Debates of Oct. 28th, 2026

Finance

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat: Spending is down from 8% per year to 2%. This is new information. The operational budget will be closed next year, one year ahead of schedule. There is a 10% reduction in civil service, a 20% reduction in consultants, the strongest growth in the G7 in the coming years, and mortgage affordability down every month in the current government's time.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says affordability is better. Everybody out there knows that is false, and it is worse today. The Bank of Canada governor said that food price inflation will be even higher next year: “Higher diesel prices raise freight and operating costs in fuel-intensive sectors such as food processing [and] agriculture”.

The Prime Minister is not to blame for world prices, but he is to blame for the fact that our prices are much higher than the world's, in part because of what the Nova Scotia Energy Board calculates is 16¢ a litre in extra fuel standard taxes that the Prime Minister is imposing at the pump.

Will the Prime Minister reverse this tax so that we can reverse the inflation and reverse the rate hikes?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there is a problem with starting to quote the Bank of Canada. It is all on the public record. If we look at the Bank of Canada and affordability metrics, there was 54% of disposable income affordability before this government came into place, and it is now at 41%. For 24 straight months, asking rents have gone down. We are improving affordability in a tough housing market. Next time the Leader of the Opposition goes through Edmonton, he might want to confirm that the price of diesel in Edmonton is the same as in the United States.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, could he be more out of touch? That sounded just like his statement back on March 25, that affordability is the best it has been in a decade. The same month he said that, Food Banks Canada registered a record-smashing 2.35 million visits, 9% higher than when he took office, with fewer Canadians believing they will ever be able to afford a home than in the other 21 countries polled by Habitat for Humanity.

Will the Prime Minister admit that affordability is not the best it has been in a decade?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about affordability and steps that governments can take to improve affordability. The Canadian dental care plan benefits over 17,000 people in the riding of Battle River—Crowfoot. The Canada child benefit supports over 14,000 families. There are EDC summer job grants. I could go on. They have two things in common: first, that this government proposed them and passed them; and second, that the Leader of the Opposition voted against them every single time.

Intergovernmental Relations

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

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Prime Minister hosted a grand banquet for the Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, arranged a photo op on Parliament Hill and even provided a mounted escort. Let us not forget that the United Arab Emirates is currently funding violence in Sudan, including violence perpetrated by a group that commits torture, rape and summary executions.

This week, that same Prime Minister also refused to allow the Premier of Quebec to speak at the Canada-European Union summit in Montreal.

How can the Prime Minister justify bestowing such honours on the United Arab Emirates while offering nothing to Quebec?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to welcoming President von der Leyen and President Costa of the European Union.

We offered the Premier of Quebec the opportunity to officially welcome both presidents. I invited him to join me at my table for a private conversation with them. Those are honours befitting the beginning of a process, a process with the European Union.

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

Mr. Speaker, Paul Saint‑Pierre Plamondon is no less the premier of Quebec than the Prime Minister is the prime minister of Canada.

Entering into agreements with the United Arab Emirates is no obstacle for the Prime Minister, and neither is going to Turkey to support Erdoğan. Visiting Erdoğan and telling him that we share common values is no problem, even though he is an enemy of human rights and targets his country's LGBTQ community and free press. However, giving the floor to the Premier of Quebec to talk about Quebec in Quebec is out of the question.

Does the Prime Minister realize the kind of message and images he is sending around the world?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we work with a range of countries to improve the situation during the most difficult wars, including wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, Gaza and Sudan. Every time, I have raised issues and solutions with these countries' leaders, and I have offered Canada's assistance.

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

Mr. Speaker, more importantly, he wanted to befriend them in order to make money.

Yesterday, all the parties condemned the Prime Minister's refusal to accept Quebec's request to speak at the summit in Montreal. The Prime Minister promised to co-operate with Quebec, but he is off to a very bad start.

Will he listen to reason and, quite simply and courteously, offer the Premier of Quebec the opportunity to address the European guests in Montreal, Quebec, in French?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would say, “in Montreal, Quebec, Canada”.

I have made offers to the Premier of Quebec.

As for co-operation with Quebec, there have already been four meetings with Quebec's official delegation to discuss the terms of the new agreement for the future. This week is just the beginning of a process.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's 16¢-a-litre fuel standard tax is bad enough, but what is even worse is where the money goes. To quote energy expert Heather Exner-Pirot, “To meet their carbon intensity targets, many Canadian refiners blend biofuels into their petroleum products. But Canada is not self-sufficient in their production. More than half of Canada's biofuels are imported, predominantly from the United States.”

The Government of Canada forces the people of Canada to pay 16¢ a litre more to buy American biofuels. Why?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Bank of Canada understands and acknowledges the challenges in the global economy. However, it is Wednesday, and I have good news. In fact, Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7, the lowest net debt to GDP in the G7 and one of the lowest deficits to GDP in the G7. The Bank of Canada has seen that we are going to have the second-fastest growth in the G7. On top of that, we are investing to be an energy superpower. We are going to build Canada strong together.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, not only did the Prime Minister not answer the question, but the finance minister did not even seem to hear it. The question was about the 16¢-a-litre diesel and gasoline tax charged at the pump. Now, it is bad enough to tax the Canadian people. It is even worse to force them to pay that money to the United States of America to buy U.S. biofuels.

While Canadians cannot afford groceries, while they must empty their bank to fill up their tank, why is the Prime Minister forcing them to pay a 16¢-a-litre tax at the pump to Trump?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have some good news for the member opposite. Canola prices are up 8% this year. The amended clean fuel regulations will create significant new demand for canola. Rather than fight against canola farmers, why does he not help us build Canada strong?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

No, Mr. Speaker, the minister wants to build America strong, because the cost of the majority of the biofuels that the government is forcing refiners to purchase with this 16¢-a-litre tax is not going to Canadian farmers. It is going to megacorporations south of the border. On this day when the Bank of Canada governor says that food prices are rising because of higher diesel costs, the Prime Minister is imposing a tax on Canadians at the pump and on truckers who deliver us our food.

Why is he putting that money in the pockets of the Americans?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct my last statement. Canola prices are up 8% because of clean fuel regs, but they are up 30% this year. Thirty per cent, and the Leader of the Opposition is trying to talk us down. We have been helping the farmers. We have been helping the people in Alberta. He is talking against them. We should work together and build Canada strong.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, at Trump Tower, they will be popping the champagne today, knowing that this government is defending a 16¢-a-litre tax that sends Canadian money south of the border to subsidize large U.S. corporations selling us overpriced biofuel. That single mother who is turning back items at the grocery store, because it costs too much for the trucker to deliver those items, or the family who cannot quite fill up the minivan can take comfort in knowing that the Prime Minister has a “make America great again” tax at the pump.

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

Mr. Speaker, we all know that the Leader of the Opposition likes to talk, but he should listen. He should listen to the voices in this House, like when we extended the suspension of the excise fuel tax. That is helping Canadians. That is helping families. That is helping truckers. That is helping farmers. That is helping fishers across this nation.

I hope Canadians are watching at home today because this gentleman has voted against supporting Canadians.

Finance

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister could not be more disconnected from reality. Today he said that things are going well for Canadians.

After Canada experienced the worst food inflation in the G7, after 2.35 million visits were made to food banks, and after the Bank of Canada was forced to raise interest rates today because of his inflationary spending, this Prime Minister is now looking to add another $735 billion to our national debt over the next five years.

Will he hit the brakes before we hit a wall?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians can see the bigger picture. They understand that there are external factors that obviously affect the economy and prices in Canada.

What the people at home want to know is why, when we introduced the Canada groceries and essentials benefit that will help 12 millions Canadians and provide up to $1,891 per family, the Conservative leader voted against this measure and convinced all his colleagues to vote against it. That is the question.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister not only doubled the deficit left by Justin Trudeau, he also increased annual government spending to the highest share of GDP since 1996, outside of COVID. He has now driven inflation above target and forced the Bank of Canada to increase interest rates. Canadians are going to be hit hard on their mortgage and car loan payments as of this evening.

Will he stand up and announce that he will stop this irresponsible spending?

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

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians are hearing is an opposition leader who is always criticizing the Canadian economy, and I am sure they are sick of it.

Members on this side of the House are confident. Canada is attracting talent from around the world. Canada is one of the rare countries in the world that can build a ship, build a car and certify a nuclear power plant. Canada is a country that has the critical minerals needed for the 21st century. We are producing more energy. Canada is the only G7 country with a free trade agreement with every other G7 country.

Rather than criticizing, the Leader of the Opposition should be celebrating the hard work of Canadians across the country.

Intergovernmental Affairs

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is never too late to do the right thing. The Prime Minister decided to hold another summit with the Europeans on Quebec soil without including the provincial premiers, even though some changes might affect areas of provincial jurisdiction.

Will the Prime Minister show some respect for Quebeckers and at least let their Premier speak?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, doing the right thing means strengthening our ties with the European Union, which represents 450 million consumers and 18% of the global economy. That is exactly what we are doing in the interests of Quebec and in the interests of Canada as a whole.

I want to commend the Quebec delegation for the work it did in preparation for this summit. I also want to point out that the Premier of Quebec and all the other premiers are invited to this very important event. I hope that the Premier of Quebec will be there in the best interests of Quebec.