Debates of Sept. 16th, 2025

Toronto International Film Festival

[Chi Nguyen, Liberal, Spadina—Harbourfront, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every September, the streets of downtown Toronto in my riding of Spadina—Harbourfront come alive with the magic of cinema. The Toronto International Film Festival is the world's largest public film festival, showcasing over 300 films and drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from Canada and around the globe.

This year, TIFF celebrated its 50th anniversary. I was honoured to attend the premiere of John Candy: I Like Me, a moving tribute to one of Canada's most beloved comedians. I am proud that our Liberal government is supercharging TIFF's global impact with a historic $23-million federal investment in its new content market, an industry initiative where international film, series and innovation sectors converge.

This industry is a proven economic engine, contributing over $60 billion to GDP and employing more than 600,000 Canadians. By investing in arts and culture, we safeguard our values, foster national unity and help strengthen a key pillar of Canada's economy.

Happy “TIFF-tieth” anniversary, TIFF. Here is to the next 50 years of storytelling.

Finance

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after nearly 10 years of fiscal and economic vandalism, the Liberals claimed they were ready to rein in the out-of-control inflationary spending that piles on debt for future generations and drives up the cost of living. However, since the Prime Minister took office, federal spending has gone up 8.4% based on the estimates tabled in Parliament. He has boosted consultants by 37%, from $19 billion to $26 billion. He has also boosted the bureaucracy 6%, from $59 billion to $63 billion.

Justin Trudeau left a deficit of $42 billion, but the Prime Minister's big spending election platform raised it to $62 billion. In July, the Bank of Montreal estimated the deficit could be as high as $80 billion, and in August, the C.D. Howe Institute estimated it as high as $92 billion.

Food and housing remain unaffordable while unemployment is rising, and the government still has no plan and no budget. The Liberals may have pushed Justin Trudeau out, but the fiscal ineptitude remains.

150th Anniversary of Saint‑Lazare

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Saint‑Lazare is celebrating its 150th anniversary. This is an amazing milestone for our community.

From its humble beginnings as a small agricultural village, Saint‑Lazare has grown into a vibrant city renowned for its natural beauty, equestrian traditions and community spirit.

To mark this historical occasion, over the past nine months, Saint-Lazarians have been treated to parades, celebrations of founding families, barbecues, music, local food, a hockey game featuring former Montreal Canadiens players and even a Cirque du Soleil show.

None of this would have been possible without the dedication and vision of Paul Lavigne and the members of the 150th anniversary organizing committee, Mayor Geneviève Lachance, the municipal councillors of the City of Saint‑Lazare and hundreds of volunteers.

These celebrations truly captured the spirit and heart of Saint-Lazare, a community where both long-term and new residents come together to share traditions, create memories and look forward to a future with optimism and pride.

Happy 150th, Saint-Lazare. Cheers to the next—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Calgary Heritage.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised the fastest-growing economy in the G7. Tell that to every out-of-work young couple living in the worst unemployment and immigration crisis Canada has known. He said that Canadians could judge him by grocery prices. Tell that to Robin in Calgary, who is watching food costs rise faster than when the Prime Minister took office six months ago.

The Prime Minister promised to cap and control spending. Tell that to the taxpayers expected to pay for him doubling the deficit. He promised nation-building projects. Tell that to any resource worker or project builder still waiting for a single permit.

The Prime Minister promised safe communities. Tell that to the Hamiltonians who survived 80 rounds, to the three-year-old girl and her broken-hearted family in Welland, to the family of Abdul Aleem Farooqi in Vaughan, to the Jewish woman stabbed in the kosher section of an Ottawa Loblaws and to the communities of Calgary, Surrey and Halifax.

It is time to stop the broken promises. It is time to stop the bait and switch. It is time for the Prime Minister to do his job.

Nova Scotia Cheese Trail

[Alana Hirtle, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a reminder of the power of continued investment in Canada's rural communities.

I recently had the opportunity to stand alongside Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia and Taste of Nova Scotia to announce this government's financial support for the Nova Scotia Cheese Trail. This initiative creates real opportunities for family farms and local cheese makers to prosper.

The trail connects people from all backgrounds to the stories behind their food and the communities that make it possible. This is not just economic development; it is community building. It is about ensuring that no matter their postal code, people can experience the spirit of agricultural excellence that makes our country stronger, safer and more resilient. Sounds like a pretty “Gouda” idea to me.

The Economy

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we are halfway through the fiscal year and the Prime Minister has yet to table a budget, despite managing to double the deficit. The deficit is twice as big as it was under Justin Trudeau. What an accomplishment.

This is causing inflation. Today, we found out from Statistics Canada that the inflation rate is 50 times higher than the target. For food, it is 70% higher. More people are using food banks. The Prime Minister said that Canadians could judge him by the price of groceries.

What is the verdict?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians made a choice during the last election. They chose a government that is going to focus on the economy and on change. That is exactly what we are doing.

We said that we are going to be rigorous in our expenses so we can be ambitious in our investments. Canadians understand that if we want to build a strong economy in the 21st century, we need to invest. That is exactly what we are going to do for Canadians.

We are going to build the most resilient economy in the G7. We are going to build the Canada of the future. We are going to build a Canada that all Canadians can be proud of.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, many Canadians cannot even afford to eat.

The Prime Minister promised to spend less, but his deficit spending is twice as high. He promised that food prices would come down, but food prices are rising 70% faster than the Bank of Canada's target. He said there would be less poverty, but there is more.

Does the Prime Minister realize that his empty promises are leading to empty stomachs?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we obviously recognize the situation many Canadians are in. That is why, in the last election, Canadians chose a Liberal government, a government that would be there for them.

The first thing this government did was lower taxes for 22 million Canadians, precisely to help families in this country. That is something we should be proud of, it is something the Conservatives should be celebrating, and it is exactly the kind of measure we are going to put in place.

We will help the middle class, help families and build a Canada that all Canadians will be proud of.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised that he would spend less, yet his deficit spending is 100% more, more than even Justin Trudeau. What is the real human consequence of that? Food price inflation is rising 70% faster than the Bank of Canada's target. Today, the CEO of the major food bank network in Toronto says that there has been a 400% increase in food bank use there.

Does the Prime Minister understand that his empty promises lead to empty stomachs?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, it is reassuring to hear that the Leader of the Opposition listened to the Prime Minister during the summer.

I am glad to see he retained that we are going to spend less so we can invest more in Canadians, for example, reducing taxes for 22 million Canadians, making sure that people who want to buy a home for the first time will pay less in GST and making sure that we eliminate the consumer carbon tax.

The Conservative leader should celebrate that this government is there for families across Canada to build a stronger and more—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he wants us to celebrate his failures, including failures that are leading to real human suffering.

Let me quote the CEO of Daily Bread Food Bank, Neil Hetherington: “Giving you some context, previously, before the pandemic, we were at...600,000 for the year.” Those are visits to the food bank. “And so it took 38 years to get to 1 million visits per year, and then only one year to get to 2 million [visits], another year to 3 [million]. Now we're at 4 million [visits].”

Food bank lineups are growing at an accelerating rate under the Prime Minister. Does he realize the very real human consequences of his broken Liberal promises?

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I am here to announce some good news. Last night, Canada and British Columbia approved the new Ksi Lisims LNG export terminal in northern British Columbia. It is with the Nisga’a nation. It will be the second-largest private sector investment in the history of this country. It will employ thousands of Canadians.

We would love the Conservatives to help us build Canada.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the question was not about re-announcing a previously approved project; it was about the cost of food, and frankly, it is insulting. We have asked 10 questions about the cost of food in the last two days, and not a single Liberal minister will get up and answer.

Maybe that is because the inflation rate on food is 70% above the target. Maybe it is because there are now four times as many visits to Toronto food banks as there were three and a half years ago. Maybe it is because the Liberals broke their promise to stabilize food prices. Maybe it is because the Prime Minister promised that he could be judged on the price of food.

Speaking of which, what is the verdict?

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

Mr. Speaker, while I know we are all in this House concerned about the price of food, and we are also concerned about our farmers, the number one cost of living in Canada is related to housing. As I mentioned yesterday, people are concerned about housing prices. This government is taking action to make housing more affordable. With “build Canada homes”, with tax cuts, with the first-time homebuyers' tax cuts, we are making a difference for people in their pocketbooks.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the question was about food prices, and the member stood up to announce that he is going to be feeding some of his friends who are going to populate the latest $13-billion bureaucracy, a bureaucracy that will build no homes and that will only reward Liberal insiders, who, like him, have a record of actually doubling housing costs.

However, back to food, the stuff that needs to go on people's dinner table. We have a record number of people at food banks, after the Prime Minister promised to make food more affordable. Does he not realize that his promises have real costs for Canadians?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Secretary of State (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, it is a little rich coming from the guy who voted against the national school food program.

I would like to say that Food Banks Canada does exceptional work and it also makes good recommendations for government. One, it suggests we build up Canada's social safety net. Two, it says we should solve the affordable housing crisis and we should help lower-income workers make ends meet. All of those things are things that the Conservative leader votes against time and time again in this House.

Canada-U.S. Relations

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to put something into context. I went to Washington, not to speak against the government or Canada, but to help establish favourable conditions for what should be our real priority: trade and tariffs.

However, yesterday, when I asked the Prime Minister a serious question, he told me that Canada's negotiations and relationship with Mr. Trump were going well. By way of evidence, he mentioned that they have cell phones and exchange texts.

I want to know who, on the other side of the House, will not be too embarrassed to stand up and explain that to me.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader of the Bloc Québécois for his question.

I am not the least bit embarrassed to remind members of the House and all Canadians that we are in the midst of important discussions with the United States on two fronts. First, we are talking about how to improve trade relations in the short term in strategic sectors, such as the steel, aluminum, auto and softwood lumber industries. Second, we are getting ready to review the free trade agreement between our three countries. That is important work that we look forward to doing with Mexico and the United States.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what I heard in Washington was that people were disappointed that the Prime Minister did not show up, even though the minister was there. There are people who feel that the government's attitude is somewhat disrespectful, particularly since it said that the special relationship with the United States is over. I asked the Prime Minister to address that yesterday.

Is the government not worried that the United States may become legitimately concerned about the Canadian government's attitude heading into negotiations?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, in our discussions with our American counterparts, we constantly talk about the importance of having agreements that benefit both economies. I agree with my friend, the leader of the Bloc Québécois, that the United States will always remain our only neighbour and a critical economic partner.

The Prime Minister has said that the trade relationship is changing. That is what we need to work on to determine the best way to protect Canadians.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to remind the minister and the government that 80% of our exports go to the world's leading economy and leading military power and none of that is going to change anytime soon. Whether we disagree with this administration's philosophy or not, we have to treat it with respect.

The Prime Minister will soon be travelling to Mexico, Malaysia, South Korea and maybe even Brazil. Amid all of that, will he have a moment to speak with the President of the United States or travel to Washington?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I agree with the first part of the question from my friend, the leader of the Bloc Québécois.

Obviously, we have to show respect in our conversations and relations with our American counterparts, and the same goes for the American people. The United States has the largest economy in the world. We currently have the most advantageous agreement of all its trading partners. At the same time, as we have said, we need to diversify our relationships and seek out other markets and other partners.

I have good news: We can do both at once.