by the very systems meant to protect them.

The crisis is not about ideologies. It is about saving lives. Let us stand together across party lines to act with urgency and seriousness. The future of our youth, our families and our communities depends on it.

I again thank my constituents in Richmond Centre—Marpole for their trust. I will work every day to be worthy of it.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the last gesture the member opposite put on the record in wanting to work co-operatively.

Canadians in all regions of the country would acknowledge that one of the biggest concerns that came out of the election has to be President Donald Trump with tariffs and trade. We are very much concerned about it. The Conservative Party can play a positive role on that.

We are going to see a number of initiatives in the coming weeks that are going to be of critical importance to Canadians, whether it is the tax break or the building of one economy. I am wondering if the member would commit to recognizing that and supporting legislative measures that will make Canada stronger and healthier while delivering tax dollars to his constituents.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member compared tariffs to the drug crisis. The drug crisis was not created by Trump or the tariffs. It was created by the wrong policies, which were adopted by the Liberal government over the past decade. It has nothing to do with Trump. The wrong approach was adopted by the Liberal government in the past decade.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague, the member for Richmond Centre—Marpole, on his election. I was very familiar with his work as a city councillor, which I reported on in my former career as a journalist.

I want to thank him for his advocacy on putting forward what was a very unpopular position with the Liberals but a very popular position among ordinary Canadians. The Liberals have said that the answer to the drug crisis is to give people more drugs, to give free drugs.

I am wondering whether the member could speak to the experiences in his own community and about what that has done to people who are actually struggling with addiction and to the communities around them.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the costly experiment on human lives that was initiated by the Liberal government in providing safe supply was a failure. In huge contrast to that regimen, our neighbouring cities, as I mentioned earlier, had only 1% of overdose deaths last year. That was because we took a very proactive approach to preventing drugs from coming into communities and offered people counselling. We also helped educate the younger population to understand the harm that drugs can cause them.

I think the Liberal government adopted the wrong approach in the past decade, which led us to our present state of despair.

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

Mr. Speaker, although decriminalization might be put into question, even in the east of the country, where it does not exist, we see the same trends.

The problem is a complex one and cannot simply be limited to decriminalization. Over the last 10 years, the government has spent over $1 billion in emergency treatment and in mental health funds, as well as in other initiatives.

I look to the member to work more on progress and to try to see whether we can do more.