House of Commons Hansard #155 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was military.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
An Act to Repeal Certain Restrictions on Shipping Second reading of Bill C-264. The bill would repeal the ban on large oil tankers loading or unloading crude oil at ports on British Columbia’s north coast. Conservatives support repeal to allow northern export projects to be considered, while the Bloc warns of risks to marine ecosystems and Indigenous concerns; the Liberal speaker emphasizes consultation and collaborative resource development. 8500 words, 1 hour.
Strengthening Canada's Defence Sector Act Second reading of Bill C-40. The bill would establish the Defence Investment Agency as a Crown corporation with expanded authority to procure equipment, invest in defence industries and support Canadian suppliers, aiming to speed delivery and strengthen domestic capacity. Liberal members say it would streamline fragmented processes while retaining ministerial and parliamentary accountability. Conservatives and Bloc members question whether it weakens oversight, enables conflicts of interest and adds bureaucracy; they call for stronger safeguards and transparent reporting. 41700 words, 5 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, one would expect that after 20 years in this House, the Leader of the Opposition would read The Fiscal Monitor. If he took the time to read it, he would see that public debt charges are at 1.7%, one of the historical lows we have seen in Canada and well below the 6.5% in the 1990s.
Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7. We are going to use that to build this country, help Canadians and defend our sovereignty. We are going to build Canada strong.
Marilène Gill Bloc Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-39 is a major departure. It allows pipeline projects to bypass environmental impact assessments. It would allow swaths of our territory to be designated as being of national interest, thereby suspending the application of environmental laws. It also limits consultations to one year. This means that Ottawa could build the Marinvest pipeline in Quebec without an environmental impact assessment, by suspending environmental laws and rushing through consultations with first nations.
Do the Liberals realize that they are gearing up for a social acceptability crisis?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
Mr. Speaker, I understand that our colleague from the Bloc Québécois wishes to characterize a series of decisions in a way that is not entirely accurate, but as we have said many times in the House, the bill before Parliament is specifically intended to expedite, in a responsible and rigorous manner, projects that are in the country's economic and social interest.
Just because we are moving faster does not mean we are not meeting our environmental standards or fulfilling our obligations to first nations. On the contrary, we are going to do things the right way.
Marilène Gill Bloc Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC
Mr. Speaker, 15 young people aged 26 or younger are suing the federal government. They accuse the government of jeopardizing their future by failing to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Prime Minister has answered them by tabling Bill C‑39, which seeks to build pipelines by circumventing environmental standards. His response is to lock them into fossil fuels for at least 50 years. Young people are right to say that the Liberals are jeopardizing their future.
Instead of fighting these young people, why do they not correct course?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, Quebec youth, like young people across Canada, dream of a future where the country continues to grow, develop and evolve.
The Churchill Falls project alone is going to create thousands of jobs, and as the largest renewable energy project in North American history, it is going to prove that projects can get done faster without lowering our standards or expectations as Canadians.
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, Bill C‑39 is also an attack on workers' rights.
The Liberals are curtailing the right to strike through their interpretation of section 107 of the Canada Labour Code. The Canadian Union of Public Employees has already announced its intention to challenge this decision in court. The Canadian Labour Congress argues that it undermines decades of job stability. Another trade union has warned that it could encourage employers to bargain in bad faith. Quite simply, the minister has succeeded in uniting everyone—against her.
Does she finally realize that she needs to go back and do her homework?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, with its provisions reforming the Canada Labour Code, Bill C-39 does exactly the opposite. The Minister of Jobs will now have to take certain caveats into account to ensure that section 107 is only applied in specific situations. This is the very opposite of a ban on the right to strike. It is, in fact, a recognition of the constitutional right to strike in Canada.
Adam Chambers Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has warned Canadians that the new finance minister and Prime Minister will not even meet their own fiscal targets and anchors. The Prime Minister, that is, refuses to meet the standards he has imposed on himself and promised. If the Prime Minister is continuing to break these promises, they are about as unreliable as previous prime minister Justin Trudeau's fiscal promises.
Will the Prime Minister confirm that he himself approved using the credit card to run up the deficit?
Wayne Long LiberalSecretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, that member's leader has been in the House for 8,100 days. He has produced nothing but negativity and divisiveness, and he never has a plan.
When someone is a leader, they can throw their hands up and deny and blame everyone else. A real leader is going to get things done. What about half a trillion dollars through the Canada investment summit? What about non-U.S. exports doubling over the next decade? What about the highest level of foreign investment in our country in decades? On this side of the House, we have a plan. That leader can continue with empty parking lot press conferences and rhetoric.
Adam Chambers Conservative Simcoe North, ON
Mr. Speaker, I happen to think the members of Parliament from multiple parties who have spent decades in this place have made valuable contributions to this country.
The fastest-growing expense in this budget is interest on the debt. In fact, in just a few years, almost 14¢ of every dollar earned by the government will go to paying interest on the debt. When the Prime Minister came in, that number was just over 10¢.
On behalf of all of the young people who will be saddled with the credit card-like spending and debts and deficits of the Liberal government, I ask, why do the Liberals keep breaking their fiscal promises?
Wayne Long LiberalSecretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, I will say that in 8,100 days, the Leader of the Opposition did build six affordable houses. My riding's hockey team, the Saint John Sea Dogs, has gone to almost as many Memorial Cups as that.
On this side of the House, we have a plan to build our economy. We have a plan to direct investment in major projects and to increase jobs. We have a Prime Minister with world-class economic and business credentials. The Conservative leader has never worked one day outside this House. Canadians see it. Canadians know it. They stand with our side.
Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is acting like a gambler hiding his debts from his family. He hides $300 billion of debt in Crown corporations and call it an asset. He calls $19 billion in subsidies and tax credits an investment. He shreds the debt-to-GDP ratio and invents a new one. Every dollar the Liberal government borrows must ultimately be paid back, and it is paid back with dollars earned by and taken from hard-working Canadians.
When will the Prime Minister stop playing accounting games and tell us how he is going to repay his credit card budget?
Rechie Valdez LiberalMinister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on affordability. Just a few weeks ago, 12 million Canadians across the country received the additional deposit of the national groceries and essentials benefit. This is helping curb the cost of everyday essentials and groceries. We have also cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. We are going to continue to be there to support them each and every day.
Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are building a mountain of debt. My generation and my children's generation are going to be crushed under it and the Liberals do not seem to care.
Interest is the fastest-growing expense in the government. It is not health care, infrastructure or defence; it is interest. The Prime Minister is mortgaging our country's future but making the book so confusing that no Canadian can see what the bill actually is. Balancing the budget and repaying Liberal debt would cost each household another $14,000 in taxes each year for a decade.
When will the Prime Minister explain how he is going to repay—
Rechie Valdez LiberalMinister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Mr. Speaker, as I said, the national groceries and essentials benefit has helped benefit Canadians right across the country. In fact, in our province of Ontario, the national groceries and essentials benefit has helped five million Ontarians, including in the member's riding.
We are going to cut taxes for them. We are going to support them along the way, while creating good jobs and investing in Canadians as well. We will continue to be there to support them.
Tamara Jansen Conservative Cloverdale—Langley City, BC
Mr. Speaker, what do a leaky roof, a growing credit card bill and Canada have in common? The longer we ignore the problem, the more expensive it gets. Our economy is barely growing, borrowing is way up, and interest rates are on the rise. The Prime Minister promised to put the brakes on spending, but instead he is racking up crazy credit card debt.
If his plan is working, why do 12.5 million Canadians, one in three people, need a grocery assistance benefit just to put food on the table?
Gregor Robertson LiberalMinister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of our colleagues here, I want to congratulate the new government of B.C., the premier-elect and his team.
The EconomyOral Questions
Gregor Robertson Liberal Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC
Mr. Speaker, I thank outgoing Premier Eby and his team.
To speak directly to the question from the member opposite, this government is focused on delivering on affordability, whether that is through tax cuts on income tax, the groceries and essentials benefit or the fuel excise tax. We have brought down the costs. We have seen rents come down for 24 months in a row. We are delivering on affordability. There is a lot more work to do. We could use some support from the Conservatives rather than them ranting and raving about it.
Éric Lefebvre Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska—des-Sources, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report is damning for the Liberal government. A deficit of more than $330 billion is projected over five years. Meanwhile, interest on the debt will be over $60 billion next year. That is money that will never be used to help Quebec and Canadian families who are struggling to make ends meet. The Liberals are spending recklessly, but it is Canadians who are paying the price.
When will the government get its spending under control and stop using our children's and grandchildren's credit cards?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, I am left completely perplexed when I hear the Conservatives talk so much about inflationary programs without ever defining what an inflationary program is. Is it, for example, the 219,416 children in Quebec who receive more than $800 million through the Canada child benefit every year to help their families pay their bills? Is that an inflationary program? The Conservatives voted against that.
Éric Lefebvre Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska—des-Sources, QC
Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want is to have money in their pockets from a good job. That is what they need, not cheques from the government.
On Friday, the Minister of Finance was bragging about the economic situation. The Parliamentary Budget Officer just trimmed her outlook for growth to 0.9%, and inflation is projected to be 2.8%. While the minister is patting himself on the back, families are struggling to make ends meet.
I would invite the minister to take a look at the front page of the Journal de Québec. The number of requests for food assistance is skyrocketing. That is what life is like under the Liberals. They need to stop racking up endless debt.
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, hearing the member speak like that, I can understand exactly why Quebeckers rejected the Conservative approach. On this side of the House, we believe that we can grow the economy with major projects, such as the high-speed rail project, the Contrecoeur port project, the Nouveau Monde Graphite project and the Port of Québec project. We also believe that the government has a role to play in ensuring that the most vulnerable people get the help they need. Some of the ways we are doing that include a tax cut, the Canada child benefit, the Canadian dental care plan, the Canada groceries and essentials benefit and the national school food program. These are all measures that the Conservatives voted against but that make a real difference for millions of Quebeckers and Canadians.
