Debates of Oct. 23rd, 2026

Natural Resources

[Corey Hogan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, the tanker ban, while enshrined in law under the Trudeau government, of course has existed on a voluntary basis since the 1980s under Mulroney, Campbell, Chrétien, Martin and Harper, and continues to be a cornerstone of protecting the north coast. We are seeing record production in oil and gas. We have a west coast pipeline because we have come to a place of agreement through memorandums of understanding with British Columbia and Alberta.

In the member's region of Calgary, which is also my region, jobs are up 62,000 this year.

[David McKenzie, Conservative, Calgary Signal Hill, AB]

Madam Speaker, my constituents want action and not more words.

Strathcona Resources, a Canadian success story, is proposing the export of 250,000 barrels a day of crude oil from Prince Rupert and can do so within two years with oil shipped by rail. The Prime Minister says Canada has to diversify and grow its export markets. Here is a golden opportunity.

Will the Prime Minister stick to his word and repeal the west coast tanker ban so Canadian success stories like Strathcona can thrive?

[Corey Hogan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, with great respect to my colleague, 62,000 jobs this year sounds like an awful lot of action to me. That is also combined with record oil production and record diesel production. We are also seeing rents and housing prices go down in Calgary. We have done that by finding a balance and working together. That is also supporting renewable energy in Calgary, a centre of all energy production. I am happy to stand by the record and inform the colleague and his constituents about it.

Finance

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil, QC]

Madam Speaker, we live in a time when global events have local repercussions. As families, businesses and workers in my riding navigate this new world, they are striving to build a better future. Earlier this week, the Minister of Finance announced that the next steps in our plan to build Canada stronger will be unveiled on November 5.

As we look forward to budget 2026, can the minister tell the House how we are building a stronger, more resilient economy?

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

Madam Speaker, I understand the member for Vaudreuil's passion when he speaks about this budget and the work that the government is doing. He is an outstanding representative for his region, and he understands full well that, through our last budget and the budget we will table on November 5, we will continue building Canada.

We are going to equip ourselves to be masters in our own house. Quebeckers understand that. We are going to invest in our future. We are going to invest in affordability. We are going to invest in things that bring Canadian culture to life across the country.

I want to thank my colleague for his work. He is an asset to our caucus, and we will continue to work together.

Health

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Middlesex—London, ON]

Madam Speaker, Canadians injured by the COVID-19 vaccines do not deserve to be dismissed or left waiting. These are people who followed the government's advice and mandates and are now struggling with lost income and living with serious permanent injuries and ongoing medical costs. Thousands across many communities have come to me over the years expressing concern over how the government has treated them and those they know and love. They say the Liberals are all talk and no results.

Will the Liberals finally fulfill the promise they made to Canadians who were injured by the vaccines they told them to take?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, it is a very important question. We recognize that vaccines save lives, definitely, but we also recognize that there are people impacted negatively by vaccines. This is why we launched the vaccine injury program. We have taken that program internally to make sure it is administered properly. We will continue to work with members across the aisle to make sure people are supported through any vaccine injuries.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Madam Speaker, at September’s Allison Inquiry, COVID vaccine-injured Canadians repeatedly described the vaccine injury support program as an unmitigated disaster. Of the $56 million paid to the contractor, Oxaro—

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The member can say his own name, yes.

The hon. member may continue from the top.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Madam Speaker, at September's Allison Inquiry, COVID vaccine-injured Canadians repeatedly described the vaccine injury support program as an unmitigated disaster. Of the $56 million paid to contractor Oxaro, $36 million went to administration and only around $20 million went to those who were injured. That is one-third. Following revelations of financial mismanagement, the government took over the program.

What is the government doing today to ensure that vaccine-injured Canadians receive the compensation they deserve?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, our government will always work to ensure that Canadians can make evidence-informed choices about their health. We heard frustrations with the previous administration of the program for vaccine-related injuries, which is why we took the program internally and launched the vaccine impact assistance program. We will continue to work very collaboratively to make sure the program works.

[Dean Allison, Conservative, Niagara West, ON]

Madam Speaker, following the tainted blood scandal, Canada established compensation programs worth billions for those affected with HIV and hepatitis C. Today, Health Canada has recorded approximately 12,000 serious adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination, yet compensation remains limited. At the Allison Inquiry, we heard from Canadians facing devastating medical bills and lost incomes.

Why are vaccine-injured Canadians still struggling to receive compensation, and when will the government deliver meaningful financial support?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, our government has taken the vaccine injury program internally from the previous administration, from the third party. We will continue to work hard to make sure the program works for vaccine-injured individuals. We are looking forward to working with members across the parties to make sure it works.

International Trade

[Chris Malette, Liberal, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Madam Speaker, this week, the Prime Minister became the first Canadian prime minister to make a bilateral visit to Turkey, where he and President Erdoğan launched a new strategic partnership with energy as one of its central pillars. As Turkey works to diversify its energy supply, Canada is well placed to help.

Can the parliamentary secretary tell the House how this partnership will open new markets for Canadian energy and support good jobs here at home?

[Corey Hogan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Madam Speaker, Canada has world-leading expertise in LNG, civil, nuclear and emerging energy technologies, and partners around the world want what we have. This week in Turkey, the Prime Minister highlighted how Canada can support their energy diversification goals and said AtkinsRéalis now has good chances of supplying Canadian-designed CANDU reactors to power the Turkish economy. This means opportunities for Canadian suppliers and workers across the nuclear sector, including in that member's riding. We are opening new markets and we are building Canada strong.

Justice

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Madam Speaker, two weeks ago, I asked whether the Liberals would appeal the B.C. Supreme Court ruling striking down the prohibition on possessing drugs for trafficking. They hide behind the Public Prosecution Service. The October 29 deadline is approaching, yet there is still no answer.

Families in Richmond Centre—Marpole are concerned and want to ask if the Attorney General will use his statutory authority to direct the PPSC to file an appeal and protect their community, yes or no?

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Madam Speaker, let us set the record straight. We have disagreed with the Cowichan ruling and we are appealing it. That member knows, as we have gotten up and said this a number of times. We are going to work with indigenous communities. We are going to talk to them. We are going to continue talking to the stakeholders, and we are going to continue to appeal this.

Housing

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Madam Speaker, the housing minister once had the ambition to end homelessness. The Prime Minister promised to build affordable housing at scale, and everyone knows building faster does not equal affordability. The Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis said public housing generates almost $3 in return on every dollar invested. Public housing is not charity, but productive infrastructure. It is good for the people and good for the economy.

Will the Prime Minister make good on his promise to build affordable housing at scale and commit to doubling non-market housing stock in the upcoming budget?

[Caroline Desrochers, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure]

Madam Speaker, the housing crisis has been decades in the making, and this government is taking decisive action. We are acting head-on to fight this crisis. In the first six months of this year, programs like MLI select have helped enable more than 141,000 units; the ACLP, 81,000 rental homes; and Build Canada Homes has 19,000 units under way. With the Canada rental protection fund, we are protecting 7,000 affordable rental units.

We are delivering real results for Canadians. This is why they elected us.

Democratic Institutions

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, we are witnessing the restructuring of Canadian democracy by stealth. Reducing the role of Parliament, Bill C-5, Bill C-15, Bill C-30, Bill C-31 and Bill C-39, all operate to create new, unprecedented powers for the Prime Minister and cabinet, and at the same time, allow the government to set aside a wide swath of existing laws as it sees fit.

Restructuring democracy in this way should be subject to full, transparent debate. Will we be given that opportunity?

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

Madam Speaker, coming out of the last federal election, the Prime Minister made a commitment to Canadians to build a stronger and a healthier economy, and that means, in good part, working with a budget and legislative changes that are going to enable the government in a very co-operative, federal, collaborative way, working with the many stakeholders, including indigenous people, provinces and everyone in a team Canada approach. That means through the legislation going through—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

I have to interrupt.

I am sorry. The hon. parliamentary secretary may continue.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, in a very collaborative fashion, we are working toward building that strong economy, and that means bringing in the legislation, and not only government legislation. We have also seen opposition legislation go through second reading, committee stage and third reading, and ultimately be approved. Working collaboratively is the theme. Building a stronger, healthier Canada is what it is all about.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Madam Speaker, I wish to raise an important point of order. The Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement stated, in response to a question from my colleague, the member for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, that interpreters do not fall under the responsibility of the Translation Bureau. He seemed to be implying that we do not know what we are talking about. However, that is simply not the case. Interpreters fall directly under the responsibility of the Translation Bureau. Given that he is the minister responsible for that agency, I assume this was merely a slip of the tongue. I cannot imagine that he is unaware of this fact, so I am giving him the opportunity to correct the record.