Debates of Nov. 2nd, 2026

Justice

[Michael Guglielmin, Conservative, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I cannot understand for the life of me why the minister cannot answer the very simple question.

The father of the family who just suffered the violent home invasion in Toronto said the following: “It is difficult to put into words the trauma of experiencing something so horrific in the one place where everyone should feel safest: their own home.” That is why we put these two bills before the House.

This is a very simple question. Canadians deserve a very clear answer. Will the Liberals support these two pieces of legislation that we have before the House so we can protect Canadians, yes or no?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, we send our deepest condolences to the family impacted by this horrific incident. All of us in this House share the need for safety and security in someone's home.

However, I will be very clear: We brought forward significant legislation, the most comprehensive criminal justice legislation in a generation, including stronger sentencing as well as bail reform and including protection of victims' rights. These are critical pieces of legislation that will ensure the safety and security of Canadians over the long term.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, recently a Toronto family of four was terrorized by three masked men who entered their home with hammers and guns. Three people were shot and two people were hit with hammers. The family will never be the same. People should feel that they are safest when they are in their homes. Therefore, will the Prime Minister support our legislation to get tough on home invaders so people can feel safest in their homes?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, we have brought forward transformational legislation to protect those who are suffering from the scourge of issues such as home invasion. We have in place Bill C-14, which strengthens bail as well as sentencing. We have Bill C-16, which ensures victims' rights are protected. These are transformational pieces of legislation. Unfortunately, the party opposite did not give us its support. It is important that these pieces of legislation are implemented and that is what we look to the provinces to do.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister speaks about transformational legislation. The Liberals can tell that to the family of four who are now in the hospital.

We have to ensure that people are safest when the are in their own homes. Reforms are absolutely needed. One of the answers is our safe at home act that was put forward by the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge.

How many more families need to suffer in their own homes before the Liberals take the time to act?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat: We have brought forward significant legislation that will protect Canadians in their homes and on the streets, as well as those victims who have been impacted by the criminal justice system. What we need right now is collaboration from the opposition. We do not need piecemeal pieces of a private member's bill that does not look at the bigger picture. That is why we have brought forward the most comprehensive criminal justice legislation in a generation.

Employment Insurance

[Terry Beech, Liberal, Burnaby North—Seymour, BC]

Mr. Speaker, every year, 1,600 families face the unimaginable tragedy of the loss of a child while on parental leave. Last week, this House unanimously passed Evan's law, which would allow those affected to maintain their parental benefits while reducing unnecessary red tape. It is something that members from all parties have worked towards, and I thank everyone in this House and outside it for their efforts in making this happen.

Could the Secretary of State for Labour comment on the impact of this legislation and the importance of implementing it as soon as possible?

[John Zerucelli, Liberal, Secretary of State (Labour)]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Burnaby North—Seymour for his advocacy on this very important piece of legislation. No parent should have to navigate government red tape while grieving the loss of a child. That is why we are moving quickly on Bill C-222 to ensure grieving parents can continue receiving their parental benefits without unnecessary paperwork and administrative burdens. When parents experience unimaginable loss, they deserve compassion, financial stability and the time and space to grieve.

Health

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General released a scathing report on the Liberal government's mismanagement of Canada's emergency medical stockpile. These supplies are critical to saving lives during pandemics, natural disasters and nuclear emergencies, and yet for years the Liberals have not known what supplies Canada needs, how to manage what we have or how to coordinate with provinces. They have wasted hundreds of millions of tax dollars. This mismanagement poses a serious risk to our national security.

The Liberals have governed for over 10 years, including during a pandemic. When are they planning to fix these problems?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question. Once again, I would like to assure her that the Public Health Agency of Canada is ready to deal with any future challenges. One of the reasons I can say this is that we were able to fulfill 81 requests from the provinces. The stock levels in the warehouses were normal. Yes, some masks went to waste, but that is bound to happen from time to time.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, safeguarding Canadians is the fundamental responsibility of the federal government and yet this Auditor General report reveals that the Liberals are failing at basic governance. They threw out over $300 million of medical supplies that could have been used at our local hospitals before they expired. Another $20 million of critical pharmaceuticals were destroyed because somebody left a freezer open. The Liberals have known about these problems for years.

What is it going to take for that minister and the Liberal government to deliver basic governance on emergency management? What is it going to—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Minister of Health.

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I want my colleague to know that we learned lessons from the pandemic and that we are prepared. Of course, we will occasionally have to deal with the fact that certain products have to be discarded because they have reached their expiry date. However, we are prepared and will be ready to meet the needs of Canadians.

International Trade

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, steelworkers are losing their jobs. Four in 10 manufacturers have moved production south or plan to. That will mean over 100,000 jobs lost in two months. Those workers cannot wait another two and a half years for a deal.

Will the Prime Minister deliver a better deal than he was looking at in August or should we be waiting for the next public opinion poll to find out what a good deal is?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I think our colleague on the other side of the House is confusing our government with the weak-kneed approach of the Conservative Party in dealing with the Americans. We know they would have accepted any deal at any time to just get a deal that would not be in the interest of Canadian workers, the Canadian economy or the sovereignty of our country.

We are going to do that difficult work that is necessary to protect our economy, and when that deal is available we will accept it.

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, what is weak-kneed is concession after concession for over a year and a half, rather than building the strength of this country. Two straight months of zero growth and now the economy is shrinking. Parents are skipping meals so their kids can eat. We have another $733 billion of debt, with $6,000 per family just to pay the interest. Canadians did not elect a performer. They were promised a negotiator.

Will the Prime Minister finally get the great deal he promised, or will this just be another month of political theatre while Canadians suffer?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, we understand that Canadian businesses and Canadian workers are facing extraordinary pressure because of these unjustified and illegal tariffs, unlike the Conservatives who resisted our government's strong decision to put in place retaliatory measures to protect sectors of our economy facing these unfair tariffs.

Our government has said we will do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to protect Canadian workers but we are also talking to the Americans about getting the right deal for Canada.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister said he was prepared to wait out the President for two years. Then he suddenly called six by-elections and suddenly getting a deal with the Americans is back on the agenda. As a member of the gill caucus, I can tell members that a fish out of water flip-flops less than the Prime Minister.

Canadians were promised a master negotiator. When will he put Canadian jobs ahead of his political agenda, or are Canadian workers simply pawns in these by-election campaigns?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I was Minister of Fisheries and Oceans for two years. I understand what a fish out of water looks like. Mr. Speaker, perhaps if you look to your left, you might have seen one.

However, what is important is that all Canadians know, even the Conservatives should acknowledge, that our government will do everything it takes for as long as it takes to support Canadian workers and Canadian businesses facing these unfair and illegal tariffs. Yes, we will talk to the Americans and we will do the hard work necessary to get the right deal for Canada and Canadian workers.

[Ned Kuruc, Conservative, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the economy has stalled with two straight months of zero growth and now it is shrinking. Manufacturers are packing up and heading south. Four in 10 have already moved production to the United States or are planning to. Stelco workers are still out of a job. Last week, the Prime Minister said he could wait two and a half more years without a trade deal. This week, he called the by-elections and he announced he is ready to start talks again.

Will the Prime Minister finally get the deal he promised or will this just be another month of political theatre?

[Carlos Leitão, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, the deal we will get will be the right deal for Canada, not just any deal. Our first priority has always been the future and well-being of Canadian workers.

As for Stelco and all the other steel companies around, we will continue to support and work with companies that believe in Canada and that continue to invest in Canada. As for those that do not, we will not support them. By the way, there are five days left for Stelco.

[Ned Kuruc, Conservative, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here are some facts: Homebuilding is down, food bank lineups are up and growth has flatlined. Now the great economist has broken his own fiscal anchors, piling on more national debt. This is the debt that our children will have to pay.

The Prime Minister promised Canadians a great deal. He said he was the man to deliver it, and we are still waiting.

He calls the by-elections, and then he calls Trump, so I will ask this again: Will the Prime Minister finally get the deal he promised, or is this just some more by-election political theatre?

[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)]

Mr. Speaker, we will not take lessons from the Conservatives on political theatre, because that is all they do in the House.

We are standing up to support Canadians. Conservatives can promote falsehoods all they want and string as many of them together as they want, but they do not constitute a truth. We have cut taxes on income, housing, fuel and new business investment. We have saved over $60 billion on government operations. We have the strongest fiscal position in the G7 and topped the G7 in the second quarter in terms of GDP growth. We have seen a spike in new business and foreign direct investment, and we have used our fiscal space to help Canadians—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada, the economy is in decline and food banks are overwhelmed. The Prime Minister is using an old trick to try to cover up his failures: He is creating a smokescreen.

Last week, he said that he could wait two and a half more years without a deal with Donald Trump. On the weekend, he called six by-elections, and then what did he do? He picked up the phone and called his good friend Donald. Then, he announced that he is resuming negotiations. That is quite the coincidence. This is another political diversion tactic.

My question is this: Does the Prime Minister actually think that he can fix the trade issues with Donald Trump, or is this just another smokescreen to sway voters?