House of Commons Hansard #7 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was communities.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply Members respond to the Speech from the Throne, discussing government priorities and opposition criticisms. Liberals highlight plans for affordability through tax cuts and social programs, building a stronger economy by reducing trade barriers and investing in nation-building projects, and enhancing public safety. Conservatives criticize the lack of a plan, rising crime, the opioid crisis, and policies impacting industries, advocating for lower spending and taxes. Bloc Québécois members raise concerns about budget transparency, climate change, and provincial jurisdiction. NDP members point to social program achievements and call for action on housing, workers' rights, and environmental protection. 60700 words, 7 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan Members debate wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, which have forced thousands of evacuations, particularly from northern and Indigenous communities. The NDP and Bloc criticize the federal government's response, consultation, and lack of permanent infrastructure. Conservatives question preparedness, funding, and forest management practices, while noting human-caused fires. Liberals highlight their swift response, coordination with provinces and Indigenous partners, and efforts to provide support. All thank first responders and volunteers, emphasizing the need to work together, address the increasing frequency of disasters linked to climate change, and improve preparedness and resilience. 45000 words, 5 hours.
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we take note of last night's motion, but what Canadians deserve and Canadian provinces deserve is a health care transfer, a transfer for child care, a transfer for dental care and a transfer to support affordability. That is what is in the main estimates, and we expect the support of the members opposite.
Kelly McCauley Conservative Edmonton West, AB
Mr. Speaker, I realize the Prime Minister is new here, but all those things would be in a budget if he would table one.
This year alone, the government is going to spend a staggering $26 billion on high-priced Liberal-friendly consultants, an eye-watering $1,400 for every Canadian family. It will present no budget, no departmental plans and zero transparency. It will not even stand in this House and tell Canadians what the deficit will be this year.
Will the Liberals come clean and table a spring budget as this House has demanded?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, unlike the member opposite, I know the difference between main estimates and a budget. Unlike the member opposite, I know how to grow this economy—
FinanceOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
Colleagues, whenever things get to the point that I cannot hear, I stand up and halt the time.
Would the right hon. Prime Minister like to back up a bit and take another run at it?
Mark Carney Liberal Nepean, ON
Mr. Speaker, I will speak softly.
Unlike the member opposite, I know the difference between main estimates and a budget. Unlike the members opposite, we know how to grow the economy without spending money. This is why we are proposing a bill to build one Canadian economy out of 13, and all the provinces and Quebec agree.
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, our motion calling on the government to table a budget this spring was adopted yesterday. The Liberals must respect this Parliament and table a budget this spring. The Liberals want a blank cheque and they want us to approve more than half a billion dollars in spending without being presented the financial situation.
During the election campaign, the Liberals promised to spend 2%. Spending has gone up by more than 8%. This government is already proving that it misled Canadians.
Will the minority Liberals listen to the majority in Parliament and table a budget this spring?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, Parliament's motion is duly noted.
Yesterday, I was with the Premier of Quebec and we agreed that the best way to increase growth in our country is to have one Canadian economy, not 13.
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister likely did not understand my question. Parliament has spoken. It has asked this Liberal government to table a budget this spring. There are 18 days left.
A good, responsible manager uses a budget to determine how much they can spend. If our families, seniors and SMEs acted like this government, they would go bankrupt. The Liberals said that they want to reduce spending, but they are increasing consulting contracts from $20 billion to $26 billion.
The Liberals must listen to Parliament. When will they table a budget to justify their over half a trillion dollars in spending?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, there will be a budget that increases support for seniors, children, child care centres and all of Canada.
For now, we will increase our country's growth with a bill for a strong economy.
Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, I am curious about something. There was basically a love-in yesterday in Saskatoon. However, there are stages to a love-in. I wonder what happens next.
During that love-in, there was an interesting proposal to build a pipeline that would carry oil from Alberta, not to Saint John, New Brunswick, via Quebec, but directly to Hudson Bay.
I wonder what the Prime Minister thinks of this odd project.
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we discussed many projects in Saskatoon yesterday.
Yes, it was a big love-in, because all the premiers want to keep going, want to work hard for our country and for our economy, and that includes major projects in Quebec in the critical minerals and green energy sectors.
Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, the last big love-in like this took place in Quebec with a lot of people, and then we got shafted. We remember that.
At the extremes of ideology, I never thought I would see Mr. Trudeau and Ms. Smith meet in the land of unicorns. Have we considered the cost of the icebreakers and the transport needed to go the long way around via Ungava Bay and of finding a market in Europe?
Are there any refineries in Europe capable of refining crude oil from western Canada?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we have not yet made any decisions involving projects of national significance. Yes, it is true that we had a big conversation. There have to be environmental standards and there has to be a major impact on our economic growth.
Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, very little was actually said, but I believe I heard about one demand that I would support.
Will the Prime Minister make a formal commitment to respect the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement du Québec's jurisdiction if the Hudson Bay project does not work out and to respect the BAPE's timelines?
Mark Carney LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I spoke with the Premier of Quebec and the other premiers about the need for commitments and co-operation agreements regarding environmental standards. We will enter into such agreements in the coming months.
Greg McLean Conservative Calgary Centre, AB
Mr. Speaker, last night, this House delivered a clear verdict: The Liberal government must table a budget.
The Prime Minister is asking Canadians to blindly approve over half a trillion dollars in spending with no plan, no transparency and no accountability. The Prime Minister promised to cap spending at 2% and then shattered that promise and jacked it up to 8%. What do Canadians get in return? They get soaring debt, higher inflation and zero economic leadership.
Will the government stop the reckless spending, respect the will of this House and table a budget?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, there was a vote yesterday, but there is another vote coming in the coming days. That is a vote where we will see the true colours of the Conservatives, because it is on the motion through which we would cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. Canadians who live in the member's riding will be watching at home to see whether the Conservatives will have the backs of Canadians.
I can tell the member that we will be watching from this side and Canadians will be watching at home, and we all expect this House to say together that, yes, we have the backs of Canadians and will give them a tax break.
Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC
Mr. Speaker, last night, our Conservative motion passed demanding a budget from the Prime Minister this spring. After a decade of Liberal delay and decline in Northwest Territories, its economy is in trouble. Since 2015, mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction are down 16%, construction is down 43% and the energy sector is down 54%. Economist Graeme Clinton said that as the mines close over the next three to eight years and nothing replaces them, “we can expect a much smaller economy than we have today.”
The Northwest Territories cannot afford any more of the Prime Minister's empty promises. What is his plan?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we understand Canada's strength when it comes to the economy of the future. We are attracting talent. We have very large industries. This is the country that builds cars and builds planes. This is the country that has critical minerals. This is the country that has renewable energy and conventional energy. This is the only country of the G7 that has a free trade agreement with all other G7 nations.
We have what the world needs, and we will be there to build a superpower economically for this country and Canadians for generations to come.
Gaétan Malette Conservative Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk, ON
Mr. Speaker, Parliament is demanding a budget from the Liberal government, which sought, for example, to cap spending at 2%, but the Liberals increased it by 8%. Rather than cut spending on consultants, they increased it by 35% to a record-smashing $26 billion.
Last night, a Conservative motion was passed calling on the Prime Minister to issue a budget this spring. The Liberals are asking Parliament to approve half a billion dollars in Liberal spending without a budget. Will the minority Liberal government listen to the majority of Parliament and issue the budget immediately?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said, we took note of the vote yesterday.
What I can say to the member, whom I welcome to the House, is this: Let us focus on what the main estimates are doing for Canadians. They are supporting child care in this country. They are supporting pharmacare in this country. They are supporting dental care. What they are doing is supporting Canadians.
Canadians have asked this House to work for them. Canadians have asked us to be ambitious. Canadians have asked us to build Canada strong. This is what we are going to do with the Prime Minister.
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, the House has spoken: Parliament is demanding a budget this spring. The Liberals have already broken their promise of a spending cap. A budget is more than a big book of spending. It tells us how much things are going to cost. How much are they going to raise taxes? How much are they going to borrow? The Liberals have no plan to manage the debt.
Will the Liberal minority government listen to the majority of Parliament and table a budget this spring?
Chrystia Freeland LiberalMinister of Transport and Internal Trade
Mr. Speaker, our government does have a plan, and that plan is what we discussed yesterday in Saskatoon with premiers from across the country. I do have to agree with the leader of the Bloc: It was a love-in. It was a love-in because the premiers, Liberals, Conservatives and NDP, agree that now is the time to build Canada, to build one Canadian economy. It will add $200 billion to our economy. All of us in this House should support that.
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, our motion to have the government table a budget this spring was passed in this House. The Liberals wanted us to approve $486 billion of spending with no plan, and $20 billion in revenue was supposed to come from the elbows-up countertariffs. However, secretly, during the election, the Prime Minister and cabinet signed an order to cancel them while telling Canadians they were still going to fight with dollar-for-dollar tariffs.
Will the Prime Minister listen to Parliament, table a spring budget and explain where the extra $20 billion is going to come from?