Debates of June 10th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Madam Chair, my colleague will be happy to learn that in fiscal equalization, we will have an increase of $916 million, so they are going to be transferred to support—

[The Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons has the floor.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Chair, I am going to speak for 10 minutes and have five minutes of questions this evening.

I want to talk about two issues. It is interesting that this evening we actually have a Prime Minister who made it very clear during the campaign what the priority issues are going to be, and I like to believe that this evening we actually have two ministers who play such critical roles, so I am a bit torn as to which minister I should actually be focusing my questions on. However, it will be the Minister of Finance and National Revenue.

I am talking about two issues in particular. One is the issue of trade. We have a Prime Minister who made it very clear during the whole election campaign that Canadians in every region of the nation had a great deal of concern. The concern was very genuine, and it came primarily from comments President Donald Trump had made. It is all related to the issues of tariffs, trade and the impact these are going to have on Canadians.

I truly believe that Canadians contrasted Pierre Poilievre with the current Prime Minister, and that they felt that the Prime Minister and the types of things he was saying in terms of how we would be able to address the issue, along with his background as a former governor not only of the Bank of Canada but also of the Bank of England, and his being an economist, someone who truly understands how an economy actually works, contrasted with a career politician, Pierre Poilievre. Canadians made the decision to elect a new Prime Minister and a new government.

Look at what the legislative agenda is. In a very short window, the Prime Minister was able to identify a cabinet and the priority issues. We saw that in the ministerial mandate letters—

[An hon. member]

They are all the same.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Chair, that was very good; they are all the same, which emphasizes what it is that Canadians were saying at the doors, and that is one of the reasons 8.5 million Canadians voted for the Prime Minister and the Liberal candidates throughout the country. The Liberal Party was the only political party to actually get a member elected in every province.

I believe that this evening we have heard from two of the ministers who are playing a very important role. I think of the issue of international trade. In the past 10 years, we have actually had more trade agreements signed off on than in any other administration in the 40 or 50 previous years, and now there is a minister who has really taken charge of what the Prime Minister has said. The Prime Minister wants us to be able to diversify and to look at other countries and how we can increase exports.

That is why I was really encouraged, even in the off-the-cuff question I had for the Minister of International Trade, when I made reference to the Phillippines, a country I am very passionate about because I see the potential that is there and match it with some of the things the Prime Minister is talking about. There are many countries we can look at and enhance trading opportunities with. This is actually incorporated into our legislative agenda.

There is also the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, who has done a fantastic job of getting the legislation that is so critically important.

Again, in the last election, what commitment was made? To deal with the issue of affordability, the Prime Minister made it very clear that he wanted to give Canadians a tax break. That is what the Minister of Finance has been working on, bringing forward legislation that not only gives a tax break to 22 million Canadians but also brings in a first-time homebuyer tax break on the first $1 million for people who are purchasing new homes, thereby helping first-time homebuyers while at the same time encouraging and promoting housing construction.

These are two very important initiatives that complement what the Prime Minister committed to prior to the election being called, which was to cancel the carbon tax. We have a new Prime Minister with a new mandate and a new government that have brought these initiatives forward for debate and ultimately passage here in the House of Commons, as has been demonstrated this evening with the ministers presenting on the estimates, estimates that the Conservative Party voted for.

The Conservatives were not alone. Every member of Parliament voted in favour of the ways and means motion, which is the estimates, and we appreciate that vote of confidence. At the end of the day, I truly believe that what we need to do is not just give the government a vote of confidence, thereby saying, yes, we are fulfilling in part a very major aspect of the last campaign, but, as part of that, also look at the legislative agenda.

The legislative agenda does just that. It gets rid of the carbon tax in law, the consumer component. That is actually incorporated into Bill C-4. Not only does it have that aspect, but it also ensures the tax cut for 22 million taxpayers. Eliminating the GST for first-time homebuyers is also incorporated into Bill C-4.

Think about it. These are three major initiatives in the legislation, a part of the Prime Minister's campaign to deliver for Canadians. I believe that every member of the House supports it. After all, they supported and voted unanimously in favour of the ways and means motion. One would think they would support this legislation.

Why is the legislation important? It is because the tax break is to take effect on July 1, which is coming up soon. Everyone needs to be aware of that. I hope the Conservatives will recognize the value of passing that particular piece of legislation.

The good news does not stop there. The Minister of Finance talked about having the strongest economy in the G7. The Minister of Finance is not alone. The Prime Minister has been talking about that fairly extensively. We want to build that strong economy.

We can talk about Bill C-5. Bill C-5 does just that, recognizing one Canadian economy. That will make a difference. There are also the border controls in Bill C-2. These three are wraparounds to address election platform issues that every member not only should be looking at but should be getting passed, I would suggest.

My question for the Minister of Finance is related to Bill C-4 in particular: How critically important is it that we deliver tax breaks on July 1? We need to see Bill C-4 passed, as well as the other two pieces of legislation. Can he provide his thoughts with regard to the Prime Minister's commitment, how this legislation in good part delivers for Canadians, and the responsibility of the opposition, in particular the Conservative Party, to see the legislation go through?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to see you.

What a great speech that was. In such an eloquent way, the member went over every aspect of what we have offered to Canadians. I even saw Conservative members listening with a lot of intent and attention. They appreciate our colleague.

He always has very important questions. What is in Bill C-4 for Canadians? Everything in Bill C-4 is about Canadians. The first thing we are doing, which I know will make the Speaker happy, is giving 22 million Canadians a tax cut. This is very significant. Why is it so crucial? It was the first motion we put forward in this House. That is why I think we have everything to rejoice about.

Not only did we do that, but we will help families and first-time homebuyers acquire a first home by eliminating the GST on homes up to $1 million. We talked about it, but we have to talk about it even more because this kind of news can make a difference in the lives of Canadians. I know that what every member of the House wants in their heart and mind is to help Canadians.

I hope the Conservatives will continue to support us, because they know it is the right thing to do for their constituents.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was a wonderful day, a good-news day, for the Canadian Forces. I had the privilege of serving in the forces. Over the years, especially during the Harper years, when Pierre Poilievre was part of government, we have seen the GDP contribution to the Canadian Forces drop to just under 1%. The good news is the Prime Minister has made it very clear that we are now going to hit 2%, which has been recommended for many years.

I know the Minister of Finance is a very strong advocate of what the Prime Minister announced yesterday. I am wondering if he could provide his personal thoughts in regard to why that was such an important announcement.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, like the member, I served in the army cadets. Those were some of the best years of my life. I learned about discipline. I learned about respect. I learned about service, in a way. I was very young, and it taught me a lot. I want to thank all members of the armed forces for their commitment and dedication. They always put the country first.

The member is right. Yesterday was a great day for Canada because we invested in our sovereignty. We invested in our industry. We invested in our workers. We know that our investments in defence are going to support our industrial base.

I was in the media saying that every company in this country should have a defence strategy. If companies are selling a service, product or solution, they should look to see whether their product, solution or service can help build Canada strong.

This is a moment that reminds me of C. D. Howe in 1945. Mr. Speaker, you are too young to remember C. D. Howe in 1945, but you may have read about him. C. D. Howe was the great architect of a new industrial base in Canada, and I see a parallel between 1945 and 2025. This is the time to build. We are the true north strong and free.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I know there is an area of interest that all members of the Quebec caucus have, because I hear about it on a regular basis. It is the issue of CBC/Radio-Canada. This is where we see a great deal of contrast. The Conservative Party is looking at eliminating CBC/Radio-Canada, whereas I believe the people of Quebec, and in fact the people of Canada, very much want to retain it because it plays such a critical role in who we are as Canadians.

I will look to the Minister of Finance on that. I feel confident in knowing that he is going to ensure there are funds for CBC/Radio-Canada into the future. Could he provide his thoughts on the contrast between the Conservatives and the Liberals on that particular file?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the contrast could not be stronger. On this side of the House, we think a vibrant democracy needs a vibrant media. I am happy my colleague, the member, asked this very important question. On this side of the House, we said we would support CBC/Radio-Canada.

This is because we believe in democracy. We believe in Canadian values. We believe in a strong Canada. We believe in being proud of our nation, talking about our nation, giving a place for our great speech, those who are the producers, the actors, those who are making these stories about Canada. We should all be—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Simcoe North.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here tonight. I want to congratulate the new Minister of International Trade on his appointment. It is a pleasure to be here with everyone today.

It has been reported that Canada and the U.S. are in trade negotiations and these are nearing completion. Can the minister confirm that these discussions are, in fact, occurring?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member on his critic role. I look forward to working with him.

Of course, the U.S. is an important trading partner, and discussions are happening at the highest levels.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Before, the hon. member continues, does he have the intention to split his time?

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate you reminding me of that. I will be splitting my time three ways.

It has also been reported that the digital services tax and Canadian imposition of the electric vehicle mandate are trade irritants for the Americans. Can the minister confirm whether or not that is the case?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, what really matters is that we will always be there to defend Canadian industry and Canadian workers. Not only will we look at what our American colleagues may put on the table, but Canada is always going to be there to support our industry and support our workers. This is sometimes the best—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Simcoe North.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, does either minister over there currently support the electric vehicle mandate and the digital services tax that the government imposed last Parliament?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, of course, our EV sector, our auto sector, is very important, especially in my neck of the woods. In Brampton, we have Stellantis, right in my riding. I think it is important that we continue to support the workers and the industry through innovation and through—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Simcoe North.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like just a confirmation: Does either minister support both the digital services tax and the electric vehicle mandate that the government imposed last term?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I see there are even more Conservative members joining. It must be fascinating at this time of the evening to listen to the great things we have been doing for the automobile sector in this country.

Whether it is Windsor or Brampton, the workers there know we have their backs and we are going to continue to attract investments. I see more Conservatives cheering now.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we have confirmed discussions are ongoing with the Americans. We have confirmed the digital services tax and electric vehicle mandate are, in fact, trade irritants that the government imposed.

Will either minister admit that the Liberal government's previously imposed digital services tax and electric vehicle mandate are the reason we have challenges with the American relationship?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is very important, when we come back to it, that the U.S. is an important partner for Canada. We know companies rely on trade with the U.S., but as we rely on that trade, we want to make sure we open up new markets around the world. That is what our businesses are asking for at this time, and I will continue to focus on that as the Minister of Trade.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, can either minister answer whether they were aware of the remission order that was signed prior to the election that would provide relief to Canadian companies that are facing tariffs?