Debates of June 10th, 2025

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

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Madam Chair, if the budget will be so great, why is the minister afraid of tabling it this spring?

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

Madam Chair, I know the member is eager to present it to her constituents and have her constituents look at this great budget, but she will have to wait just a bit longer. It is going to be great, and she is going to be proud of the budget.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Madam Chair, there is an affordability crisis. People are going hungry, and they are going to the food bank. The hunger and the affordability crisis are not going to wait until the fall. We need a budget this spring. Why is the minister forcing Canadians to wait?

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

Madam Chair, the Liberals did not wait. The first thing we did in this House, which the member voted in favour of, was a ways and means motion to reduce taxes for 22 million Canadians. She should be proud. She can put that in her householder to inform all her constituents that she voted—

[The Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Madam Chair, the measure was going to reduce taxes by $800, but the cost of food is also going up by $800: $800 minus $800 equals zero. Canadians are not going to be better off.

Will the minister please deliver a budget?

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

Madam Chair, humility in politics is the best thing someone can have. I do not want to correct the member, but in fact the member should know that people in her riding can save up to $840 for a family with two incomes. This is great news, and I am sure she is going to put that in her householder.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Madam Chair, we are talking about a difference of $40, but I have another question.

If single mothers can budget to feed their kids, why can the minister not budget to run this country?

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

Madam Chair, I am sure the member will appreciate that the government's first order of business was to reduce taxes for 22 million Canadians. There are people in her riding watching tonight, and they will be happy to see that she voted to reduce their taxes and support the Liberal government.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Madam Chair, we are talking about the respect for taxpayers' dollars. I have a scenario, an example, for the minister.

Will the minister hand me $486,000 today if I give him a list of the investments I am going to make but I cannot tell him how I am going to pay him until the fall?

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

Madam Chair, the member should take comfort that the first measure passed by this government in this House was a tax cut for the middle class. I know this is good for her because she is going to be able to go to her riding and say she voted in favour of a great Liberal proposal to reduce taxes for 22 million Canadians.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Madam Chair, it sounds like the answer is no, so why is the minister asking Canadians for a blank cheque for his spending?

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

Madam Chair, again, the member should be very happy because the first order of business was to reduce taxes for people. That is what Canadians care about. It is up to $840 for a family with two incomes. This is great news for people in her riding.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Madam Chair, does the minister actually think it is right to show the deficit after the money is spent?

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

Madam Chair, a great thing, which is responsible, is to cut taxes as quickly as possible for Canadians. They need a break, and the Liberals are there for them.

[Éric Lefebvre, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Madam Chair, I am very pleased to be able to speak with my colleague on the government side.

From 2014 to 2015, it took 42 days for the former Quebec finance minister, who is now the member for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, to present a budget.

My question is simple. Did the minister have a good conversation with his colleague about how to prepare a budget in 42 days?

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

Madam Chair, I want to thank my colleague for mentioning my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin.

I had an excellent dinner with my colleague from Marc-Aurèle-Fortin. We had a great discussion about budgetary measures. We are going to continue in that vein because I know my colleague is eager to see the budget. He will have to wait just a little longer, but he will be so proud. He will be able to tell everyone in his riding about it.

[Éric Lefebvre, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Madam Chair, can the minister give us a date?

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

Madam Chair, even better, I specified the period during which we would table the government's next budget. I know that he is looking forward to talking about it to the people in his riding. It is coming this fall. He will be proud. It is a budget that will build Canada. I see in his smile that he is looking forward to building Canada.

[Éric Lefebvre, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Madam Chair, if the minister is working so hard, it must be because he wants a balanced budget. His colleague, Quebec's former finance minister, now the member for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, said that balancing the budget is not an obsession, but rather an obligation.

I asked him the question earlier. I would like to know what the minister thinks about it.

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

Madam Chair, I find there is a lot of wisdom in the words spoken by the member for Marc‑Aurèle‑Fortin. That is why, as my colleague saw, we said during the election campaign that we would balance the government's operating budget within the next three years. That is good news.

I can already see it in my colleague's smile that he is pleased to see that he could speak to the people in his riding about a balanced budget within the next three years.

[Éric Lefebvre, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Madam Chair, I would like the minister to tell us in all honesty this evening that he is waiting until the fall to present the budget because it will be a catastrophic budget with a historic deficit.

Is that the real reason why he is waiting until the fall?

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

Madam Chair, that is not the case at all. On the contrary, Canadians will be proud of this budget.

My colleague must know that there is a great deal of economic uncertainty at the moment. Major decisions need to be made between now and then. I know he is impatient and looking forward to reading this document. He is going to have to wait just a little longer, but he will be so proud. He will be able to talk about it for—

[The Deputy Chair, Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

[Éric Lefebvre, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Madam Chair, if there is one thing I am certain of today, it is that I would be very surprised if I ended up being proud of the budget that will be presented.

The fiscal year began on April 1. That was over two months ago. The minister is going to wait another four months before presenting his plan.

Can he at least tell Canadians how much revenue has been collected since April 1?