Debates of Nov. 3rd, 2026

National Caregiver Week

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today the Bloc Québécois is marking national caregiver week.

t is an opportunity for us, as a society, to thank those who care for loved ones who have lost their independence for all the unseen work they do out of love. It is also an opportunity to remind caregivers, the vast majority of whom are women, of the importance of looking after themselves. I encourage them to look after their own well-being because, ultimately, the reason they are able to help others is because they themselves are in good health.

I would also like to thank all the organizations that support caregivers, including peer-support networks, respite care providers, home care services and so on. This week should also serve as a reminder of the need to combat the isolation and lack of understanding that many caregivers experience. In fact, 62% of caregivers feel that their employer does not fully understand the challenges they face, and many choose not to disclose their caregiving responsibilities in the workplace.

This week, let us show them our solidarity and, above all, listen to them. We stand with them.

Pacific Salmon Foundation

[Wade Grant, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, wild salmon are essential to the ecological, cultural and economic health of British Columbia and Canada. They sustain ecosystems, nourish wildlife, support coastal communities and hold deep significance for indigenous peoples, including myself. I grew up fishing on the Fraser River for food, social and ceremonial purposes, yet wild salmon face growing pressures from habitat loss, climate change, warming waters and other threats.

Protecting these remarkable fish requires urgent collaborative action to restore habitats, safeguard migration routes, strengthen conservation efforts and ensure healthy salmon populations for future generations. I want to thank the Pacific Salmon Foundation for being on Parliament Hill today and championing the protection and recovery of wild Pacific salmon. Their leadership, science and commitment to bringing communities together, which help raise awareness and drive meaningful action, are not going unnoticed. By working together, we can protect wild salmon and the ecosystems and communities that depend on them.

Liberal Party of Canada

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon East, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to be different, that he would stand up for Canadians and our future, but instead, he has proven time and time again that he is just like the same old Liberals, making the same old decisions. His Liberal government has doubled deficits. Yes, Canada has the largest deficit outside of COVID and the highest spending as a share of GDP since the 1990s debt crisis. Who was in charge during those years? It was the same old Liberals, who have driven up the cost of living through higher taxes, doubled deficits and inflationary spending, leaving regular Canadians unable to cover the basics.

If they want to pretend they are not just like the old Liberals, it is time for them to prove it by reducing debt and deficits, eliminating federal diesel taxes until Canada Day, suspending the GST on fuel until summer and permanently scrapping the fuel standards tax. Otherwise, it is the same business as usual with the same old Liberals, and Canadians cannot afford anymore.

Diabetes Awareness Month

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, November marks Diabetes Awareness Month in Canada. Around 3.9 million Canadians are presently living with diabetes. Every three minutes, one person in Canada is diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes has serious impacts on our health.

Six years ago, I introduced Bill C-237, which established the national framework for diabetes. I want to recognize organizations like Diabetes Canada, Breakthrough T1D, NIDA, Diabetes Action Canada, Diabetes Québec, PDGN and many other organizations that are doing great advocacy work. Canada is the birthplace of insulin, and our researchers continue leading the way to advance diabetes treatment through groundbreaking research.

On November 14, I will be hosting the sixth annual World Diabetes Day flag raising in Brampton to bring the community together to raise awareness. Let us continue working together to combat this disease so we can extinguish the flame outside Banting House.

Liberal Party of Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are calling our budget “Masters of our Destiny”, but with Canadians facing mass layoffs and struggling to afford the basics, and the flatlining economy, it sounds more like the Liberals are the masters of our decline. The Liberal Prime Minister promised to spend less. Apparently he meant Canadians needed to sacrifice more, because while Canadian families are choosing which groceries to put back on the shelf, the Liberal Prime Minister is choosing whether he wants the sirloin or the tenderloin at 30,000 feet.

Reducing the cost of government would reduce the cost of living. That means cutting bureaucracy, consultants, wasteful foreign aid, DEI spending, deluxe taxpayer-funded benefits for fraudulent asylum claimants and corporate handouts to the Liberal club. Canadians cannot afford groceries while monthly food bank visits hit 2.3 million, but the Liberals have millions more for affordable housing projects overseas. Cancelling this waste would save Canadians almost $200 billion over the coming years.

Conservatives demand relief. That means eliminating the gas taxes until Canada Day, suspending the GST on fuel until next summer and permanently scrapping the Liberal fuel standard tax.

The Prime Minister is out of touch, his costs are out of control and Canadians are out of money.

Centre d'action bénévole de Québec

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this year, the Centre d'action bénévole de Québec is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Founded in 1976, this non-profit organization's core mission has always been to promote volunteerism throughout Quebec City.

For half a century, the centre has served as a vital link between community organizations and citizens who want to help. The centre has helped thousands of volunteers get involved and contribute to the well-being of our community. The Centre d'action bénévole strengthens our social fabric every day by supporting organizations, volunteers and the people of Quebec City.

I would like to acknowledge the dedication of the board members, employees and volunteers who have helped fulfill this mission for the past 50 years.

I congratulate the Centre d'action bénévole de Québec on this milestone anniversary, and I am grateful for its essential contribution to making our society more caring and compassionate.

International Trade

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the government recently called Canada's trade arrangement with the United States the best of any country in the world. Then, at the eleventh hour, negotiations collapsed and the tariff war escalated, yet there was no emergency recall of Parliament, no first ministers or cabinet meetings convened, just more rhetoric and posturing.

Meanwhile, let us consider the facts:110,000 fewer people are employed in Canada through August and September alone, 42% of Canadian manufacturers have already moved or are considering moving production to the United States, and more than $1 trillion in net capital investment has left Canada over the past decade.

Now, suddenly, the Prime Minister called by-elections, and then he called Trump. Will there be a deal or no deal? Will he deliver real results for Canadians this time?

For New Brunswickers, over 90% of our exports go to the United States. Nationally, it is over 70%. From forestry to farming and energy, we need a deal. Canadians are demanding a deal. They want a deal now.

Oakwood Terrace Poppy Project

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chantal Beaulieu and the extraordinary volunteers behind the Oakwood Terrace poppy project. Since 2020, Chantal's vision has brought together Oakwood Terrace residents and community volunteers to crochet, knit and sew thousands of handmade poppies in honour of Canada's veterans. What began as a small but impactful tribute has grown into a remarkable community tradition, featuring a signature display of these special handmade poppies near Dartmouth's Sullivan's Pond cenotaph, walls of honour, a remembrance youth expo and an annual poppy tribute concert.

This project is about more than poppies. It is about bringing generations together, honouring those who served and ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten. Chantal and these volunteers are incredibly humble and their contribution is extraordinary. Soon 20,000 handmade poppies will be displayed throughout our community.

On behalf of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, I thank Chantal and every poppy project volunteer whose dedication helps ensure the sacrifices of Canada's veterans are never forgotten.

International Trade

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. mid-terms, and that reminds us the Prime Minister promised in the election he was going to negotiate a victory for Canadians, a big win. Since that time, he has done nothing but lose, with American tariffs doubled and vastly broadened.

While workers are losing their jobs and single mothers can no longer pay their bills, the Prime Minister said he could wait another two and a half years to get a deal, and then said that he would get a deal in the next few weeks. Enough with the headlines. We need deadlines.

When is he going to negotiate the big win to protect Canadian jobs?

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

Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Leader of the Opposition may be frustrated, because that is precisely what our government is doing: protecting jobs in Canada, supporting Canadian industries and Canadian workers, and discussing and negotiating with our American counterparts to reach an agreement that will be in Canada's economic interest and that will strengthen Canada's sovereignty.

These are things that the Leader of the Opposition would not acknowledge, but they are things that our government is doing and will continue to do.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I ask when.

Today is the mid-terms, and that reminds us the Prime Minister promised in the election he was going to negotiate a victory for Canadians, a big win. Since that time, he has done nothing but lose, with American tariffs doubled and vastly broadened. While Canadians are lined up at food banks, businesses are leaving and Canadians are losing their jobs, the Prime Minister said he could wait another two and a half years to get a deal. Then suddenly, on Sunday, he put out a headline-grabbing tweet saying he would get a deal in the next few weeks.

When will the theatrics be over? Will the Prime Minister get back to the table, fight the tariffs and negotiate the promised win?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition would probably be the leading expert in the House of Commons in terms of theatrics.

I think what is important for Canadians is to know that their government will always be there to support workers and industries that are facing the effects of these unjustified and illegal tariffs. One point where we perhaps agree with the Leader of the Opposition is that this is causing economic hardship for Canadians. That is why we are supporting Canadians and we are not going to rush into any old bad deal that the Leader of the Opposition would have accepted a year ago because he would not have had the guts to face—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, that is an easy one. If the member had the guts to face down the Americans, he would be at the negotiating table right now, but he is not. He is not, because the Prime Minister's tweet on the weekend was not about getting back to the table. He is not at the table; he is doing photo ops. It was, once again, theatrics designed to distract from his disastrous record here at home. Just today, Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto is saying that demand is up 333% since 2019.

When will the Prime Minister stop the theatrics and get a deal?

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

Mr. Speaker, again, the Leader of the Opposition is the expert in theatrics from trying to cover up a disastrous record. There is no better expert in the House than the Leader of the Opposition.

He is right. We are not at the negotiating table right now. Do members know why? It is because we walked away when it was in Canada's interest to show the Americans that we were not going to accept a bad deal. The Leader of the Opposition would never have walked away. He would have accepted a bad deal that would have undercut our sovereignty and hurt Canadian workers.

That is not what we are going to do. We are going to continue to pursue those conversations with the Americans to get the right deal.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he has accepted a bad deal. He has accepted 50% tariffs on steel, aluminum, mould makers and others. For the 100,000 people who lost their job in the last month, it is a bad deal. It is a bad deal right now for the one in three Canadians who is skipping meals because they cannot afford to eat, and for the 50% of Canadians who are plunging into their savings just to pay for the basic essentials of life.

When will we get the good deal that Canadians demand so Canadians can afford to eat and to pay their bills?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been very consistent from the beginning: We are going to do the difficult work Canadians expect of their government to get the deal that is in the best interest of Canadians.

Meanwhile, unlike the Leader of the Opposition, we are not going to neglect to support Canadian workers and Canadian businesses, and to work with provincial governments to support those sectors of our economy that are facing these unjustified and illegal tariffs. We are going to do both, and we are going to stick with it for as long as it takes to get the job done.

Major Projects Office

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, there are two economies after 11 years of Liberal government. There is one for the Canadians who have to follow the rules, and another economy for those who make the rules. Can we imagine a scenario where there is a government regulator that employs people who are simultaneously paid by the corporations it regulates? Imagine if the Major Projects Office, for example, employed people who were paid by the same companies whose applications it approves.

How many corporate-paid employees are working in the Major Projects Office?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition should be careful not to assert a series of imagined conflicts of interest when he knows very well they do not exist.

I am surprised that the leader of the Conservative Party would be shocked that people, men and women, who work in the private sector want to come to work in the government to support an ambitious building agenda, to put Canadians to work and to make our economy more resilient. We are proud of the women and men who have decided to serve our country in the Major Projects Office. He should be careful before casting aspersions on these hard-working people.

The Economy

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that corporate power brokers would simultaneously like to get a paycheque from a company and go work for the regulator that approves that company's applications. It is too bad that kind of arrangement does not work out for single moms, seniors and small business owners who cannot afford to eat.

One in three Canadians is skipping meals, according to the Salvation Army today, because they cannot afford groceries. Nearly half of young people fall into that category, and 50% of Canadians are digging into their savings to pay their bills.

Will Canadians at least get a budget on Thursday that will save them money so they can afford to eat?

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

Mr. Speaker, I remember when the Conservative Party actually used to care about jobs. Let us talk about what the Major Projects Office is doing: 8,000 new jobs at the port of Montreal, 1,000 new jobs at Nouveau Monde Graphite, 10,000 new jobs at Darlington and 18,000 jobs at Pickering.

Why does the Leader of the Opposition not support the hard work of the MPO, which is creating jobs where men and women can work hard and feed their family in this country?

Finance

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

Mr. Speaker, under this government's policies, Americans may at times find themselves masters in our own house.

They are when it comes to the Prime Minister's cultural surrender to the Internet giants. They are through his betrayal of the climate and through the use of Quebec taxpayers' money to fund pipelines and subsidies benefiting the American owners of oil companies. They are through the concessions this government was willing to make on supply management.

Will the budget put an end to these attacks on the interests of Quebec, or will the Americans call themselves masters of our house?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, the question from the leader of the Bloc Québécois covers a lot of ground. I would like to point out, however, that we made historic investments of $750 million in culture in the last budget. We added $600 million to that amount before the Bloc Québécois even requested a dime for Quebec culture. The government is not about to take lessons from the Bloc Québécois.

Now, I invite him to stay in the House until Thursday for the tabling of an excellent budget that is going to benefit Quebec and Canada.

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

Mr. Speaker, perhaps it is time for this government to start delivering on the priorities of Quebeckers.

Take the cost of living. What is the government waiting for to double the grocery benefit, which would provide up to nearly $300 for a family of four, scrap the GST on used goods, and increase old age security by 10% for seniors between the ages of 65 and 74?

It is of course easier to ignore Quebeckers when they are not even allowed to speak, but these are the real needs of Quebeckers.

Will the government finally address them?