Debates of Oct. 22nd, 2026

The Economy

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for a year and a half those arrogant Liberals have been standing in the House and telling us how great everything is. The Prime Minister says affordability is the best it has been in a decade. If that were true, I would not be getting emails like this every single day, and 2.35 million Canadians would not be using the food bank in a single month. Then we have Julia from St. Thomas, the mother of an 11-year-old. She owns a home and has done everything right. She is selling her belongings on Facebook Marketplace so that she can buy her daughter shoes. Are the numbers wrong or are the Liberals?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, any mother who is facing hardship and has to sell things on Facebook Marketplace to feed her child is something I think we could all say would be an abomination in Canada. That is why I think that member of Parliament should go and tell that mother, Julia, that he voted against the school nutrition program, that he voted against the Canada child benefit program and that he voted against the investments in skills training. Let us add the groceries and essentials benefit. Every solution that we have proposed, as the Government of Canada, to help vulnerable people in this country, those guys vote against. In fact, they—

Sports

[Bienvenu-Olivier Ntumba, Liberal, Mont-Saint-Bruno—L’Acadie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, sport makes our communities stronger and healthier. Sport helps our youth grow and brings families together. Our government wants to give all Canadians good places to go play sports.

Can the Secretary of State for Sport explain how our government is working with its partners to develop and improve sport across the country?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from Mont-Saint-Bruno—L'Acadie for his great question.

Through the build communities strong fund and the active transportation fund, we are supporting sports facilities and developing parks, bike paths and local roads that help people across the country stay active every day. These infrastructure projects are essential for Canadians, and our government is helping to build them.

Finance

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the RCMP raided the offices of Lion electric. This pump-and-dump scheme involved over $500 million in government grants and Canada Infrastructure Bank financing, plus an undisclosed amount from Export Development Canada. The Liberals called this a calculated risk and claimed “rigorous due diligence was conducted.”

Clearly, that minister, now the finance minister, cannot evaluate risk. With investment success like this under his belt, how can Canadians count on the finance minister's ability to manage the budget?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola is having a cross-conversation here.

The hon. Minister of Public Safety has the floor.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, let me just underscore the work of the finance minister, who works day and night to ensure that Canadians are able to be resilient, to work hard and to bear the fruits of their labour. That is the work of the finance minister.

As for the matter that my friend opposite brought forward, the matter is being investigated by the RCMP, and I am unable to comment any further.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, that has become the Liberal template: pump taxpayer funds into companies connected to Liberal friends, watch millions get extracted by insiders and hope the public is not paying attention when the bankruptcy follows. This level of incompetence earned the minister a promotion from the Prime Minister.

Will the Liberals take this opportunity to come clean and release the additional information from the financial losses experienced by Export Development Canada, information they have withheld from this Parliament, and allow the RCMP to get a full picture of how much in taxpayer funds has been lost due to the minister's gross incompetence?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I have every confidence in the RCMP being able to undertake this investigation and do a thorough job.

As the matter is being investigated, as members are fully aware, I am unable to comment any further.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has thrown taxpayers under Lion Electric buses. Liberals talk about calculated risks and rigorous verification, Canadians paid the price for this fiasco. The RCMP searched Lion Electric's headquarters as part of a financial fraud investigation. This is another clear indication that we must put an end to economic patronage.

Has the Liberal government put in place any safeguards to protect Canadians' money?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the party opposite, we have every confidence in the RCMP to be able to do its job. The matter is under investigation, and I am unable to comment any further.

The Economy

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we live in an era where global events are having local impacts. Rising protectionism, energy shocks and supply chain disruptions are all converging to drive up costs. Families and workers in my constituency of Davenport are doing their best to navigate this rapidly changing world and are looking to the Canadian government to provide long-term economic vision and a bridge to the future.

Can the Minister of Finance tell workers and families how our government is stepping up to help make their lives more affordable?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for the great work she is doing for all of her constituents in Davenport. She really is an exceptional member of our team.

She is right. This team, this government, and this Prime Minister have always been acting to make life more affordable for Canadians. One of the latest measures we announced was the extension of the suspension of the federal excise tax on fuel. This is going to help Canadians. Canadians know, and they are watching today, that we will have their backs. We are always going to be there for them. Every day is a good day to work for Canadians.

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, a policeman told me there is a hot new meat market in Edmonton. It is not a trendy butcher shop. It is literally a “hot” meat market, as in stolen meat. There has been a rash of meat thefts. Brazen beef bandits fill shopping carts with the pricey stuff. They escape and sell the meat on the black market. After 11 years of Liberal soft-on-crime laws and government overspending that feeds inflation, this is Canada today.

When will the Liberals stop butchering our economy and do something to get it back on track?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, look, I appreciate—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The minister will have to start again.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the concern expressed by my friend. That matter is an issue of local jurisdiction for Edmonton police. I invite the member opposite to bring that up with Edmonton police to ensure that those who are responsible for this are held to account.

Foreign Affairs

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this week we learned Israeli defence company Elbit Systems is acquiring a Canadian submarine company. A few weeks ago, a different Israeli company acquired a Canadian offshore project owned by Suncor. Both of these companies are on a United Nations blacklist for complicity in genocide and the ongoing illegal occupation in Palestine. The government has promised to ban trade with illegal settlements and told Canadian businesses not to deal with companies like this, but here we are.

Will the federal government step in to stop this acquisition?

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, peace and the fragility of the situation in the Middle East are constantly on our minds as the Government of Canada. We will continue to do everything to bring peace, protect the rights of Palestinians and Israelis and ensure that the illegal settlements are not furthered. We will continue to do that every day as we continue to investigate.

Government Priorities

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-39 would make drastic changes to our country. It puts the profits of foreign investors over Canadians' labour rights, environmental protections and indigenous peoples, yet Liberals, aided by Conservatives, are shutting out critical voices who want to be heard. This includes eminent scientists from the Royal Society of Canada who today warned that without major amendments, the bill will inflict irreversible harm.

Will the minister extend the special committee hearings to ensure full scrutiny of this sweeping legislation by experts, stakeholders and ordinary Canadians?

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for the member, but we disagree here. This is the time to build and build now. Across the country, large-scale projects will employ Canadian people, will involve Canadian businesses and will use Canadian materials. The bill catalyzes all of that, and it is very important that we pass the bill because, in particular, when it comes to building Canada, we do that with unionized workers.

Irene Mathyssen

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand that there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence in honour of our former colleague Irene Mathyssen.

I now invite hon. members to rise.

[A moment of silence observed]

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South is rising on a point of order.