Debates of June 17th, 2025

Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the third time and passed)

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Finance

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last week I asked the Prime Minister in this House whether he would finally show some accountability to the Canadians who are losing their jobs, struggling to pay their mortgages and turning to food banks in record numbers. I asked whether he would do his job and table a budget.

What did we get in response? We got more recycled talking points, more deflection and no plan. Canadians deserve better.

Oxford Economics has sounded the alarm: Canada is heading into a recession. They project 200,000 more job losses this year alone, with unemployment expected to rise to 7.7%. That is not just a number; it is hundreds of thousands of families facing sleepless nights, wondering how they will make ends meet. It is young people putting their dreams on hold. It is seniors watching their savings evaporate. What is the government's response? It is a record half-trillion dollars in spending, with no clear direction, no measurable outcomes and no accountability. This is not stimulus. It is drift. It is economic mismanagement.

Let us be clear. Full-time workers, people who are doing everything right, are now lining up at food banks. Mortgage defaults are rising. Small businesses are closing their doors, yet the government continues to spend as if there were no consequences, as if the money were endless and as if Canadians would not be left to pick up the tab. This is not only about dollars and cents; it is about trust, it is about leadership and it is about the future of our country.

Let me point out that this is the first time in our lifetimes, except during the pandemic, when Parliament was not sitting, that Canadians have not seen a spring budget. Canadians are not asking for miracles. They are asking for a plan, a real plan, one that restores fiscal discipline, supports job creation and ensures that every dollar spent delivers results. The heart of the question is the need for the government to account for its intentions and to be measured by the outcomes, both financially and by delivery.

Spending other people's money seems to be quite easy for the government, but accountability, not so much. It is not as if the government members were new to the numbers. This is a legacy government, in power for a decade now. They presented a costed programming of their promises during the election, and $60-billion planned deficits seem to be the norm now. This means that Canadians will be, at minimum, a quarter-trillion dollars more in debt before the next election, and that will mean higher debt payments and taxes that could go to services but will be diverted to international bankers. There is nothing to see here, indeed.

It marks the end of any illusion Canadians may have had that the current Prime Minister will be any different from the last, who spent a decade diluting Canada's democratic norms and spending taxpayer dollars as if there were no consequences, no associated inflation, no reduced productivity, no strain on our trade relations and no recognition from our allies that Canada is becoming less reliable, with food costs and housing costs soaring. This is what is known in international finance as “managed decline”, where citizens' well-being is gradually withdrawn from them and their efforts become someone else's gains.

The Prime Minister must do his job. He must table a budget that reflects the seriousness of this moment. He must show Canadians that he understands the gravity of the situation and that he is willing to act, not just talk. If he will not do this, then Canadians will be left to conclude what many already suspect: that they were sold a bill of goods in the last election, that the Prime Minister has no plan and that, like his predecessor, he wants to spend taxpayer dollars with no accountability.

Canadians deserve to see the plan. When will the Prime Minister deliver?

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Calgary Centre for his interest in employment for Canadians. Labour market change is happening at a dizzying pace. Government, businesses and workers are navigating new challenges and opportunities.

Fortunately, Canada has everything it needs to succeed, including a very deep pool of talent. Our government is committed to protecting and supporting workers in this period of uncertainty and change in our labour market. We have the most highly skilled workforce in the world. It is why Canada will keep its economy strong and vibrant. However, a huge wave of retirements is leaving important sectors facing critical labour shortages.

An estimated 600,000 tradespeople will retire by 2031. Add to that the anticipated creation of 400,000 jobs by the end of the decade, and we can see that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an entire generation. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That said, young people are an underutilized resource and are the key to Canada's future prosperity.

A new path forward requires bold action to earn the trust of young people so that they know their career aspirations will be fulfilled.

It is also important to remember that young people are entering a labour market that bears little resemblance to the one their parents and grandparents knew. This ever-changing market requires us to do whatever it takes to equip young people with the skills and experience they need to succeed.

Young people are navigating an employment landscape that is very different from past generations. Because we cannot build houses without skilled carpenters, plumbers, electricians or any of the other Red Seal trades, we also have to make sure that individuals facing additional barriers have access to the supports needed to access education and training. For Canada to be a G7 leader, our workers must have access to training, retraining and upskilling. That is why the Government of Canada is supporting a comprehensive array of programming.

For example, this year alone, the Government of Canada aims to support over 150,000 opportunities for youth through the youth employment and skills strategy program, Canada summer jobs, the Canada service corps, the supports for student learning program and the student work placement program.

We are making targeted investments under the Canadian apprenticeship strategy, targeting the skilled trades workforce's most pressing needs. Nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship support goes toward making trades training more affordable, through loans, grants and contributions, tax credits and EI benefits.

In order to welcome recruits such as young people and newcomers to the workforce, the Future Skills Centre has collaborated with more than 2,900 organizations from 20 sectors from coast to coast to coast and helped 103,000 Canadians access skills training in order to get a job.

We will advance new opportunities, transform into a one economy agenda and invest to ensure that Canadians have the skills they need to fill in-demand jobs.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Well, Mr. Speaker, so it continues. Even the decline of the House and the parliamentary norms that were once expected by Canadians continues. The member across the way had notice of exactly what my question was about tonight; it was about the budget. We have repeated this several times in the House, and that was the question. She delivered her own speech based on narratives around labour and where the Liberals are going. That was not at all what the question was.

Let me address that. We do need a budget in the House. We need something that actually shows Canadians what they can expect going forward. If we do not continue to respect the norms of this House and deliver the democratic minimums that have been expected in Canada for decades now, such as budgets, so that Canadians can see what is going on in the House of Commons, let me say to my colleagues on the other side of the House that if they are not part of the solution, they continue to be part of the problem. They might think they are a new government, but if they are going to act like the old government, they are going to continue.

When is the government going to give us a budget?

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Mr. Speaker, His Majesty King Charles III recently said in Parliament that “Canada has what the world needs”. This includes Canadian workers. Canada's future success depends on the skills of its skilled trades workforce. That is why the Government of Canada is investing nearly $1 billion annually in apprenticeship support.

Great programs support our boundless ambition to create a skilled workforce for the future. They ensure there will be new jobs and exciting opportunities for Canadian workers.

I want to assure the member opposite that the Government of Canada will always support Canadian workers and their families. We invest those funds because we believe passionately that skills training is key to unlocking Canada's economic potential and a road to a prosperous future.

I will end by saying there will be a budget in the fall.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as I stated on June 9 in this chamber, Canadians from Field, B.C. in the Rockies to the ranch lands of Kamloops tell me that family budgets are being destroyed by Liberal inflationary spending. The Prime Minister said that he wants to be held accountable for what Canadians pay at the grocery store. It is more than what people are paying at the grocery store that he will be held accountable for. It is how many people are lining up at food banks because they cannot afford to go to a grocery store. How many cannot afford a home because it just does not fit in their budget? Grocery prices driven up by the Liberals' inflationary spending, along with doubled housing costs, make it impossible for families and small businesses to meet their budgets, budgets they must meet or face bankruptcy.

When I look at what is happening in the 45th Parliament, I can only see how much it resembles the last Parliament, one frozen by Liberal corruption and the refusal to answer to the will of the majority of the House, with a government that allowed hundreds of millions of dollars to go out the door to its Liberal friends with no accountability.

The similarities continued this week as the majority of the House passed a Conservative motion demanding that the Liberals get back the $64 million they handed to GC Strategies, the ArriveCAN scam people, for doing nothing. Not one Liberal voted for accountability as 165 Liberals voted against getting Canadians their money back from the ArriveCAN scam. The Liberals have been directed by the House to, within 100 days, get the taxpayers' money back. It is our money, my money and the money of every taxpayer in Canada. The government owes that to Canadians, but it will not do it, because it is the same group of ministers who are just fine with the corruption as long as it benefits them and their rich friends.

The Prime Minister hired back the same old crowd of ministers who helped Justin Trudeau blow through budgets that did not balance themselves. Now he refuses to even present a budget to explain how he plans to spend half a trillion in taxpayer dollars.

When I asked on June 9 if the Liberal government would table a budget and reverse its inflationary policies so Canadians can afford to put food on the table, I was asking on behalf of the good people of Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, who deserve an honest and respectful answer. They want to know how their taxpayer dollars are going to be spent because they are the ones footing the bill. They work hard for their paycheques, only to have them taken away by a government that refuses to account for how taxpayer money is being spent.

Why will the Prime Minister not come clean and admit that he does not really have a plan, other than spending other people's money so he and his rich friends can get richer on the backs of hard-working Canadians?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure to be here tonight at 11:30 to answer the member's question, and it was great to see us all vote together in this chamber to pass the main estimates tonight. I note that the members opposite have supported a number of pieces of legislation in this House just this week. It is great to see us working together on behalf of Canadians. It is also great to be back in government on behalf of Canadians. My condolences to the members opposite for returning to their rightful place on the opposition benches.

Canadians expect us to take bold actions that will drive economic growth, create good-paying jobs and ensure that all Canadians benefit from Canada's incredible talent and ingenuity, our strong free trade agreements already in place and our unique and vast wealth and prosperity. That is exactly what we are doing, and we are doing it with strength, purpose and agility.

First, we introduced a middle-class tax cut, a hugely significant investment in Canadians that will put more money in their pockets. There are 22 million Canadians across this county who will get a tax break. Conservatives can complain about that, but that is delivering for Canadians. Second, we will help to further bring down costs for Canadians, especially young people. I take to heart that young people in my riding have said it is hard to purchase their first home. We are removing the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes valued at $1 million and saving them up to $50,000. We are also lowering the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes valued between $1 million and $1.5 million. Third, we are honouring a commitment we made. It should very much please the Conservative Party of Canada that we have removed the consumer carbon price from law, effective as of April 1 of this year, as part of our plan to refocus federal carbon pollution pricing standards.

We will do all of these things while keeping our industrial carbon tax in place so that Canada can remain aligned with global best practices and continue to build a competitive and more sustainable economy. These three measures send a strong and clear signal to Canadians right across the country that we will remain focused. Our top priority will be them as we build the biggest and fastest-growing economy in the G7.

Speaking of priorities, I recognize the federal budget is a critically important financial and democratic document. That said, it is precisely why budget 2025 must be delivered in a logical sequence that takes national and international priorities into account. As Canada forges a new relationship with the United States based on respect and common interest, we must remain hyperfocused on reinforcing Canada's strength at home, safeguarding our workers and businesses, and defending their interests. These discussions are ongoing and vitally important for our shared future. They are also vitally important as we see investments in our defence spending and reaching our NATO target this year. I welcomed the great announcement the Prime Minister made.

Of course, in the midst of all of these changes internationally, it is prudent of us to take the time we need to prepare a budget properly. We need the detailed analyses, policy checks and meticulous preparations that budgets always entail. That is, in my view, the proper process for developing a budget. Budgets are not types of documents that should be rushed. I hear my colleagues heckling me. I welcome that because it eggs me on, makes me feel good and actually makes me want to talk even more. We will definitely deliver a budget this fall.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, that answer speaks to the arrogance of the government that just continues from one Parliament to another, with the same members on that side of the House and the same people in the ministers' chairs. It just does not change.

The parliamentary secretary talked about reducing the GST for first-time homebuyers, but it is only on new homes. It is going to be less than 5% of the market, if people can afford a down payment. It is now taking 25 years for young people to save a down payment when it only used to take 25 years to pay for a home. That is what the Liberal government has cost Canadians over the last 10 years.

The parliamentary secretary also spoke about removing the carbon tax. The Liberals have only removed the consumer carbon tax and have not said a word about removing the industrial carbon tax, which consumers end up paying in the long run—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is great to rise again to rebut the remarks of the member opposite.

Our government has worked tirelessly for 10 years to help Canadians afford a home, but also to increase supply. We have done all kinds of work. We have decreased mortgage insurance. We have waived GST on new rental construction. We have helped with the national housing strategy and the rapid housing initiative to build new supply.

I have six examples of projects in my riding that have gotten done as a result of those investments, which are key, and hundreds of new affordable housing units in our riding. Now we are adding more. There is also a tax-free savings account for Canadians so that young families can save up, tax-free, to purchase their first home. There is a whole package of measures.

Obviously, I am running out of time.

However, we will continue to build the homes that Canadians need and help young families get into those homes.

Housing

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the housing minister claims to have the most robust housing agenda in the history of the House, but Canadians have heard this story before. The man making that claim was also the mayor of Vancouver during one of the most disgraceful chapters in Canadian housing history. Under his watch, Vancouver became a global hot spot for money laundering, shady real estate deals and housing speculation. Drug cartel money flowed freely through casinos and into luxury condos. Homes were not being built for families. They were being used as safe deposit boxes for dirty money. Where was he? He was not taking action. He was not standing up for working Canadians. He turned a blind eye.

When researchers exposed what was happening, when members of Vancouver's own Chinese community raised the alarm, he did not listen. He dismissed the findings. He smeared the critics. He chose to protect the developers, the insiders and the money men. He let the crisis grow, and hard-working families paid the price. That is not just failure; that is a complete lack of integrity.

Now that same man wants us to trust him to solve Canada's housing crisis. He is not a man who builds trust. He is a man who abandons it and the people who depend on it every time. Not only that, but the Liberal programs that the minister now defends simply do not work. They do not look good on paper, and they certainly do not work in practice. Just ask the families trying to get their first home. Ask the single moms stuck in rentals that drain every last dime.

Those programs did not even base affordable housing on what people actually earn. Instead, they used market rents during a housing crisis, which was sky-high, and just knocked off a few dollars. This means that in Vancouver or Toronto, if the market rent is, say, $3,000, they would call $2,400 affordable. However, for the people who actually need help, that is not affordable at all. It is not affordable for low-income seniors, not for young families trying to start out and not for immigrants working two jobs to make ends meet. Calling something affordable does not make it true.

The minister knows full well that these programs do not create truly affordable housing. He is a clever man and a wealthy man. He owns multiple properties. Would he ever build housing based on what low-income Canadians can actually afford? Of course not, he would not make the big returns. That is the real issue here. These programs are not built to fix the problem. They are built to protect the insiders, to keep the system working for people like him while everyone else is left behind: the single moms, the seniors and the working-class Canadians who just want a fair shot and get nothing. Forgive us, Mr. Speaker, if we do not believe him, because this is not about slogans. It is about people, real people who have been failed again and again by those who are supposed to lead.

The minister can stand up and repeat his talking points all he wants, but Canadians have lived through the reality. They see the truth clearly now. The few homes being built are not truly affordable. The numbers do not match the promises. Most importantly, the trust that Canadians once had in their leaders is gone. This is not going to be the most robust housing agenda in Canadian history. It is going to be more smoke and mirrors. The government has failed to build homes and failed to protect the people who need them most.

This former mayor failed Vancouver. He turned a blind eye while a housing crisis exploded and working families were pushed out. There is no reason to believe he will do any better on a national scale. In fact, there is every reason to believe it will be far worse under his direction. If he could not fix the housing crisis for one city, why on earth would Canadians trust him with the entire country?

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, we agree that Canadians deserve safe and affordable housing that meets their needs. That is why the Government of Canada has put together an ambitious housing plan that will take bold action to unlock private investment, cut red tape and lower the cost of homebuilding across the country.

We are committed to doubling the current rate of construction to 500,000 homes per year. We know rising construction costs, labour shortages and the increasing cost of materials are barriers to building. That is why we are changing how we build and are creating “build Canada homes”. This new, lean, mission-driven federal entity will accelerate the development of new affordable housing. It will invest in the growth of the prefabricated and modular housing industry and will provide significant financing to affordable home builders. “Build Canada homes” will catalyze a new housing industry using Canadian innovation, Canadian workers and Canadian lumber to build homes by Canadians for Canadians.

We are also supporting first-time homebuyers with targeted financial measures by eliminating the goods and services tax, GST, on homes valued at or under $1 million, and by reducing the GST for homes up to $1.5 million. We are lowering upfront costs and therefore making it more affordable for young Canadians to enter the housing market. Combined with tools like the tax-free first home savings account, we are making it easier to save for a down payment and achieve the dream of home ownership.

In addition to these measures, we are making historic investments in new housing all across Canada. We are investing in purpose-built rental supply through the apartment construction loan program, and we are launching the Canada rental protection fund to help community housing providers acquire housing, preserve existing rental stock and keep rent stable over the long term.

In addition, we are strengthening investments in community housing through the affordable housing fund, which is helping to build and repair thousands of deeply affordable homes across the country. We have also launched the co-operative housing development program, which is the largest investment to build new co-op housing in the last 30 years.

This is how we deliver for Canadians. This is how we build resilience. This is how we build Canada strong.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the housing minister is not starting with a clean slate. His record in Vancouver is well known. As investigative journalist Sam Cooper documented in his book Wilful Blindness, his city hall was part of what he calls the Vancouver model, where laundered crime money, foreign cartels and offshore investment fuelled skyrocketing housing prices while honest families were locked out.

Now he claims to lead the most robust housing agenda in history. With that track record, I am sorry, but Canadians do not believe it. Ten years of Liberal broken promises and only 309 homes to show for millions in investment. They can spin all they like, but credibility matters. He should build trust first, because right now, his reputation precedes him. Why would Canadians believe a word he says?

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada recognizes that every person in Canada deserves a place to call home. That is why we have launched an ambitious plan to unlock private investment, cut red tape and build housing at a scale and speed this country has not seen in decades. That is what we brought to Canadians in April. That is what we were elected to do.

We are working together with all our partners to use every tool available to get the job done. From concept to construction, the Government of Canada is increasing the pace of homebuilding to build the homes we need and lower costs for Canadians. Under the ministry of housing and infrastructure and our minister's leadership, and through “build Canada homes” and other federal investments, such as the affordable housing fund and the co-operative housing development program, we are building up Canada's housing supply like never before and building Canada strong.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 11:46 p.m.)