I really could not hear, so we have to start from the beginning.
The hon. Minister of Fisheries.
House of Commons Hansard #146 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was project.
House of Commons Hansard #146 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was project.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Opposition Motion—Diesel Prices Members debate a Conservative motion for emergency diesel tax relief, faster approvals for fuel infrastructure, and a goal of producing one million barrels of diesel daily. Conservatives argue high fuel costs burden farmers, truckers and consumers, while greater domestic production would improve affordability and energy security. Liberals cite existing temporary tax relief and long-term infrastructure plans, cautioning that global markets shape prices and refineries cannot provide immediate relief. Bloc members favour targeted assistance and question whether broad tax cuts benefit consumers or oil companies. 50600 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Alleged Premature Disclosure of Information Concerning Bill C-39 Members debate whether government briefings on a west coast pipeline update and Bill C-39 raise a question of privilege, with the government arguing established precedents show MPs were not obstructed in their duties. 800 words.
Youth Criminal Justice Act Report stage of Bill C-231. The bill amends the Youth Criminal Justice Act to let authorities refer young people facing criminal proceedings to treatment, and allow courts in some cases to defer sentencing or make treatment a condition of an order. Its scope includes problematic substance use and other treatment, such as mental health programs, to support rehabilitation and reintegration. 7900 words, 1 hour.
Building Canada Strong Act Second reading of Bill C-39. The bill proposes to coordinate and accelerate major-project reviews, strengthen trade corridors and ports, digitize trade processes, and amend federal labour rules. Supporters say it can reduce duplication and attract investment while maintaining safeguards; critics question the one-year timeline, expanded cabinet discretion and exemptions for regions of national interest, and warn of risks to environmental protections, Indigenous rights, workers’ strike rights and parliamentary scrutiny. 44000 words, 5 hours.
Alleged Premature Disclosure of Bill C-40 Andrew Scheer alleges that media reports disclose specific provisions of Bill C-40 before its introduction, breaching members’ parliamentary privileges, and asks the Speaker to find a prima facie contempt of the House. 1200 words.
TaxationOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
I really could not hear, so we have to start from the beginning.
The hon. Minister of Fisheries.
Joanne Thompson Liberal St. John's East, NL
Mr. Speaker, I will go from the top.
If the member opposite would like to support her constituents—
TaxationOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
I do not know why everyone is oohing and aahing. I asked the minister to go from the very beginning, so she can go from the beginning again.
Joanne Thompson Liberal St. John's East, NL
Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite wants to do something tangible for the residents of her riding, the first thing she can do is speak to them about how important it was to receive the food and essentials benefit yesterday. Second to that, she could support Bill C-38, which will see the extension of the excise tax relief on diesel. These are tangible benefits for Canadians, not rhetoric.
Carol Anstey Conservative Long Range Mountains, NL
Mr. Speaker, if those programs were working, residents from her constituency would not be reaching out to me asking me—
Carol Anstey Conservative Long Range Mountains, NL
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are paying roughly 24¢ per litre more for diesel than Americans and 31¢ more than the global average. The government cannot control conflicts overseas, but it can certainly control taxes and barriers that it imposes here at home.
Will the members opposite support our Conservative plan to cut diesel taxes and remove the barriers preventing Canada from producing, refining and transporting more of its own fuel?
Joanne Thompson LiberalMinister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, off the top I will say to the member to support Bill C-38. I will remind her that I speak with residents in her riding and across Newfoundland and Labrador on a regular basis, and they support the $1 million for small craft harbours. They support the $81 million for wild Atlantic salmon, which is going to see real benefits in our province. They support Churchill Falls and what it is going to mean for our economy. They support 5 Wing Goose Bay and the millions of dollars that are going to move into that community and the province.
These are tangible results. She needs to speak to more of her residents.
Jeremy Patzer Conservative Swift Current—Grasslands—Kindersley, SK
Mr. Speaker, last week I met with Kelly, a grain farmer from back home. His diesel bill jumped over $26,000 this year from last year. That is $26,000 that he cannot use to buy groceries for his family or put toward next year's crops. He has no choice but to absorb this cost because grain farmers cannot pass it on, and he has to plant and harvest his crops no matter the price.
The Liberals could offer real relief on his fuel bill for next growing season by voting for a motion to remove all federal taxes on diesel. Will the Liberals do the right thing and support our emergency fuel relief plan to save Canadians like Kelly some money?
Buckley Belanger LiberalSecretary of State (Rural Development)
Mr. Speaker, one of the things we are not going to do is take advice from the Conservatives. We will never take advice from them because, while they talk about this plan, they do not have a plan. They simply do not.
I will point out to my colleague from Saskatchewan that not only have they not done anything for 11 years, but today we delivered the groceries and essentials benefit, which helps families right across Saskatchewan and Canada.
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Mr. Speaker, with the Liberals, it is all talk and no results. A farmer in Lanaudière told us that the skyrocketing cost of diesel is costing him $2,000 more a day. According to the Union des producteurs agricoles du Québec, the rising cost of diesel could cost Quebec farmers more than $200 million a year.
When will the Liberal government finally confront the skyrocketing cost of energy and give our farmers a break?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question. I have been watching him for years. Why does he not do something for once? Instead of asking a question, he could convince his colleagues to vote in favour of Bill C‑38. The best way to provide immediate relief is to extend the suspension.
The Conservatives have a chance to do something to help people for once. They can vote in favour of Bill C‑38. Will they do that?
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Mr. Speaker, after farmers, consumers will be the next to bear the brunt of rising food prices. We have the fourth-largest oil reserves in the world, so there is no reason Canadians should be paying so much more for diesel. The Liberals have placed us in a vulnerable position.
Will they commit to adopting our Conservative plan to eliminate taxes on diesel until July 2027 and establish a strategic reserve to ensure a stable supply? Will the Liberals vote in favour of our motion?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals will vote for action.
All we see from the opposition are motions. They have an opportunity to do something for regular folks for once. They can vote for Bill C‑38. I invite all farmers watching us today to call their Conservative MPs and ask them to vote in favour of Bill C‑38. It will provide immediate, instant relief to farmers across the country. I hope the Conservatives will do the right thing for once.
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, 33,000 people are still having trouble receiving their old age security benefits because of the Cúram software, and the federal government is telling us that every effort is being made to fix the problem.
The public servants' union warned of issues with the Cúram system as early as March. I am not talking about March 2026; I am talking about March 2025. That was over a year and a half ago, yet 33,000 people are still having issues receiving their pensions.
At this point, how can the Liberals keep saying that they are taking the problem seriously?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, the modernized system delivers essential affordability measures to ensure that millions of Canadians receive the support they rely on every month. Choosing modernization means choosing a stable and reliable system, a system that delivers benefits on time and without mistakes.
Andréanne Larouche Bloc Shefford, QC
Mr. Speaker, after all this time, it is mind-boggling to hear the Liberals boasting about the Cúram system when there are still 33,000 people who are not receiving the old age pension they are owed. The Liberals treat these people like a statistical aberration, but so many retirees have been deprived of their money that they could fill one and a half Bell Centres to capacity.
It is appalling that so many seniors have been abandoned for so long. The time for excuses ended months ago. Now is the time for solutions. When will the Liberals finally get that into their heads?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague. She is right. The backlogs we are seeing need to be reduced. They keep going down, month after month, because every effort is being made to respond to these errors and ensure that all seniors who are entitled to old age security receive accurate payments.
However, there are 7.7 million seniors in Canada who have been receiving their benefits since the system was implemented in March 2025. It is important to note that the alternative was an outdated system that jeopardized the benefits seniors rely on. Switching to a new system was essential. We will keep working to reduce the backlog, as we have been doing for months.
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, for 11 years, Liberal taxes and red tape blocked pipelines and new refineries from moving and producing Canadian fuel. Canada is the world's fourth-largest oil producer, but diesel hit $2.63 a litre last month, up 71% from a year ago. When diesel costs more, farmers, truckers, builders and families all pay more for everything.
Canadians need lower taxes, not more excuses. Will the Prime Minister support our emergency fuel relief plan and scrap all federal taxes on diesel to save Canadians money?
Tim Hodgson LiberalMinister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that war has driven up fuel prices around the world. That is why we suspended the federal carbon price and the federal excise tax on diesel. Since last September, we have taken 25¢ off a litre of diesel. We continue to respond by making Canada more energy-secure and less beholden to global energy price volatility by building the energy infrastructure we need. We would really like the Conservatives to help us do that as well.
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, he can tell that to the Canadians paying up to $240 more each time they fill up. That is the cost of Liberal failure.
The Prime Minister cannot blame wars abroad for taxes at home. Liberals can scrap the industrial carbon tax, the fuel standard tax and the GST on diesel today, but instead of relief, Canadians get Liberal talk and no results.
Farmers cannot fuel tractors with Liberal excuses, and families cannot eat announcements. When will the out-of-touch Liberals cut diesel taxes so Canadians can afford to drive and feed themselves?
Tim Hodgson LiberalMinister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, I would invite the member opposite to join us in voting for Bill C-38 to extend the excise tax reduction.
Leslyn Lewis Conservative Haldimand—Norfolk, ON
Mr. Speaker, farmers in Haldimand—Norfolk grow the food that Canadians depend on, but that food must be planted, it must be transported and it must be harvested. Every step of the way depends on fuel. When diesel prices rise, farmers and truckers pay more, and those costs are transferred to consumers at the grocery store checkout line.
Our Conservative motion would provide emergency fuel relief and bring those costs down. Will the government support our motion and give farmers—
TaxationOral Questions