Debates of Jan. 29th, 2026

Carbon Pricing

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, these are the same old, tired lines. They hand one question from member to member on their side.

Let us look at our track record on affordability. We cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. We cut the consumer carbon tax. We cut the GST for first-time homebuyers. On Monday, we announced the groceries and essentials benefit, which will put up to $1,900 in a working family's pocket.

On their side of the House, the Conservatives have voted against every affordable measure we put forward. It is time to stop obstructing, and to support Canadians.

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Statistics Canada has confirmed what Canadians already know: Food inflation is up 6.2%, and it is getting harder and harder for people to fill their shopping carts with groceries. The Liberal fuel standard adds 7¢ to every litre of gas. That is going up to 17¢ by 2030, and this drives up higher prices at the grocery store.

Conservatives would be more than happy to work with the Liberals to repeal this costly policy today. Will they do it?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, time and again in this place, what we see is the Conservatives being the party of “no” while the government is the party of creating opportunities. The clean fuel regulations are an excellent example of that. Advanced Biofuels Canada described them as being “as pro-agriculture as a policy can get”. It will add $1.09 of value per bushel. This creates opportunities for canola farmers right across all the communities that are growing it.

We are supporting farmers and Canadians. They say, “No.”

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are paying the price for Liberal economic failure one grocery bill at a time. A friend of mine showed me a flyer last week in which the same meat package was twice the price, with one-third less. Canada has the highest food inflation in the G7. Families are paying $1,000 more this year. Food banks are overwhelmed.

Why do the Liberals refuse to admit that their industrial carbon tax and reckless deficit spending are driving food prices through the roof and pushing families to the brink?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, I would direct the member opposite to the announcement we made this week. The government has a serious plan to make life more affordable for Canadians.

We are addressing one of the things the member opposite talked about. We are going to be increasing competition in the market. We are going to introduce unit price labelling. This is part of our plan to bring down prices for Canadians and to make their lives more affordable. Part of the plan will see them have almost $1,900 in their pockets for the groceries and essentials they need.

It is time for the Conservatives to join team Canada, put their money where their mouth is in co-operating with the government and help us get things done.

[Kurt Holman, Conservative, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, food inflation in Canada is now 6.2%, the highest in the G7. The 2026 food price report shows that it now costs over $17,000 a year, $1,000 more, to feed a family of four. Those costs do not appear by accident. Their industrial carbon tax, fuel standard tax and food packaging tax all work to increase the cost to grow, ship and sell food. Conservatives are ready to fast-track proposals to reverse inflation.

Will the Liberals immediately introduce legislation to scrap these taxes, boost grocery competition and cut the red tape for farmers?

[Tom Osborne, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, every time the government puts in place a policy or program to make life more affordable for Canadians, the Conservative Party votes against it. They voted against early learning and child care. They voted against the dental program. They voted against the school food program, which they do not support. In fact, they called it “garbage”. They voted against reducing taxes for 22 million Canadians. They voted against reducing taxes for first-time homebuyers.

Instead of complaining that things are tough, why do they not join us in making things easier?

Transportation

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for months, the Liberals refused to invite Driver Inc. victims to testify in Ottawa. This week, we finally managed to meet with mothers who have lost family members to this public menace.

What were these mothers asking for? They were asking the government to do its job. We submitted 10 requests to the government, but so far it has taken up one of them and continues to sit on its backside.

I have a question for the Liberals. When are they going to wake up and stop blaming the provinces?

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

Mr. Speaker, our hearts go out to everyone affected by tragedies on Canada's roads and highways. Like all members of the House, I sympathize with the victims.

We have taken concrete steps that will significantly impact the Driver Inc. scheme in Canada. These measures are set out in the budget, and we hope that the Bloc Québécois will join us in passing the budget as quickly as possible so that we can move on to solving the problem.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, only one of our 10 requests has been taken up.

Mélanie Séguin and Nathalie Poulin are victims of Driver Inc. who testified before the committee. They have one thing in common: They do not understand the Liberals' inaction. Ms. Séguin said, “You have families. If it were your sister, your daughter, your mother, what would you do?” Ms. Poulin said, “No one wants to hear what we have to say.... No one wants to touch this.... If anyone here today can explain why, I would love to hear it”.

When will the minister respond to these victims?

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

Mr. Speaker, no one can bring back the victims of such tragedies. That much is certain. We can also be certain that the government has taken and will continue to take action that will continue to be welcomed by the Quebec trucking association, just as our actions have been welcomed by stakeholders in the industry.

The member is unable to tell me which of Quebec's jurisdictions he would like me to interfere in.

Natural Resources

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister broke his promise to “build big, build bold and build now”. His big solution was Bill C-5 to establish the Major Projects Office, yet here we are and not a single major project has been approved, let alone built. This is a clear case of a disconnect between rhetoric and reality.

What exactly is the holdup?

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not know which major project the member is referring to. If he has a major project that is not currently before the government, I would like him to bring it to me.

What I can tell him is that the MOU signed with his premier envisages nuclear development in the province and carbon capture and storage in the province, and it will interconnect among prairie provinces. Those are all megaprojects and we have not even left the confines of the province of Alberta yet.

We are going to continue working to build this country, whether the MP likes it or not.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is all talk. This is a prime minister who says one thing and does another. He says that he is all for major projects, yet he has kept on the books anti-development laws, including the “no pipelines” bill, Bill C-69. This week, he voted against a Conservative Canadian sovereignty act, which would reduce barriers and get shovels in the ground. Again, not a single major project has been approved.

How does the Prime Minister square his rhetoric with his record?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Alberta MP may well want to return to Calgary, where his party is having a convention, at which, I understand, Premier Smith may welcome delegates. He might ask her about the contents of that very important MOU, which is going to make Canada an energy superpower in renewable and conventional energy, create jobs for the working men and women of the province of Alberta and create prosperity for all Canadians.

That is what we are going to do.

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

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives worked with the government to pass Bill C-5, giving the Prime Minister the ability to fast-track major projects. We did that because Canada cannot grow, export or become more affordable if nothing gets built, but after nearly a year, that fast-track authority has delivered zero results. There were no projects approved, and no pipelines. Barriers remain.

My question is simple: When will the Prime Minister stop talking and start building?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is trying to suggest that we are not building. I would remind him that we just saw the largest private sector investment in Canada. LNG Canada shipped its first LNG to Asia. Cedar LNG is now under construction. Woodfibre LNG is now under construction. Ksi Lisims LNG is now approved, and its pipeline is now ready for construction. When Alberta's project is ready, it will be evaluated as well.

Let us stop with the manufactured rage, and let us build Canada strong.

The Economy

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, less than a year ago, the Liberals were elected on a platform that included an already astounding $62-billion deficit and lower food prices for Canadians. That deficit grew to $78 billion in the fall. This week, the Liberals announced $12 billion in new spending to deal with the ongoing food inflation crisis they created. This is a massive bill that will inevitably be passed on to the next generation.

How have we gone, in just a decade, from a country with a balanced budget and the richest middle class in the world to a country that has to borrow from our kids to subsidize groceries for a quarter of our population?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I said it already today and will repeat it: The target rate of inflation is within what the Bank of Canada gives as a guideline, which is 2.4%.

On the food inflation the member points out, yes, this is admittedly a challenge for the country. The Conservatives are fond of citing reports. The problem is that they never read those reports. Dalhousie University's food price index says that climate change is primarily responsible for food inflation in this country.

In the meantime, what we are doing is introducing the Canada groceries and essentials benefit with, as we heard, almost $1,900 for a family of four in his constituency, in mine and in all of ours.

Finance

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Leduc—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I did not note an answer to the question there.

Earlier this week, CTV's Vassy Kapelos pointed this out to the Liberal House leader: “What you announced yesterday is more than $11 billion of additional government spending, but nobody from your government has said how you will pay for it.” As he does daily in the House, the House leader completely ignored the question, twice.

Now that he has had some time to think about it, will the House leader stand up and tell us where the billions of dollars will come from? Why was it not in the Liberal budget less than three months ago? What is the current budget deficit number the Liberal cabinet is now working with?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, a fiscally responsible approach is what the government is committed to, and that is exactly what we will fulfill.

I already mentioned the International Monetary Fund. I know that for colleagues across the way, multilateral organizations, not all of them but many of them, unfortunately, are not to be dealt with. These conspiracies continue to circulate on that side of the House. However, the IMF makes very clear that Canada's fiscal position is a very good position.

Canada is an example for the world when it comes to finance. A deficit that is manageable in an absolutely responsible policy is what we are fulfilling.

Taxation

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last spring, Canadians elected us on the promise to make life more affordable. My constituents in Davenport and Canadians across the country know we have taken action to cut income taxes for 22 million Canadians. We have cut the GST for first-time homebuyers, and we are building homes across the nation at a pace not seen in generations. Earlier this week, the Prime Minister announced that our government will help working Canadians and their families with the rising cost of food.

Can the Secretary of State for the Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions please explain how this measure will help Canadians?

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, yes, this past Monday we announced the groceries and essentials benefit. There are 12 million Canadians who will get that benefit. It will put up to $1,900 in the pockets of working families this year, and up to $1,400 per year for the next four years.

It is time for the Conservatives to stop the obstruction and work with us for Canadian families.

The Economy

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, here are some comments from citizens about Liberal policies:

“Even earning $40 an hour, I can't set aside any savings anymore,” said Sébastien. “I earn $36 an hour, but as a single parent with three teens, I can forget about putting money aside. Every penny goes towards groceries,” said Patricia. “We don't need your handouts. We need money in our pockets,” said Carl.

Some 93% of young Canadians are concerned about the housing crisis. Many no longer even consider the possibility of one day owning a home. Instead of constantly demanding more from our young people, when will the Prime Minister finally stop taxing them and suffocating them with all this Liberal bureaucracy?

[Nathalie Provost, Liberal, Secretary of State (Nature)]

Mr. Speaker, the measure we announced this week will do just that—put money back in the pockets of Canadians. To be precise, that means $1,800 for a family of four this year and about $900 for a single person. That is significant, and it means money in their pockets.

Adding up all the benefits for families, including the Canada child benefit, families will get $8,000 in their pockets. We are doing things for Canadians, but we need our colleagues to support these measures to help Canadians.