Debates of Oct. 9th, 2026

Food Affordability

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Bowmanville—Oshawa North, ON]

Madam Speaker, this Thanksgiving, many moms and dads will go into debt, putting groceries on credit cards because they do not have enough cash in the bank. Liberals in Ottawa will say there is nothing they can do about it, but the reality is that Liberals could take action now if they cared enough to confront big business.

The Competition Bureau of Canada has spent years advocating for more competition in the grocery industry to lower food prices. The policy ideas are out there, ideas to stop property controls from blocking market entry, ideas to empower independent and online retailers, ideas to enforce clear unit pricing rules, but Liberals will not adopt those policies. Liberals will not confront big business. Instead, Liberals will use big government to enrich big business while hard-working Canadians struggle to afford food.

Intimate Partner Violence

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Madam Speaker, last Saturday, I was proud to join survivors, families and advocates at the Walk to End Intimate Partner Violence, in Durham region. Sadly, statistics show that more than four in 10 women in Canada will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Behind those numbers are our friends, neighbours, co-workers and loved ones.

Today, I want to recognize the organizations working every day in my region to support survivors and prevent violence. Victim Services of Durham Region, Herizon House and Safety Network Durham are just a few organizations of many trying to stop intimate partner violence in Durham region.

As a father of three daughters, I believe that ending violence starts at home with the values we pass on to our children. Respect must always come first, and we must teach boys and men that they have a responsibility to be allies and develop healthy relationships. We must challenge harmful behaviour and help end the cycle of abuse.

Let us continue working together to build communities where safety, dignity and respect are the norm and where violence has no place.

Employment

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, the government must answer for today's devastating job numbers. Canada now has the lowest labour force participation in 29 years. A smaller percentage of Canadians are working today than at any point in the last 29 years. On the eve of Thanksgiving, we see that Canadians are not just losing jobs; many are losing hope.

Canadians will judge the government by the results, so will the government finally reverse course on policies that are making Canadians poorer and depriving them of opportunity?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Madam Speaker, I should not need to remind any member of the House that we are in a trade war, and a trade war causes economic volatility. The job numbers last month reflect that volatility; that is clear, and we empathize with Canadians who might be struggling to keep their jobs.

What we are doing is controlling what we can. We have cut taxes on income, housing, fuel and new business investment. We have saved $60 billion in government operations, have signed 20 new trade and security agreements and have seen the second-highest growth in the G7 and the highest foreign direct investment. This is how we respond in the face of a trade war.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, that answer is both callous and fact-free. This is not just a month-over-month escalation. We were shedding jobs as a result of Liberal policies long before this trade war, and job losses are concentrated in sectors that are not trade-exposed. There were 68,000 jobs lost in the last month and 110,000 in the last two months. Unemployment is up to 6.5%, and youth unemployment is up to 13%, with 50,000 jobs lost in Quebec alone.

We did not get to a 29-year low in labour force participation overnight. It is not just month over month. It was not always like this in Canada. It will not always be like this in Canada, but we need an implementation of the economic action plan that Conservatives have put forward.

When will the Liberals act to get Canadians—

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

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Madam Speaker, while the Conservatives focus on QP skits and clips for their online social media feeds to scare Canadians, we are stepping up to support them every step of the way. We are investing in our economy and have made generational investments. We have cut taxes on income, housing, fuel and new business investment. In fact, the productivity mega deduction that the Prime Minister announced at the investment summit makes Canada the most tax-competitive advanced economy in the entire world. That is going to bring in new investment, help counteract the trade war and create jobs for Canadians.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Madam Speaker, it is Thanksgiving, and this morning's latest job numbers are devastating. Almost 70,000 jobs were lost in September, bringing that to a staggering 110,000 jobs lost in just two months. Unemployment has skyrocketed to 6.5%, which is the second highest in the G7.

Recently I spoke with Jordan, a father in Richmond Hill who is worried about losing his job while struggling to keep up with the Liberal affordability crisis. While hard-working Canadians worry about their next paycheque, the out-of-touch Liberal government keeps delivering more talk but no results.

How many more Canadians have to lose their jobs before the Liberal Prime Minister puts down the $500 buttercups and admits that he is failing to do his?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Madam Speaker, Canadians are looking for a serious government with a serious plan, and that is what we are delivering.

Global volatility, economic uncertainty and trade tensions are having a direct impact on Canadian families, workers and businesses, but we are focused on what we can control. We are focused on investing, driving growth, attracting investment and investing in people and skills and the retraining we need. Our per capita job creation has nearly doubled that of the United States since September 2024, and our private sector is holding strong, creating 24,000 new jobs in September and adding 163,000 jobs—

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

The hon. member for Richmond Hill South.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Madam Speaker, we Conservatives have a serious plan to save Canadian jobs and save Canadians' money.

Let us talk about Emily, who is a young graduate from Richmond Hill who did everything right. She studied hard and earned her degree, but is still left jobless after almost two years and is living in her parents' basement. Young Canadians like Emily are watching their opportunities disappear after 11 years of the Liberal government. She is not alone. Nearly 67,000 youth jobs vanished in just two months. Meanwhile, wages have grown at just 2.3%, below the latest inflation rate of 3%. Worse, 35% of young adults under 35 still live with their parents.

Is this how the Liberal Prime Minister wants to bring together families on Thanksgiving?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Madam Speaker, my colleague opposite had the chance to vote in support of team Canada strong, which is making generational investments to hire up to 100,000 new Red Seal trade workers to support building and support the investments we are making right across the country.

As part of team Canada strong, we are opening up paid apprenticeship placements in early 2027. We have introduced a new apprenticeship training grant, with a $5,000 completion bonus and $10,000 in wage incentives for employers to hire new apprentices. This is the kind of serious action that Canadians—

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

The hon. member for Beauce.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Madam Speaker, this week, the Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary told the House that everything is going well in Canada, that the cost of housing is dropping and that job creation is up across the country. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister recently asked us to give him a break because he just got here, even though he has been here for 18 months already. Today, we learned that 50,000 jobs were lost in Quebec alone in September.

Does anyone on the other side of the House have the courage to stand up, look Quebeckers in the eye and tell them that losing 50,000 jobs in one month is good news?

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

Madam Speaker, we are working hard with the premiers of all of the provinces and territories, across party lines, to build a stronger economy.

Because of this co-operation, this summer, we were able to launch the Churchill Falls project, which will save Quebec taxpayers $200 billion and create 23,000 jobs. Other examples include the Davie shipyard, which will create 5,000 jobs, and the Via Rail project that is being carried out by Alstom in La Pocatière, which will create 700 jobs.

We are investing in housing and infrastructure to create tens of thousands of jobs. We are there for working Canadians and Quebeckers. That is why they elected us.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Madam Speaker, we are in a cost of living crisis. People are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. Gas is expensive. The cost of diesel has doubled in a year, and home prices have tripled in the last 10 or 11 years of Liberal governance. As if that were not bad enough, we are also learning that people are losing their jobs. In the past two months, August and September, 68,000 jobs were lost in Quebec alone. The Liberals are completely out of touch with the reality facing Canadians.

Will they stop sending money to other countries and start taking care of the people here at home?

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

Madam Speaker, I would like to set the record straight and get back to the facts.

Yes, the economic situation is difficult. Yes, we live in a volatile world. I would point out, however, that housing construction has increased, including in Montreal. Rents have dropped across Canada. We have signed agreements with Quebec to build 4,000 housing units. We recently launched the Canada rental protection fund to protect our affordable housing stock.

When it comes to affordability and to helping Quebeckers and Canadians, the truth is that the Conservatives vote against every affordability measure we propose. It is hard to take what they are saying seriously.

The Environment

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette—Manawan, QC]

Madam Speaker, the ultimate proof that Bill C‑39 is a pro-oil bill is that the Conservatives voted for it yesterday alongside the Liberals. In Canada, the only time the Conservatives get along with the Liberals is when there is an opportunity to undermine the environment for the benefit of oil companies. When the Liberals propose getting rid of impact assessments for pipelines, suspending the enforcement of environmental laws and sacrificing endangered species, the Conservatives vote red. Frankly, that should worry a lot of Liberals.

Who in this government ran for office intending to join forces with the Conservatives against the environment?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I was in Sherbrooke to celebrate a great program that will help Quebeckers and Canadians access heat pumps. This is important because it will help us improve energy efficiency across the country.

To do that, we need to build a stronger electrical grid. That is what we are doing with the bill before the House today. We are continuing our efforts to beef up the electrical grid, and we are working together with Hydro-Québec to ensure we can reach net zero.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette—Manawan, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals and the Conservatives are joining forces to bulldoze over us with Bill C-39, for the benefit of the oil companies.

Fortunately, opponents are starting to mobilize. The Liberal member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country has spoken out against his party's bill. He is afraid that ministers will be able to unilaterally suspend environmental legislation. He understands that limiting consultations to one year amounts to setting a time limit on the involvement of indigenous peoples and civil society.

Who else on the government side has the courage to say that Bill C‑39 is a pro-oil bill?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Madam Speaker, I want to be very clear: There will be no lowering of environmental standards or indigenous consultation requirements.

What are we doing? We are focusing on efficiency. That way, we can pursue critically important clean energy projects, like the one in Churchill Falls, which can generate enough energy to power every home in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. There will be enough energy to power all those cities combined.

However, there is more. We are going to work with Hydro-Québec and with Quebeckers and Canadians across the country to make sure that we have clean energy.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberal-Conservative alliance in support of Bill C-39 is putting us on a fast track to dirty oil. If they are prepared to move quickly, then we must be prepared to act just as quickly.

On Tuesday, the Liberal MP for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country condemned Bill C-39. Yesterday, the Cold Lake First Nations asked the courts to overturn the decision to fast-track the Pacific Link pipeline. We need to follow these examples. The Bloc Québécois calls on all those who still care about the environment to unite against Bill C-39.

Is there anyone on the other side who still cares?

[Nathalie Provost, Liberal, Secretary of State (Nature)]

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question, which is a very important one. We do care about the environment. We are committed to tackling climate change. These are important issues, but to achieve our goals, the whole of Canada must work together.

That is what Bill C-39 is designed to do. Yes, there are ways to improve it, and we will do so, but Bill C-39 does not lower environmental standards. It amends the process. Once everyone understands the whole process, which involves the provinces and Canada, we will succeed. We will tackle climate change, we will have clean energy and we will build Canada well.

Employment

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Madam Speaker, as we head into Thanksgiving, the latest StatsCan jobs report is in, and the numbers are devastating: nearly 70,000 jobs lost in September. That is on top of the 42,000 jobs lost in August. Unemployment is up, and Canada has the second-highest unemployment rate in the G7.

In the face of these dismal jobs numbers, does the Prime Minister take any responsibility?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Madam Speaker, this Thanksgiving, Canadians should know that we are stepping up to support them with the cost of living. We have cut taxes on income, housing, fuel and new business investment, while we have moved forward with affordability measures like the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, which will put $1,890 over the course of the next year in families' pockets. We also moved forward with the home retrofit program, which was announced just yesterday, and the national school food program.

Do members know what the missing ingredient is at this Thanksgiving dinner? It is the Conservative Party being willing to stand up for Canadians. We have not seen that for some time in this House. It would—