Debates of June 3rd, 2025

Natural Resources

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday was an incredible day for the country. Yesterday was the day 13 provinces and territories, plus the Prime Minister, got together to talk about significant national projects so that we can build this country, so that we can build it with the great men and women in our skilled trades, so that we can build it with great Canadian steel and so that we can build it with great Canadian aluminum. Build we will do. It is time to build.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals invited millions of migrants into Canada, knowing full well they did not have the economic and social infrastructure to support them. Canada now has a massive housing crisis, endless health care wait times and countless Canadian youth without jobs. Newcomers themselves are not to blame. It is the Liberals who misled everybody about Canada's capacity to absorb millions, especially under their government's economy-killing policies.

Millions of people are now in Canada with expired or imminently expiring visas. How is the government going to ensure that they will leave?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, today is a great day in the country. We introduced a very important bill that is getting us to take steps to strengthen our immigration system and our integrity in the system, while also upholding our humanitarian commitments. As global migration patterns evolve due to conflicts and crisis, Canadians expect a resilient and responsive immigration system, and that is exactly what we are doing.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, just to reiterate, by the end of this year, nearly five million people will be in Canada with expired or expiring visas, and the government has no plan for how it is going to get them to leave. We have a housing crisis, a youth jobs crisis and a health care wait-time crisis. Knowing this, the Liberals have already issued nearly 177,000 new temporary foreign work permits this year, a 10% increase from the last quarter. That is the same amount of people as in Kelowna.

With a youth unemployment crisis, why did the government increase the number of temporary work permits this year?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, we take our immigration system very seriously on this side of the aisle, as I know all Canadians do. For that reason, we are strengthening the integrity of our system while maintaining the humanitarian ability that we have in this country. Make no mistake. Canada takes its obligations seriously, and we are strengthening our asylum system to make it more efficient and flexible. We will be doing exactly that.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning, La Presse reported that asylum claims at the Saint‑Bernard‑de‑Lacolle border crossing increased by 330% between April 2024 and April 2025. With over 600,000 non-permanent residents currently residing in Quebec, the situation is putting more pressure on French-language integration services, schools, day cares and other public services across Quebec, especially in greater Montreal. It goes without saying that it is making the housing crisis throughout Quebec even worse.

Is that because there can be no plan for managing immigration until the government tables a budget?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the strong borders act that I introduced this morning would ensure that our borders are stronger and that Canadians are safe. Strong borders mean safer streets. Canada's new government is cracking down on fentanyl, guns, auto theft, money laundering, irregular migration and organized crime. We will be there to protect Canadians.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I should note that the reason it needs to be managed is because of the Liberals' past mismanagement.

We learned just over six months ago that 4.9 million people in Canada—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I must interrupt the member because there is a problem with the interpretation.

It seems to be working now.

The hon. member for Charlesbourg—Haute‑Saint‑Charles may start over from the beginning.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should understand that right now we need to be fixing the problems of the past, the problems that the Liberals have created over the past 10 years.

We learned just six months ago that 4.9 million people in Canada are here on temporary visas. What we do not know is how many of them have left the country and how many of them did not leave the country when they were supposed to.

Can the minister tell us about the government's plan of action to ensure that these people leave Canada? I am talking about those who no longer have legal status because of their temporary visas.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I will just say at the outset that the numbers that are cited are completely out of whack. They are being miscited here. For the record, we introduced the safer borders act this morning. This is a very strong measure to ensure that our borders are safer. That was in order to combat organized crime, to protect the integrity of our immigration system, to equip law enforcement with the tools that they need and, yes, to strengthen our border. We will always be there to protect Canadians.

Housing

[Jacob Mantle, Conservative, York—Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for first-time homebuyers, the dream of home ownership has become a nightmare of debt and default. New Liberal housing data shows that nearly one in five new homeowners has missed a mortgage payment, one in four is using debt to pay for debt and over 60% are concerned they will not be able to make any payments at all.

With no budget and no plan in sight, but over half a trillion in new proposed spending, can the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure tell first-time homebuyers how much their mortgage payments will increase because of the government's inflationary spending?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for giving me an opportunity to highlight the importance of our GST cut for first-time homebuyers. We will be moving forward with a GST cut of up to $50,000 on homes worth up to $1 million. This is a huge opportunity for new homebuyers, in addition to the income tax break that we are giving to 22 million Canadians. Those are affordability measures that will help first-time homebuyers.

[Jacob Mantle, Conservative, York—Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, their own data paints a very different picture, of a Canada where first-time homebuyers cannot hope to buy a home unless their parents owned one before them. In fact, over 40% of new homebuyers relied on a gift or inheritance to make their first purchase, and the average amount of that gift was $74,000. That is not a small boost. That is the only way into the market for people now.

Is the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure content with a system where, unless one is born rich, one will die renting?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite seems to be ignoring the fact that there is a GST break coming for new homebuyers of $50,000. This is nothing that was introduced by the members opposite. There were no measures like this. When I was the mayor of Vancouver for seven years, there was no GST break from the then government. The inaction by members opposite has led us into this crisis. The current government will get us out of it.

[Roman Baber, Conservative, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my north Toronto constituents cannot afford a home. After 10 years of the Liberals, house prices doubled, down payments doubled, mortgage payments doubled and rents doubled. New home sales in Toronto are at a record low, lower than they were during the housing crash of the 1990s, but the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure is on record saying that he does not want to lower the price of housing.

Why does the minister think that young people should not be able to afford a home in the city of Toronto?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, hearing this concern from across the floor gives me confidence that the members opposite will support a GST cut for first-time homebuyers. I hope that the same support will also extend from the members opposite to partnerships with cities, communities, indigenous communities, and provinces and territories. We will be good partners as a federal government and deliver affordability measures to make housing affordable in Canada.

Dental Care

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in these difficult economic times, the Canadian dental care plan provides real support to seniors and families in my riding. Since the end of May, this program has been available to all Canadians earning less than $90,000 per year.

My question is for the Minister of Health. What is the status of the program's rollout for all Canadians, and what efforts are being made to make it accessible?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. The Canadian dental care plan is changing the lives of Canadians.

Since the Canadian dental care plan was implemented, more than two million Canadians have accessed services. As of May 29, 2025, all eligible Canadians between the ages of 18 and 64 can register to access these services.

Public Safety

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a news report today details how the residents of Chicopee Terrace, an apartment complex in Kitchener, are banding together to patrol their parking lot as the Liberal crime wave intensifies. Jason Sousa, the leader of the group, says that he and his neighbours have had the catalytic converters stolen out of their cars. Not only are car thefts up, but now thieves are stealing the parts out of the cars they do not take.

This is not the Kitchener I grew up in. I have a very simple question: Why not go back to how it was? Why does the Liberal justice minister not simply repeal his soft-on-crime bill, Bill C-75?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, dangerous people who commit violent crimes should be treated with serious consequences. That is why we are putting new measures in place to strengthen the bail regime, including for auto theft, including for home invasions, including for human trafficking. We are also introducing stiffer penalties for serious repeat violent offenders.

We are going to work with facts and reason. I hope that when we advance these measures to help protect the communities, we garner the support of the Conservative Party.

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, people at the doors told me they are fed up with crime. With violent crime up 50%, many folks are afraid to walk around in their own city. This year, Edmontonians were shocked when a 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death at a transit station. People know this chaos is a direct result of the Liberals' soft-on-crime laws.

When will the Prime Minister stop the crime and lock up the criminals by repealing Trudeau's Bill C-5 and Bill C-75?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, when we hear the details of such a horrific crime as the member has shared, we know that this is not a partisan issue. All members of the House care equally about the well-being and safety of Canadians and believe that Canadians should feel safe in their communities.

What is clear, though, is that the member has not even read the legislation that he criticizes in the House, for if he did, he would know that he is advocating to make it easier for people who commit intimate partner violence to get out on bail.

It is important we deal with details and facts in the House. I encourage the member to read the legislation, for once, before he forms an opinion.

[Sukhman Gill, Conservative, Abbotsford—South Langley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as I rise for the first time in the House, I thank the good people of Abbotsford—South Langley for placing their trust in me.

Soft-on-crime Liberals have caused havoc in my community. The families and law enforcement I met during the election are frustrated with seeing offenders released quickly, only to reoffend. Last week in Vancouver, a man was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl while he was already on probation for sexual assault. Repeat violent offenders have it too easy from the Liberal government.

Will the Prime Minister stop the crime, lock up the criminals and repeal Trudeau's Bill C-5 and Bill C-75?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the member on rising in the House for the first time and on his recent election.

There is something that we agree on: Repeat violent offenders should have a harder time getting out on bail. However, what is interesting is that when he cites a very specific instance, where he is dealing with somebody who could potentially be released for committing intimate partner violence, he then criticizes the very law that makes it harder for that person to get bail.

We are going to move forward with new reforms that make a stricter bail regime for violent home invasion, for people who participate in auto theft and for people who are engaged in human trafficking. I hope the Conservatives will vote in favour of strengthening the bail regime.