Debates of Oct. 8th, 2026

Opposition Motion—Affordability Crisis

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier, my Conservative colleague spoke about people who cannot afford to retire. That does not even take into account all those aged between 65 and 74 who have already retired and are struggling to make ends meet because of affordability issues.

For quite some time now, the Bloc Québécois has been introducing bills calling for OAS to be fully indexed for seniors aged 65 to 74, yet the government continues to refuse to do so. This is not money that would simply be squirrelled away in a savings account. People would use this money to maintain a decent quality of life and cope with the rising cost of living, because their income is not indexed to the current rate of inflation. Could my colleague tell us whether he supports the Bloc's Bill C‑261?

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. Indeed, the cost of living is going up, but the income of seniors and retirees is not. Every month, they have to make difficult choices. I have received many messages from people telling me that they are retired and will be forced to sell their homes because they can no longer make ends meet.

This summer, the Conservatives made an announcement on this very topic. For example, in regions like mine, a portion of the wages earned by someone who chooses to return to the workforce and contribute their time and expertise should be tax-free. This would allow them to keep more money in their pockets to help cope with the cost of living. That money would go directly to them, in recognition of their efforts, their work and the knowledge they share, particularly with younger workers.

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the cost of essentials keeps going up, but Canadians' purchasing power remains stagnant. The Canadian dream of becoming a homeowner is disappearing for a generation. That is what I hear back home. I would like to know what my colleague is hearing in his riding.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is true. As I said at the start of my speech, nearly 14,000 people replied to my survey and nearly 11,000 people commented directly. The message was clear: The cost of living is out of control.

Young people need hope. They need to believe in their future. They need to know that if they work hard, they can succeed. We cannot lead them to believe that the only way to get ahead is to work for the government. Governments do not create wealth; they cost us money. We need entrepreneurs. We need ambitious young people. We need people who are willing to take risks, but who hope for success. That is the reality facing our young people.

Yes, I am hearing exactly the same thing, and it is high time we took meaningful action to help young people believe in their future.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I was somewhat disappointed by my hon. colleague's comments about the Canso spaceport. Stakeholders in the defence sector consider this investment essential for Canada, a view shared by former Conservative defence minister, Mr. MacKay.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we never said it was not an important thing to do; we said that the money had to be spent logically and effectively.

Norway invested $45 million in a similar project and owns 90% of it.

Someone needs to explain who signed off on giving $200 million to Liberal cronies for a project in which Canada has no stake.

Message from the Senate

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing the House that the Senate has passed the following bill: Bill C-27, An Act to give effect to the Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tlegohli Got’ine and to make consequential amendments to other Acts.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

Opposition Motion—Affordability Crisis

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and to the Secretary of State (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my colleague from Kings—Hants.

I think we can all recognize the importance of the issue raised by the motion before us today. Canadians are living through a period of economic uncertainty marked by global instability and the rising cost of living. In this context, our government is focusing on what it can control: building a strong Canadian economy, developing our infrastructure, diversifying our trade partners, ensuring responsible financial management and supporting Canadians who are feeling the pressures of everyday expenses.

In Thérèse‑De Blainville, affordability comes down to a very simple question. What is left over in a family's budget once groceries, transportation, health care and housing are paid for? That is what families, seniors and young people have been talking to me about.

Across the country, people are worried about the cost of essentials. In Thérèse-De Blainville, I regularly meet with the outstanding leaders of a wide range of organizations who talk to me about this issue and also propose solutions. I share these practical solutions with our ministers and our Prime Minister to draw inspiration from them. That is why our government understands these concerns and is taking meaningful and responsible measures to ease the burden on households while maintaining economic stability for the long term.

Since 2025, we have done many things to respond to these realities. We reduced the federal tax rate on the first income bracket and expanded access to the Canadian dental care plan for eligible adults aged 18 to 64. This year, we also increased the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. This new benefit, which replaces the GST credit, provides more generous support to more than 12 million Canadians. Since July 2026, benefits have been increased by 25% for a period of five years.

In addition, eligible Canadians received a one-time top-up payment in June. For an eligible family with two adults and two children, with a net income of $40,000, the increase and the top-up amount to $805 in additional support. This measure was actually announced in my riding at La Moisson health food store in Sainte-Thérèse. In total, including the one-time top-up, a family of four can receive up to $1,890 for this benefit year, while a single person can receive up to $950. We have also provided temporary relief from the federal excise tax on gas and diesel to support Canadians facing rising transportation costs.

We are also investing in our communities. In Thérèse-De Blainville, our investments in projects like Manoir Blainville II are helping to directly address housing needs. This project will provide 70 social and affordable housing units for independent seniors in Blainville. These are concrete investments that will increase the housing supply in our community. I speak regularly with the five mayors in my riding and surrounding areas to identify new sites and opportunities for affordable housing and new multi-generational housing concepts. I look forward to continuing these discussions with our new MNAs on this matter. By working together, we can act more quickly to find solutions with our constituents.

Now, I would like to focus on housing affordability, which remains a challenge for many Canadians, especially those looking to buy their first home. Thanks to our government's industrial strategies, economic development is and will be strong in our Lower Laurentians region. Business leaders are stressing the need for access to local labour. This means increasing the housing supply.

That is also why it is important for our government in Thérèse-De Blainville and the Lower Laurentians to quickly make housing more affordable for renters, buyers and homeowners who are paying down a mortgage. That is why we launched the Build Canada Homes program to accelerate the construction of affordable housing at scale across the country. That is also why we are investing in the infrastructure needed to build homes and in measures to lower development charges. We are also ushering in tax changes to make new homes more affordable.

Last May, we eliminated the GST on eligible newly built homes valued at up to $1 million for eligible first-time homebuyers. This measure can save homebuyers up to $50,000 on the purchase of a new home. The rebate is gradually phased out for homes valued between $1 million and $1.5 million.

For example, a home that costs $1.25 million could qualify for 50% of the maximum rebate, meaning a savings of up to $25,000. This measure is expected to save Canadians $3.9 billion in taxes over the first five years, helping to lower the upfront cost of purchasing a home while encouraging the construction of new homes.

To be eligible, first-time homebuyers must meet a number of criteria. For example, they must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, be at least 18 years old and not have lived, during the current calendar year or any of the previous four calendar years, in a home owned by themselves, their spouse or their common-law partner. In addition, we have extended the repayment grace period under the home buyers' plan from two years to five years for those making their first withdrawal. This gives new homeowners more time to manage the significant expenses that arise during the first few years of home ownership.

I would like to return to Build Canada Homes, which was launched in September 2025 to boost housing supply across the country, with a particular focus on affordable housing. It is designed to accelerate the construction of primarily affordable and off-market housing across Canada by bringing together four essential components: public land, flexible financing, expertise in property development and innovative construction methods.

While I am on the topic of innovative construction, I want to take this opportunity to highlight the innovation of the company Isothermic in Bois‑des‑Filion, in my riding. This company understands that affordability and energy needs are two important issues in our society. This company is innovating and creating buildings that are more energy efficient, able to withstand wind and water and able to resist the climate of tomorrow.

Since its launch, Build Canada Homes has advanced six direct housing development projects and established significant partnerships with provinces, territories, municipalities and indigenous partners. These efforts represent more than 11,000 new homes that are currently being built or are scheduled to be built soon.

In addition, there is the build communities strong fund, our government's key infrastructure program. This fund provides $51 billion over 10 years, including $3 billion a year in ongoing funding to build and renew infrastructure. After talking with the mayors in my region, I am also identifying opportunities through this fund to improve sports and cultural infrastructure. Being able to access and participate in culture and sports activities contributes to the quality of life of Canadians and to their physical and mental health and relational well-being.

A significant portion of these investments will be used to increase the housing supply and make housing more affordable in our region and across Canada. For example, the investments announced this year in Iqaluit are expected to support the construction of 2,000 to 2,500 housing units by 2031. In Headingley, Manitoba, investments are expected to support the construction of an additional 1,771 housing units. The expansion of water infrastructure in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, will make it possible to build 1,055 new housing units.

Other drinking water and waste water treatment infrastructure projects will support residential development projects in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, and Halifax and Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.

Affordability is not an abstract concept. For the people of Thérèse-De Blainville, it means the ability to cover their basic expenses with a little leftover at the end of the month. The measures that I presented—including the groceries and essentials benefit, tax relief, dental care, access to sports and cultural infrastructure, help with transportation costs and investments in affordable housing—help alleviate pressures on household budgets.

These measures do not make all of the problems go away, but they do provide real assistance with several major expenses in the family budget, while also helping to address the more long-term challenge of housing supply.

Canadians expect their government to respond to the rising cost of living with tangible solutions. That is exactly what we are doing. Our approach combines immediate assistance, targeted support for those who need it most, an increase in the housing supply, investments in our communities, and responsible management of public finances. As Canada continues to build a stronger, more resilient and more self-reliant economy, we are taking steps to bring costs down today while investing in our long-term prosperity. Affordability requires consistency and responsible choices.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the member talked about so many announcements. There is a large number of announcements, but the result is very small. It is a fraction of the amount of housing needed for Canada. Housing prices are still high and still unaffordable. A lot of Canadians are leaving this dream behind.

What can the hon. member can tell Canadians about the result of the government's not delivering the plan it put in place?

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I am surprised by the question because in my speech, I presented all the projects currently on the table. I am very proud that we already have 70 of them in my riding, and there is affordable housing throughout Canada. We are working to drive innovation in the construction sector to make it more environmentally friendly and more affordable. We have achieved concrete results in every region of Canada.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in her speech, my colleague talked a lot about housing. I am vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, which is the committee that studied the Build Canada Homes Act, among other things. The reason we let that bill pass was that there was apparently an agreement with Quebec. I say “apparently” because we are now hearing a lot of questions from a lot of different people. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has expressed concerns. The term “empty shell” was even used somewhere. The target was 19,000 housing units, but apparently there is really only going to be 2,000. I, too, am coming back with figures based on what I heard in committee.

Just today, I met with representatives from Women's Shelters Canada, an organization supporting women who are victims of violence. They told me that they had not heard anything from Build Canada Homes as to whether it would actually meet their needs.

With all of that in mind, when will we get a few more details about Build Canada Homes, since the information we have about this program is still extremely vague?

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to point out to my colleague that it is up to regional MPs to reach out to local mayors to talk about Build Canada Homes and learn about opportunities to secure affordable housing and land in the region. These members need to work with us to round out the information on Build Canada Homes and accelerate project implementation. It is up to members to do the work on the ground and put our regions in contact with Build Canada Homes.

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague gave a great speech. She did an outstanding job of laying out all of our government's commitments.

I would like her to explain to the House again how all of the commitments we have made since our election have steered Canada in the right direction.

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I meet with a lot of organizational representatives and individuals. They talk to me about the impact they are seeing on the ground. They see projects taking root and getting built. They also see that we in government have the wherewithal to work effectively with them and with all stakeholders to help find solutions and implement the right programs. To conclude, I would like to say that they all tell me how happy they are with Prime Minister Carney and our cabinet right now when it comes to making progress.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

I would remind the hon. member not to use members' names, not even the Prime Minister's.

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, nobody is feeling the cost of living crisis more than people on fixed incomes, namely seniors and people living on disability.

I will talk about people living on disability. They are getting a meagre $200 disability benefit from Canada, which is not a lot of money in today's world. We have long called for a universal basic income, starting with people living with disabilities and seniors.

To get the disability benefit, one needs to get the disability tax credit form approved. Good luck doing that. It also takes away a million patient visits a year from doctors.

My question is about a proposal that we have put forward. If someone is living with a disability in a province or territory, why would the federal government not acknowledge that instead of making people in a province or territory prove that they have a disability again?

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my opposition colleague for raising the issue of seniors. We talk to seniors every week because we know that many of them are struggling with the cost of living. We need to find solutions to give them the support they need to get through these tough times. After a lifetime of contributing to our society, they are entitled to affordable housing. I am happy to work with my colleagues to find solutions.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are here today to debate the Conservative opposition day motion. I thoroughly enjoy opposition day motions. They are an opportunity for the government to prod ideas from the opposition benches.

The text is quite simple today. It is, frankly, just two pieces. The first part is that the House recognize that the Liberal government has been in government for 11 years. We are happy to recognize that and talk about the accomplishments of successive Liberal governments. The second part is that we are in an affordability crisis. There lies a trap in how the Conservative Party has presented today's opposition day motion. It is undeniable that the Liberal Party has been in government for 11 years, and I am happy to talk about the accomplishments and the work that I am proud of, having been involved for seven years as a parliamentarian.

The truth is that we recognize as a government, and we have highlighted this, that there is an affordability challenge across the country. Reasonable members of Parliament could stand here and debate what the definition of an affordability crisis is. I recognize and this government has recognized that there are challenges across the country and that we ought to do something about them, but what is missing from today's Conservative opposition day motion is what to do about them and what measures the Conservative Party would put forward to support affordability. That is completely lacking in today's opposition day motion.

I would suggest that the opposition day motion is also lacking any recognition of the initiatives by this government, and by extension this House, because there have been examples where members of Parliament across the aisle have been supportive of government initiatives to improve affordability. There is no mention of that whatsoever.

That is why we will be voting against today's opposition day motion. It is not because we do not recognize that there are affordability challenges or we do not think there is something to be done about them, but the text of the motion, with the way it was drafted by the Conservative side, fails to recognize the initiatives that this House has taken forward. It leaves open what the definition of an affordability crisis could be and proposes zero measures to address it for Canadians.

Opposition day motions are a great opportunity for the opposition to put concrete policy forward and what it would look like. Today is a bit of a failure in leadership in that domain. We will not have the opportunity to debate policy that the Conservatives would implement if they were on this side of the bench, but that is okay.

My remaining time gives me the opportunity to opine on two areas. One is that the motion talks about 11 years of Liberal government. I have been a member of Parliament since 2019. I would like to use my remaining time to talk about some of the initiatives that I am proud to have been a part of and some of the work I have done individually as a parliamentarian. I am also proud of being part of a government that has introduced measures that matter not only to the good people of Kings—Hants, but to Canadians across this country.

I am going to start with a really important announcement. Today, the Prime Minister announced a $2-billion program for heat pumps. This program is going to support 800,000 homes across the country. It is going to allow up to a $10,000 grant for homeowners below the provincial median income. Of course, that will differ whether it is Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Ontario or British Columbia, but anyone below the provincial median income will be eligible for a $10,000 grant to put a heat pump in their home.

This is smart public policy. This program can reduce the cost of someone's energy bill. It is also, of course, an environmental measure, particularly in areas and jurisdictions where the electrical grid is much more affordable than using other forms of energy. This also allows for a $2,000 grant for anyone who is above the provincial median income.

I see a lot of similarities between the work that was done by the Atlantic caucus in the last Parliament and the announcement today. I represent a number of people, some of whom may be on a fixed income and may not have the means to do some of the renovations that might be needed and that could save money long-term because they do not have the ability to get over the hump of having money up front to pay for some of the expenditures. One of the things I am proudest of as a parliamentarian was advocating for a $500-million fund that we worked on with the Atlantic provinces to help roll out a similar type of program. It was successful.

I have dozens of examples. There are many more than that, but I am talking about dozens of people who have come to me personally and said that this intervention saved them on their home energy bill. Obviously, it is a smart environmental choice, but more importantly, it is an affordability measure.

It was quite remarkable to hear the Conservative Party attacking this idea. We want to put something in front of Canadians around affordability. Here is something important. We can produce heat pumps here in Canada. There are, for example, heat pump producers, independently, in my own constituency in Nova Scotia. They exist across the country. This is good public policy, and it is an example of something I am proud of today.

I am proud of the national school food program. We have a lot of constituents who were strong advocates of this. Many across the country advocated to say that we needed a program that could ensure that children who need this support in school have access to a healthy school food program. They said we should try to source the ingredients locally. Because of the action of many members of Parliament, the support in the last Parliament and ultimately the Liberal government, that policy is here today.

Again, we hear questions on it from the opposition benches. In fact, the leader of the official opposition calls this bureaucracy. I would invite the leader of the official opposition to come to Kings—Hants, where we see this program rolling out and benefiting children in schools today. It is quite remarkable that the leader calls that bureaucracy. I call it action. I call it making a difference on the ground. It is guided and informed by many people across the country who advocated to parliamentarians across the political spectrum to move in this direction.

As for national child care, we talked about this for 50 years in this country. This is something the Liberal government has introduced. The program is working across the country. There have been growing pains, but I think we need to recognize that there is a desire to have additional space. The government just recently announced a $5-billion augmentation to support the provinces in the continued expansion of child care access across the country.

Right now, in Nova Scotia, we are on target for $12 a day on average. This additional money will hopefully and presumably be able to get us closer to that mark. Whether or not it gets exactly to $10, it has demonstrably moved the needle on affordability, access to early education, and the infrastructure that is needed to support our communities.

How about agriculture? I am up on my feet often talking about this. I am very proud to represent a constituency in Atlantic Canada that is the heart of agriculture. I am very proud of our 2025 platform. This platform had serious measures to support farmers, whether it was the AgriStability increases or the money for AgriMarketing. A pledge to have $200 million in an agri-food processing fund was realized by the current Minister of Agriculture under the national food security strategy. We are seeing those investments roll out in real time.

The Conservatives will sometimes talk about the idea that these announcements are not resulting in concrete action. I can tell members that they absolutely are. I am proud of the work that we have done around the increases to AgriStability, something that the Conservative Party under Mr. Harper cut. We have actually increased it over the time.

There are a lot of very good measures in the recently introduced Bill S-7. It is starting in the Senate, and it will work its way to the House. It is about reducing red tape in agriculture and has amendments to the Fertilizers Act, amendments to the Seeds Act and amendments to the Feeds Act. Anyone who knows agriculture well will know that a whole host of work had to be done. It did not happen in the last government, I am afraid to say, but I am very proud to see that some of the work I did as the minister of agriculture just before the last election has been continued by the current Minister of Agriculture, the hon. member for Malpeque. There is some really good stuff there.

I am proud of the work I have done to advocate for the resolution at the Avon River. This was an issue where the constituency and individuals in the Windsor and Falmouth area were not happy with successive decisions from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the ministers therein. I have worked with the current Minister of Fisheries to resolve that issue in a way that balances fish passage with ensuring that the community perspective and indigenous rights are respected.

I am proud of the rural transit fund. This is something I helped advocate for, along with our colleagues, so we could have a fund to help support smaller communities that did not have access to regular funding. I am proud of the fact that we have increased the volunteer tax credit for firefighters from $3,000 to $6,000, and allowed funding that goes to municipalities to support fire hall infrastructure. Lastly, I am proud of the work we have done to create a facility for The Flower Cart Group and CCOA, two really important organizations in my constituency.

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I was really glad to hear the member opposite say that he recognizes there is an affordability challenge, although it is contradictory to what the Prime Minister recently said in the House, which was that affordability is the best it has been in a decade. We are not quite sure what it is.

The member said he is proud of the national food security strategy and the concrete action that is being provided. When we look at food, there are 2.2 million people lining up at food banks each month. Is he proud of that, or the 700,000-plus children using food banks? Is he proud of the interest on our national debt, which now has payments exceeding transfers for health?

Will he acknowledge that the government's programs, despite their nice-sounding names, have put Canada into an affordability crisis and—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly reject the way the member is framing this. I thought I was pretty clear in my remarks, and I think we are pretty clear-eyed that there are challenges across the country. That is part of the reason we are putting initiatives forward, some of which the member has supported.

The member's predecessor in the last Parliament was a very thoughtful member when it came to agriculture. I believe the member has a lot of farmers in his constituency. I hope he is a bit disappointed that he ran on a platform in 2025 from the Conservative Party that had absolutely nothing for farmers. There was no mention of AgriStability and no mention of AgriMarketing. The party that he sits with consistently votes against the initiatives that matter for the things that he just talked about, including affordability and feeding kids in school. I do not know why he would be against a program that feeds kids in school and uses local product, including maybe from his own farmers.

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to know one thing. Unaffordability is caused in part by climate change and the huge costs of wildfires and all the other ecological disasters. Does my colleague think we should take climate change and the associated costs into account as we address unaffordability?

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the consequences of the climate crisis are real. That is exactly why our government worked with the governments of Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador to reach an agreement on the development of Churchill Falls. The clean electricity generated by this project is enough to power Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. This is the largest investment in clean energy in the history of North America. I hope my hon. colleague recognizes that this investment and this work are absolutely crucial for Quebec, for Canada and for the world.

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and to the Secretary of State (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to ask a question of my colleague from Kings—Hants.

He referred to a big announcement today about heat pumps. Can he repeat to me what the benefits are of the great project he referred to?