House of Commons Hansard #16 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was economy.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Motion That Debate Be Not Further Adjourned Members debate the government's motion to limit debate on Bill C-5, which the Liberals state will accelerate major projects and reduce trade barriers, fulfilling an election promise. Opposition parties protest the use of closure, arguing the bill is rushed, lacks consultation, and could weaken environmental laws and fail to address existing project barriers. 4400 words, 30 minutes.
Consideration of Government Business No. 1 Members debate Bill C-5, aimed at establishing one Canadian economy by removing federal interprovincial trade barriers and facilitating major national projects. Liberals argue it boosts economic resilience and Indigenous participation. Conservatives criticize it as a missed opportunity that doesn't fix root issues like Bill C-69, allows the government to pick winners and losers, and grants sweeping powers. Concerns are raised about insufficient consultation and limiting debate via closure. 15000 words, 2 hours.
Act to amend the Constitution Act, 1867 First reading of Bill C-210. The bill amends the Constitution Act, 1867 to eliminate the requirement for Members of Parliament to swear an oath to the King, replacing it with an oath of office. 200 words.
Government Business No. 1—Proceedings on Bill C-5 Members debate Bill C-5, the one Canadian economy act, which aims to remove federal internal trade barriers and expedite major projects. Liberals argue it reflects an election mandate to build a stronger economy against trade threats. Conservatives support the intent but criticize the bill as a "baby step," lacking transparency, and failing to repeal previous laws like Bill C-69. Bloc members oppose the bill, viewing it as a democratic setback, undermining environmental protection, and centralizing power, particularly objecting to the use of a closure motion. 37100 words, 5 hours.
One Canadian Economy Act Second reading of Bill C-5. The bill aims to boost Canada's economy by eliminating internal trade barriers and streamlining approvals for major infrastructure projects. The Liberal government argues this will deliver free trade in Canada and speed up building. Conservatives support faster projects but question its effectiveness. Bloc Québécois, NDP, and Green Party raise concerns about the bill's impact on provincial autonomy, Indigenous rights, environmental protection, and the democratic process, arguing it grants excessive power and was rushed through without proper consultation, potentially undermining democracy and representing an unprecedented power grab. 16000 words, 3 hours.
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary East, AB
Mr. Speaker, Canada cannot become energy independent until bad Liberal policies are repealed. The Prime Minister even admits that his own policies are not letting anything get built in this country. He even wants to give premiers a veto over pipelines, ensuring that Americans get Canadian product at a fire-sale price.
With the world gathering in Alberta today, will the Prime Minister repeal his anti-energy laws so our allies can get more Canadian product, yes or no?
Julie Dabrusin LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change
Mr. Speaker, the answer is clear. If Canada wants to be an energy superpower, we need to do it in a smart way, and that is to make sure it is low-risk, low-cost and low-carbon. The Conservatives were unable to build anything because they did not do environmental assessments and they did not consult with indigenous peoples. We are not going to follow the way they did things, because that did not get things done. We are going to get things done right.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC
Mr. Speaker, as our country hosts the G7 nations, it is sad to see that Canada has the worst record in the G7 when it comes to developing natural resources. There is a reason for that.
It is because this Liberal government has had anti-energy and anti-natural resource policies for the past 10 years. These include the disastrous Bill C‑69, which still gives the federal government veto power over hydroelectric projects. Quebec would never have been able to develop Manic‑5, Romaine or James Bay.
When will the government repeal Bill C‑69?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I would remind my colleague that we just finished an election campaign.
On page one of our election platform, it says that we are going to pass a one Canadian economy bill, which will make it easier to get major projects built. This is a fact. Unions, the business community, the Premier of Quebec and all the premiers of Canada support it.
Let us move forward with Bill C‑5. Let us get the Canadian economy rolling.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC
Mr. Speaker, the minister and all the Liberals members have a very short memory.
Over the past 10 years, they passed at least four anti-energy and anti-natural resource bills. We are not just talking about Bill C‑69. We need to scrap Bill C‑48, the marine shipping ban, the oil and gas production cap and the industrial carbon tax. The world needs Canada now more than ever.
When will the government repeal these laws?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, every responsible government must respect the environment, indigenous rights and processes.
However, we know that we must now implement major projects, both in Quebec and in all the Canadian provinces and territories. We will do so with respect, but also with greater efficiency. We will put our workers to work. We will attract investments and stimulate our economy before Canada Day.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister thinks that he is Pierre Poilievre.
He wants to impose closure on Bill C‑5 so that he can make all the decisions about energy projects. He wants to be able to unilaterally decide, by executive order, which projects will go ahead in the national interest, and he wants to be able to unilaterally define what the national interest is based on his personal opinion. He wants to impose pipelines on Quebec, and he wants to do it without any debate or studies. Never in his wildest dreams did Pierre Poilievre consider doing such a thing. Will the Prime Minister stop imitating him and withdraw his closure motion?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, it is not just a dream. One Canadian economy will become reality.
Not only do we expect the Bloc to support us, but we have the business community behind us. We have the unions. We have the provinces. We have Quebec. This is a golden opportunity for the Bloc Québécois to build a strong Canada, a united Canada, an ambitious Canada, a prosperous Canada. We on this side of the House will always fight for a strong Canada.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, when the Conservatives want to pass a Liberal bill under a gag order and Danielle Smith supports the federal Liberals in Ottawa, it is clear that the oil companies are the ones who are really behind Bill C‑5.
Quebeckers did not vote Liberal to have Conservative policies that benefit oil companies and Danielle Smith imposed on them under a gag order. If Quebeckers had wanted Pierre Poilievre, they would have voted for him. Do the Liberals realize that they are betraying Quebeckers?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, after losing stakeholders from civil society, unions and the business community, the Bloc Québécois is resorting to hyperbole.
What we are doing, however, is bringing together unions, the business community, the Government of Quebec and even provincial and territorial governments. We are going to implement green projects, renewable projects and other projects that will get Canadians working and get the Canadian economy moving, all before Canada Day.
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-5 has given rise to a Conservative-Liberal coalition working for the oil companies.
After years of saying that the Liberals are the devil incarnate, the Conservatives are now eating out of their hands. They are willing to pass Liberal bills. They are even prepared to adopt Liberal gag orders. They are prepared to do anything as long as it is in the interest of the oil companies, but not in the interest of Quebeckers. Quebec did not vote for this. Why did the Liberals lie to Quebeckers during the election and not tell them that they were going to govern with the Conservatives?
Government PrioritiesOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
Order. Can the hon. member withdraw the word he used that is not to be used in the House so that we can move on to his main idea?
Government PrioritiesOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
I thank the hon. member.
The hon. Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
Steven MacKinnon LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the more they talk, the more obvious it is that the Bloc members did not read the first page of our election platform.
We literally spent the entire 35 days of the election campaign talking about getting the Canadian economy rolling, building one Canadian economy in order to help advance major projects, Quebec, green energy, the entire country and our workers. The Bloc Québécois is wrong: Quebeckers did vote for that.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, the recent Auditor General's report revealed that GC Strategies, a Liberal insider company, was paid a whopping 64.5 million tax dollars by the Liberal government to do literally nothing. Think about how Canadians struggling to make ends meet feel about having to pay massive taxes just to enrich Liberal insiders. It is like reverse Robin Hood.
Will the Liberals support our motion to get Canadians' money back from these scammers or will they keep robbing Canadians to pay their friends?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, let me be absolutely clear: We will never tolerate any misbehaviour or misconduct from our suppliers or their subcontractors. We have taken legal action against GC Strategies. We have referred cases to the RCMP because we will always defend the integrity of our procurement system.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, not only are the Liberals tolerating this behaviour; they are promoting the people who oversaw it. In the normal world, somebody who would have overseen $65 million going to scammers would have been fired. Instead, these ministers have been promoted. Today, we found out these ministers want to give even more money to consultants to manage web pages.
Why is it that with the Liberals, incompetent politicians get promoted while Canadian taxpayers get stuck with the bill?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned time and time again last week, we will always defend the integrity of our procurement system, and we will always hold bad actors to account, which is why, for the company the member mentioned, we revoked its security clearance and terminated all contracts more than a year ago.
We have put in place the office of supplier integrity, which has barred GC Strategies from contracting with the government for seven years. We have taken legal action against the company. We have referred cases to the RCMP. We will always hold suppliers and their subcontractors responsible for misconduct.
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General confirmed that GC Strategies, a two-person company, got $64 million from the Liberals, often without competitive bidding. In nearly half the contracts, there is no proof of any work even being done. In 82% of cases, departments did not check if taxpayers were overpaying, and in 50% of contracts, security clearances were not properly enforced, including by departments like Global Affairs and National Defence. It was a total collapse of basic oversight, but taxpayers are still forced to pay while Liberal insiders get rich.
Will every member of the House vote to get Canadians their money back?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, we will never tolerate misconduct from our suppliers or their subcontractors. We have taken legal action against GC Strategies. We have referred cases to the RCMP, because we will never tolerate misconduct from our suppliers.
Ted Falk Conservative Provencher, MB
Mr. Speaker, that is right; GC Strategies is under RCMP investigation. The Auditor General exposed millions paid without proof of work, without oversight and without security rules being followed. The ministers responsible did not get fired; they got promoted, rewarded by the Prime Minister. Only with the Liberals do they fail upwards, collect promotions for incompetence and leave the taxpayer on the hook. It is the same scandals, same ministers.
Why is Liberal corruption always rewarded while Canadians get the bill?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question. As I said several times in the House last week, we will never tolerate misconduct from suppliers.
That is why we are taking legal action against GC Strategies. We have referred cases to the RCMP. We have implemented recommendations from previous reports from the Auditor General. We will always defend the integrity of Canada's procurement system.
Dave Epp Conservative Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON
Mr. Speaker, through questioning Liberal ministers last week, we know they had no clue why $64 million was paid to GC Strategies for work not done. The Auditor General found the following: security requirements were not enforced, contract monitoring policies were ignored, procurement policies were not followed and deliverables were not confirmed before payment. The Liberal ministers responsible for this fraud were promoted upwards. Why?
After cheap talk of the government saying it is not the old government, when will the new government vote in favour of getting Canadians their money back?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the aisle, we will always defend the integrity of our procurement system, which is why we have put in place recommendations from previous reports of the Auditor General. We terminated all contracts with GC Strategies more than a year ago. We have revoked its security clearance.
We have set up the office of supplier integrity, which has barred GC Strategies from contracting with the government for the next seven years. We have referred cases to the RCMP, and we have taken legal action against GC Strategies. Why? It is because we will never tolerate bad actors in our supply process.