Debates of June 9th, 2025

Opposition Motion—Food Inflation and Budgetary Policy

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

Mr. Speaker, the responsible thing to do is what every family, every business and every government must do, which is to deliver a budget at the beginning of the fiscal year, not after authorizing $486 billion in spending.

[Steven Bonk, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have heard the Minister of Finance say that the Liberals will “take no lessons from the Conservatives”, but maybe they will take a lesson from Brookfield. I am pretty sure Brookfield has a budget.

I will ask my hon. colleague, why are the Liberals treating Brookfield shareholders better than they are treating Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, yes, I wonder if the Liberal government would take a lesson from private industry, a lesson from Brookfield Asset Management, because Brookfield does prepare a budget before it spends. It is a basic practice, but the Liberals are refusing to put forward a budget, and they are taking the time to ask for $486 billion in new spending. That is irresponsible.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are struggling and many of them are turning to food banks for support, yet the member is silent on the tax rates and the excess profits big corporations are receiving. Since the 1980s, the corporate income tax rate went from 36% to 15%. In 2023, corporations recorded $664 billion—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The hon. member for Newmarket—Aurora.

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

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that inflationary spending causes our dollar to weaken because the government floods the economy with excess borrowed money and it weakens our dollar, raising the cost of everything.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Kingston and the Islands.

As I rise for the first time as the member for the new riding of Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, I would like to thank the residents of my riding for electing me to be their strong voice here in Ottawa. My pledge when I first ran in 2015 was that I would be my community's voice in Ottawa and not Ottawa's voice in my community. That is how I have governed myself for the last 10 years, and this will continue to guide me in all I do here.

I would like to thank all of the many volunteers who helped me knock on doors, make phone calls and put up signs. I thank them for their dedication and support. I thank my amazing campaign team and my staff, specifically Jeff Jedras, my campaign manager, and Nusrat Malim. Both have been working with me for the last 10 years and have worked hard to serve and fight for the community every day. I thank them for that. I also thank my family, my husband Salman and both my boys, Umaid and Usman. Nothing is possible without their love and support.

As we return to Parliament as a new government with a renewed mandate, let us pledge ourselves to not just work for those who voted for us. Let us pledge to work for all Canadians. This was my fourth election, and in many ways it was the most difficult. A record number of signs were destroyed, and volunteers were targeted and verbally abused. There was a level of anger and hostility that I have not seen before.

While I will never condone harassment and abuse, we must recognize that many Canadians are hurting. They are finding it harder to make ends meet. They feel like, no matter how hard they work, they cannot get any further ahead. They worry about what they will leave to their children. We may have different ideas about how we solve these issues, but it is important to acknowledge that we see them too. We share these same worries. Their concerns are valid, and they are our concerns too. I hope, as we return for the 45th Parliament, we can listen more than we speak, try to understand where each other is coming from and work together on the things that unite us, such as wanting to build a better community and a better country, and do better for our next generations.

I am here today to speak to a Conservative motion that purports to be concerned with affordability, a concern my constituents and I share. Indeed, affordability was a major focus of our government's throne speech, which was recently delivered by His Majesty King Charles III. I had the brief opportunity to speak with His Majesty in the other place following the speech. I mentioned to him that I was born in England in Coventry. I was born there, as my father studied at the university there. I was born in England, raised in Pakistan and immigrated to Canada, all Commonwealth countries.

The Commonwealth, the sovereign and the values they represent have always been very dear and important to me, and I was gratified to see those values reflected in the Speech from the Throne. On the campaign trail this spring, I heard three key messages: stand up for Canada; build more homes people can afford; and make life more affordable for everyone. The government's agenda, as outlined in the King's speech, tackles all three issues.

The Prime Minister and his government have been clear that we will resolutely defend Canada's sovereignty. It is time for a reimagined, balanced relationship with the U.S. that prioritizes our economic strength and independence, and we need to broaden our relationships. That means building stronger relationships with global trading partners and working to tear down internal trade barriers. It should not be harder for an Ontario business to sell to British Columbia than it is to sell to Colombia.

Our plan for a more affordable Canada starts with a middle-class tax cut that would save the average two-income family up to $840 a year, effective Canada Day. That is more money in the pockets of my constituents to help pay for groceries and other expenses. That is just one example of how we are helping Canadians cope with everyday expenses.

Enrolment in the Canadian dental care plan is now open to all eligible Canadians. With one in four Canadians saying they could not visit an oral health provider because it was too expensive, our plan is helping over eight million eligible Canadians without insurance get access to the dental care they need.

We are also helping with affordability by taking the GST off homes at or under $1 million for first-time homebuyers. That is up to $50,000 to help Canadians entering the housing market for the first time, meaning lower mortgage payments and more money to help cover other expenses. Our government will also continue to build on programs such as the Canada child care program, which is saving Canadians thousands of dollars and allowing parents to return to the workforce sooner.

Let us talk about housing. In recent years, this has been the number one issue my constituents have raised with me. Whether it is apartments, townhouses, duplexes or detached homes, in my area and in many areas across the country there is a real lack of housing that people can afford. Simply put, Canada needs to build more homes that people can afford. How do we do that? It is time to think big, with the most ambitious housing program in Canada since World War II. We will double the rate of homebuilding while creating an entirely new housing industry. We will do it with Canadian lumber, Canadian technology and most important of all, Canadian skilled labour.

The housing crisis demands bold action. “Build Canada homes” is our plan to construct 500,000 affordable homes annually, doubling the current rate. By investing dollars in prefabricated housing and in low-cost financing, we will cut costs and build faster. We are eliminating red tape, halving development charges and using federal lands for affordable housing. Inspired by our postwar success, we will create jobs, train workers and ensure that every Canadian can afford a home in a community they love.

We cannot solve the housing crisis alone; “build Canada homes” needs provinces and cities to join us. By aligning zoning laws, streamlining permits and sharing costs, we can build 500,000 affordable homes every year. Provinces can reduce the bureaucratic hurdles, and cities can prioritize high-density projects. Together, we will ensure that every Canadian has a home. Together, we can build a stronger, fairer Canada for all generations.

We must be clear-eyed about the challenges Canada is facing. Our economy is under attack. The world is an increasingly dangerous place, and Canada is not an island.

However, with challenges comes opportunity. The true test of Canada will be in how we choose to meet this challenge, so let us seize this moment to think big and dream bigger, to not just build new alliances but to lead them, and to model not just Canadian values but Canadian ingenuity. Together, there are no challenges we cannot meet. Let us bet on team Canada, because together we are the true north strong and free.

[Steven Bonk, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member on her recent election.

I agree with the member that we are all here for the right reason, which is to serve our constituents the best we possibly can. I know she now finds herself in a very unfortunate position of having to defend the very policies that created all these problems. I was just wondering how the hon. member will square that circle with her constituents.

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have represented my constituents for the last 10 years and have always been their voice here in Ottawa, not Ottawa's voice in my community. I am proud that we have programs like the Canada child benefit, which has lifted hundreds and thousands of kids out of poverty. We introduced a $10-a-day child care program, which is saving constituents in my area thousands of dollars every year. I am proud that we introduced a national school food program, which aims to improve children's learning and health by addressing food insecurity. I am proud of our Canadian dental care plan, which is open to all eligible Canadians and is really making a difference in the lives of families.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, although my colleague's speech was very interesting and very good, I would like to address two things that she said.

First, she mentioned that old refrain from the election campaign, specifically “think big, be Canadian”. In other words, Canada has to be “big”. The President of the United States is a bad guy, and the situation is urgent.

Then my colleague regurgitated all the old measures that were in the budget presented six months ago by the minister who replaced the former finance minister, who resigned because the previous budget was so bad.

We keep hearing how serious the situation is. It was pretty obvious in question period today that the Minister of Finance has no interest in drafting a budget. He is interested in one thing: making announcements. When he is asked if there will be a budget, he replies that an announcement will be made in such and such a riding. The Minister of Finance is not interested in public finances. He is interested in making announcements. My colleague said in her speech that the government has made some great announcements. A government needs a budget to govern.

Does my colleague believe that her government should present a budget this spring, as any responsible government would do?

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we have all seen, the estimates have been presented to Parliament, outlining the proposed government spending across different departments and for different programs. These estimates are a vital part of our fiscal process, and they deserve careful scrutiny. As we prepare for the fall budget, our focus remains on clearly building an economy that works for everybody, responding to the threats facing our country, and making life affordable for all Canadians. We are engaging in extensive consultations with Canadian provinces, indigenous communities and stakeholders to craft policies that will deliver real results for all Canadians.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I was listening, I could not help but be inspired by the member's personal story of growing up in the United Kingdom. She mentioned her interaction with the Sovereign. I, too, was fortunate to have a brief interaction. I appreciate her comments, her connection and the way that Canada's constitution runs through the United Kingdom, but also that we have diversity across this country.

I wanted to pick up on the remarks that the member made about housing. She rightly identified the fact that the government is removing the GST on homes up to $1 million for first-time homebuyers. I think that is a really important policy. The Conservative Party, to its credit, actually did include this in its platform, but the difference is that it would fund that by getting rid of things like the housing accelerator fund and the rapid housing initiative, a lot of the federal support to build new houses. Yes, the Conservatives would have made a tax cut, but it would have been for a lot fewer people because the homes would not be there.

Would the member care to comment on the fact that she sees that as perhaps problematic?

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yes, while we were knocking on doors, I heard very clearly about this, and I have worked with my constituents on making sure that we have the ability to build more housing. Now we have the most ambitious housing plan since after World War II, and constituents are really excited that we will double the construction of houses. We will make sure that we construct 500,000 houses every year in our communities, and at the same time make sure that we give incentives to first-time homebuyers and are giving tax breaks to 22 million Canadians. We are working for all Canadians—

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

Resuming debate, the chief government whip.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, congratulations to you on your new role. You command authority from the chair as though you had been doing it for years. Best of luck to you. What I am getting at is that you look very comfortable in the position.

Before I speak to the particular motion before us, I want to take the opportunity to first thank the constituents of Kingston and the Islands for sending me back here once again to represent their voice in Parliament. I am humbled by the incredible amount of support our campaign had over the last number of months, and I take that responsibility as I think any of us should.

I want to very quickly thank some of the key people who played roles in my campaign: Ann Parker and Kelly Banks in particular, who led my campaign in a co-chair capacity; Nicole, who handled all of our get-out-to-vote coordination, as it takes a certain type of individual to do that job and she was extremely successful at it; Shawn, who managed all of our canvassing; Ryan, who was the official agent and made sure we stayed on budget and spent people's money wisely; Jill, who spent an incredible amount of time in the campaign office; and Larry, my fundraiser, who will tell us that his single best day of fundraising was the 24-hour period after Pierre Poilievre visited the riding, which did not go unnoticed, and people were very generous in the 24 hours following that.

I want to thank the volunteers who came out. This was my fourth federal election. I had two municipal elections before that. I have never before had that sheer number of people interested in volunteering and participating in a campaign. My wife and I started volunteer orientation sessions in February, and the number of people who came out to get involved in the campaign was truly inspiring. I have made some incredible connections and met some incredible people I did not know beforehand. I am so grateful for their participation.

This also gives me an opportunity to quickly mention the incredible people who work in my constituency office: Ann, Molly, Macla, Jennifer, Ashleigh and Nicole. As I think all members of the House would know, it is our constituency staff who are our voice back in our community. There was nothing quite as rewarding as when I would knock on a door during the campaign and someone would say that Ann or Jennifer in my office was able to help them out with a particular case. That truly is such an incredible feeling that I know all members of the House have.

Last but not least, I want to thank my family, including my incredible wife Vanessa, who was as much a part of the campaign as anybody else, not just for being there as an incredible support for me but also for just diving right into the middle of our campaigns and taking on so many key roles. I also want to thank our children: Mason, our oldest; Frankie, our middle child; and Vivian, our youngest. As today is Frankie's birthday, I wish him a happy birthday. He shares a birthday with my father, so I wish the two of them a happy birthday.

On that note, I thank my mother-in-law, Fran, and my parents, John and Assunta, who have always been extremely supportive. My dad never missed an opportunity to remind me of how many signs he put up throughout the election. I am pretty sure by the end he had put up three or four times as many as we had put up in total. Nonetheless, I am extremely grateful for their support.

Today we are talking about the opposition motion. In particular, after reading a bit of the preamble, I note that it stresses the desire of the opposition to have a budget introduced prior to the House's rising in a couple of weeks. I find it quite interesting that the proposal would come forward, given that I am pretty sure, if we look back in history, there has been no government that from election day to being sworn in has produced a budget. I do not think that has ever happened.

As a matter of fact, if we look back to Stephen Harper, who was the last prime minister of another political party, when he first came to office, it took him three months before he was able to table a budget. Therefore it is extremely germane, and I guess a more proper term would be that it is extremely responsible, to make sure that when we introduce a budget we do it in a way that thoroughly reflects the needs of Canadians and does the proper consultation.

We want to make sure that we get it right. We want to make sure that we get feedback from Canadians in putting that together. That is why the Prime Minister has committed to doing it in the fall.

I will say this, as it relates to defence, and I am sure this will be part of that, given the announcement today: As it relates to the budget, our commitment will be to defence and getting our commitment to 2%.

I found the exchanges today in the House of Commons quite interesting. I heard the member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman challenging the government about not investing in defence. He was the parliamentary secretary for national defence when Stephen Harper allowed our investment in national defence to drop below 1% of GDP for the first time ever in our history. The member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, the critic for defence, is challenging us on our commitments to NATO and how we can invest more and spend more as it relates to national defence. I find that to be extremely rich, given the history that he, in particular, has on that file and that Conservatives have, more holistically speaking.

The other thing I wanted to touch on, very briefly, is the number of times in this debate and in the debate on the Speech from the Throne that I heard Conservatives talking about our copying their ideas. Somebody got up earlier while I was sitting here and spoke about three ideas we stole from them. The opposition should know that this is its job. The job of opposition members is to come here and put forward ideas and say they think that, while we have an idea, this one is even better.

Rather than celebrate the fact that the government is listening to the opposition and perhaps incorporating some of the opposition members' ideas, they are asking, how dare we do what they were going to do? I would say to my colleagues in the Conservative Party that, as they say, imitation is the best form of flattery. I hope that they are flattered to know that we do like some of their ideas. They do have some good ideas. This is certainly not the first time I have ever said this while standing here.

More importantly, what I would say to my Conservative friends is that perhaps they should have spent more time developing policy and presenting actual policy over the last two years rather than standing up and just reciting three-word slogans time after time after time. That is what we heard. Remember “fix the budget” and “axe the tax”? They meant nothing. Canadians saw right through them.

If their criticism is to ask how we dare take their idea and articulate it in a way that resonates with people, I do not know what to say. We love good ideas. We love good policy. We will always look to see how we can improve upon the policies that we have, sometimes by working with the Conservatives. We all know that we did it in the last Parliament with the NDP. We were able to bring in some monumental legislation, policies such as dental care, pharmacare, $10-a-day child care and a national school food program. If we can continue to invest in these programs and prop them up to be what they should be, these will be things that last a long time.

If the Conservatives want to come along and say that they have an idea too but ask how we dare steal it, I would suggest that they understand what their role is in the House. Their role in the House is to bring forward their good ideas and to push the government to improve upon various pieces of legislation with the ideas that they have in mind, not simply reciting three-word slogans ad nauseam.

[Roman Baber, Conservative, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is nice to be able to debate my friend from Kingston and the Islands in his non-Twitter persona.

I am wondering what it is that the Liberal government is hiding. Why will it not present a budget? Is it hiding the fact that it was counting on all this tariff revenue, and that is not coming? Is it hiding the fact that, last year, it was planning on various capital gains-related revenues, and that revenue is not coming? Of course, the government turned on that as well, because it was a horrible idea. Is it something else altogether, such as wanting to rewrite the books to make the deficit seem like something it is not?

Why is the Liberal government failing to present a budget? What is it hiding?

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the member might not be on Twitter, but he is certainly spreading the same conspiracy theories he was spreading there. The reality is that developing a budget takes time. I ask him, why did it take Stephen Harper three months to bring in a budget? The reality is that this Parliament was recalled after the last election in record time, and we will be bringing forward a budget in the fall, as the Prime Minister has indicated.

This member is just trying to create a false narrative so that he can go back and say we are hiding something. No, believe it or not, not everything is about hiding something, despite the fact that Conservatives want to make us believe that. Sometimes it is just about being prudent and doing the right thing before introducing a piece of legislation.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his election. In fact, in another life, he was my own city councillor.

That said, my colleague argues that it is not at all customary for a government to get elected, open Parliament and immediately table a budget. He may be right about not tabling an entire budget, but it is customary to table an economic statement. It is customary to give information to the House.

I see him writing on his sheet, and he is going to say that I am wrong. Let us suppose that I am wrong; even so, there are not many examples of governments that open Parliament, do not table a budget, but then, without presenting a budget, spend $26 billion on tax cuts, $38 billion on additional credits and $9 billion on defence.

The whole situation is abnormal, as is the lack of a budget, the lack of an economic statement and the spending spree that the government is proposing here, without allowing us to do our job as parliamentarians.

Right now, the House is calling for a budget, but the first act of the new Prime Minister is to show a profound lack of respect for a request from the House.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, although the member did live in Kingston, unfortunately, I did not get to represent him as a city councillor. He lived in the Sydenham district whereas I represented Portsmouth, but I digress.

The reality is that it takes time. In his question, he said it is not customary. I did not say anything about it being customary or not customary. All I am saying is that it takes time to properly bring in a budget, because we want to be thorough. We want to make sure that we are reflecting the wishes of Canadians and that we are properly consulting in advance.

In terms of a financial statement or documents, we have tabled the estimates. He had an opportunity to vote against those if he was discontent with them, but he chose not to. On Thursday of last week, he voted in favour of them. Therefore, by voting in favour of the money the government is asking to spend, he is de facto saying that he has confidence in the government. I want to thank that member for putting his confidence in the government.

[Braedon Clark, Liberal, Sackville—Bedford—Preston, NS]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague touched on defence, which is a significant announcement. As we all know, it has been many years in the making, and we are now several years ahead of schedule to reach our 2% of GDP target. I believe the member's riding includes Royal Military College. My riding of Sackville—Bedford—Preston on the east coast, of course, has many military families, many veterans who are really excited about today's announcement.

I wonder if the member could just comment on what impact he thinks this will have on our military, in his riding and across the country.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our military has been waiting long enough for this. I spoke earlier about how, when we came into office in 2015, the percentage of GDP Stephen Harper had brought the level of spending down to was 0.97%. Now we have a plan. By next March, we will be at 2%, per the announcement today. This is important. It is important to so many communities and to Canada as a whole. I am very happy to see this announcement today.

[Kelly DeRidder, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with the member for Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay.

I am going to share with the House today some recent figures from the consumer price index, Canada's primary measure of inflation. Quite frankly, they are astonishing. As of April, prices of food purchased from stores have increased by 3.8%. This marks the third consecutive month in which grocery prices have risen faster than the general cost of living. Key contributors include the following: fresh or frozen beef, up 16.2%; coffee and tea, up 13.4%; sugar and confectionery, up 8.6%; and fresh vegetables, up 3.7%. These numbers are not just statistics. They represent real struggles for Canadians trying to put food on the table.

Let us break this down a little further. Ground beef has risen to $14.17 per kilogram. Tomatoes have risen to $4.69 per kilogram. Two kilograms of white rice is $9.82. Are we ready for this? A pack of bacon is $6.85. Let us have a look at just pure essentials: milk, two litres, is $5.38; white bread is $3.48 a loaf; and infant formula now costs $48.24. For parents who are unable to breastfeed, whether for medical, physical or personal reasons, this is not a choice. It is a necessity. For nearly $50 a container, how is the average Canadian supposed to afford the basic nutrition their baby needs to grow and thrive?

For many families across Canada, grocery shopping has become more than a routine errand; it has become a high-stakes strategy game. Parents are now forced to adopt tactics just to make ends meet, scanning for clearance stickers, timing their visits to catch markdowns and relying on discount racks where the freshness of the food is, at best, questionable. These are not just cost-saving habits. They are survival strategies, and they speak volumes about the growing cost of living.

I would like to break this down to one example of what many would consider a modest, affordable dinner, spaghetti and meat sauce with a salad: one pound of beef, $4.72; two cans of tomatoes, $4.22; two onions, $2.00; milk for the family, $5.38; pasta sauce, $3.22; iceberg lettuce, $3.07; salad dressing, $3.29; and noodles, two packs, $3.94. That is a total of $29.84 for just one dinner. Now, we can multiply that by 30 days. That is $895.20 to eat just the same basic meal every night for 30 days, with no breakfast, no lunch, no snacks, no fruit, no eggs, no bread, no cleaning supplies and no toiletries. That is just dinner. It is no wonder that more and more families are slipping below the poverty line.

I recently spoke with people at Extend-A-Family in Kitchener, which is doing incredible work supporting children and adults with disabilities. They shared with me that after being granted the disability tax credit, individuals with disabilities still struggle to meet their basic needs. Every month, they fall short on essentials such as food, shelter and transportation. There is simply not enough. We need to do better.

I bring this up because we need a plan for Canadians. As a government, planning is not optional; it is our responsibility. At the heart of any meaningful plan is a budget. How can anyone, whether families, businesses or governments, make sound financial decisions without a budget? The answer is simple: They cannot.

Without a budget, there is no road map, no way to allocate resources, no way to prepare for the future and no way to ensure that the most vulnerable among us are not left behind. Some may ask, “Why should I care if the government releases a budget? How does that affect my life?” Here is how: The federal budget is Canada's financial blueprint. It outlines how the government plans to spend, invest and manage public funds to support our economy and our people.

It matters deeply. Here is why: It helps steer the economy by funding infrastructure, job creation and innovation, laying a foundation for long-term growth. It determines how much support goes to social services, things Canadians rely on every day. It sets tax policies and decides how revenue is collected and then distributed, impacting what Canadians pay and therefore what they receive in return. It manages our national debt and ensures financial stability for future generations. At the heart of today's discussion, it addresses cost of living and affordability. It addresses inflation, housing affordability and everyday expenses, issues that are hitting Canadians harder than ever. Therefore, yes, a budget matters. It is not just a document. It is a reflection of our priorities, our values and our commitment to the people we serve.

Navigating financial uncertainty is difficult under any circumstances, but when government plans remain unclear, it becomes nearly impossible. The absence of a clear, structured budget has created a ripple effect in uncertainties for individuals, families and businesses across this country. Without a financial road map, we lack the stability and direction needed to support Canadians effectively. A well-defined budget does more than allocate dollars. It provides transparency, ensures fiscal responsibility and empowers Canadians to plan their financial future with confidence.

As inflation continues to drive up the cost of living, we need more than vague promises. We need concrete measures. We need a budget that addresses economic challenges head-on and delivers real relief to the households that are struggling the most. There is a cost of living crisis in Canada right now. About 50% of Canadians are living paycheque to paycheque, according to Equifax Canada. This year, Canadians will pay nearly $17,000 for food, an $800 increase from last year. There goes that tax cut. Two million Canadians visit food banks in a single month. Social media is filled with videos of people crying and struggling to make ends meet. According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, just over 106,000 people left this country in 2024, marking the highest number of departures in nearly six decades.

Will the Liberal government finally listen to the voices of Canadians, voices that have echoed and been voted on in this House, and present a comprehensive budget this spring, a budget that outlines clear plans for economic recovery, affordability and long-term financial stability?

Canadians are not asking for the impossible. They are asking for clarity and leadership, and for the confidence that the government has a plan. They deserve to know where this country is headed and how they are going to get there. When will the Liberal government hold itself accountable to Canadians and put forward a budget? Will it be this spring?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I want to go back to the Conservatives' 100-day plan. This is something Pierre Poilievre talked about in the last election. Nowhere did he give any sort of commitment to a budget. Many people watching this debate might detect a bit of hypocrisy. Pierre Poilievre is now saying that we should have a budget, when he himself was not prepared to have it brought in within the first 100 days.

What we have is a Prime Minister who has been very proactive on the issue of affordability, and that is demonstrated in Bill C-4. Will the member support Bill C-4 and recommend to her caucus that we pass it before the end of June so Canadians will get that tax break come July 1?

[Kelly DeRidder, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, inflation and food insecurity are pressing concerns in Kitchener. In 2024, one in eight households in the Waterloo region struggled to afford food. Local food banks are sounding the alarm, stating that food insecurity is at an all-time high, with a 25% increase in users needing food assistance.

When will the Liberals table an actual budget and stop the inflationary spending that is causing this cost of living crisis?

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is a banker turned Prime Minister who, when pressed about his lack of transparency, shuts us down, saying that he understands the issue, that he would not be in politics if not for the crisis and that he is going to do what it takes to get all workers and families through the crisis.

This is not a normal situation. We can all agree on that. It would have been great if we could at least have had an economic statement to help us understand how we can reduce taxes and balance the budget in three years, while helping businesses, families and workers without the revenue from the retaliatory tariffs.

That is a magic wand. Does she know what the banker Prime Minister's magic wand is?