Debates of Feb. 10th, 2026

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, extortion is out of control in my home province of B.C., where the rate is up 482% since the Liberals took power. The Prime Minister about 10 minutes ago said that the Liberals are tough on extortion. Perhaps somebody should remind him that the Liberals voted to repeal a mandatory jail sentence for extortion with a firearm so people could serve their sentence on house arrest. That is the opposite of being hard on extortion.

Will the Prime Minister support our common-sense solution to ensure that those convicted of serious crimes cannot claim refugee status, yes or no?

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Development)]

Mr. Speaker, I find it pretty amazing that legislators on the other side do not know the legislation that is already here. Nobody can claim asylum when they are charged. It gets suspended. They go to trial, they get sentenced and they get deported. They cannot claim asylum when they are charged. That was the law even before the legislation before the House, which is going to make it more restrictive and even more onerous for those who commit extortion.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Mr. Speaker, picture a city with gangs demanding protection money from small businesses, where shots are fired at home, where families fear going out at night and people are forced to change their cars and their routines. It sounds like I am describing a slum in a third world country, but it is my hometown of Surrey. What is worse is that when these thugs are caught, they are right back on the street after claiming refugee status.

Will the Liberals support our motion that those charged with or convicted of serious crimes cannot exploit the refugee system in order to stay in Canada?

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Secretary of State (International Development)]

Mr. Speaker, when I speak to the police chief in that jurisdiction, when I speak to the mayor in that jurisdiction and when I speak to the premier of that province, they ask, can I get the Conservatives to pass Bill C-2? Can I get lawful access passed? Can I get them to pass the bills in the House? They do not want this obstruction.

I urge the Conservatives to support all this legislation so we can give the police the tools they need to prosecute, enforce the laws of this land and kick these extortionists out.

[Amanpreet S. Gill, Conservative, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Mr. Speaker, extortion is up 330% since the Liberals took office. Small business owners in places like Brampton, Surrey, Vancouver and my home of Calgary are being threatened. Families are being shot at and firebombed, and the Liberals have done nothing. Even the Premier of B.C. has said that the Liberals must stop criminals from gaining refugee status.

Will the Liberals support our motion to protect communities by ensuring that convicted criminals cannot use refugee status to stay in Canada, yes or no?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, when we want to talk about the position of the Premier of British Columbia when it comes to our criminal justice reform agenda, I would advise the hon. member that the premier did not just support the legislation; he asked if he could join us for a press conference to celebrate the achievements of that legislation.

If the member is interested in doing more to combat extortion, he could help accelerate the bail and sentencing reform act, which tightens bail for violent extortion and hardens sentences for offenders. He could support the strong borders act. Patrick Brown, the Mayor of Brampton, asked me to pass a message to the Conservatives that the Peel Regional Police want lawful access in this country so they can bust extortion rings, not just to punish bad actors after a crime is committed but to stop them in the first instance.

Foreign Affairs

[Natilien Joseph, Liberal, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, February 7 marked the end of the mandate of Haiti's transitional presidential council and a new step in the country's political transition with the transfer of power to Prime Minister Fils‑Aimé.

As Haitians continue to cope with uncertainty over the future of their country amid a worsening security situation, can the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell us how Canada is going to keep supporting the Haitian people throughout the country's democratic transition and the restoration of security?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this transition is an important step toward stabilizing Haiti, including general elections. Canada is a leader in the world. We have invested $450 million in stabilizing Haiti, and we are also co-operating with the diaspora. We are committed to fighting for a healthier and safer future for Haiti.

Automotive Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, despite the Liberal government signing on to up to $52 billion to build an electric vehicle supply chain in Canada, the wheels are falling off most of those deals, and the vast majority of EVs are built elsewhere. Now, the Liberals are expecting liberal Canadians to buy into this $2.3-billion subsidy program for foreign-made EVs.

Why is the Liberal government expecting working Canadians to subsidize their $2.3-billion subsidy for foreign-made EVs, including in the U.S.?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, we believe in affordability and we believe in electrification. We just do not understand why the Conservatives are so against electrification at a time when, in five years, 40% of all the cars sold worldwide will be EVs. We will not hold back our auto workers. We will invest in the future of the sector. We will make sure that we leapfrog what is going on in the United States, and we will create jobs across the country.

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister is not addressing the issue, so allow me to be clear: Under the Conservatives, not a single taxpayer dollar would go to subsidizing the American EV market, yet that is precisely what the $2.3-billion subsidy the Liberals have just introduced will do. There are not a lot of EVs made in this country. They are made elsewhere, including in the U.S., which is eligible for this $2.3-billion subsidy.

Will the minister change course, or will working Canadians be expected to fund the American auto market?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, we all know that auto workers are building the best cars in the world for the world, but we all know that the auto sector is completely integrated within North America.

Is my colleague saying right now to call for a boycott against American EVs, which are made with Canadian parts by Canadian auto workers? Is that what she is suggesting?

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has announced a $2.3-billion subsidy for electric vehicles, but that money will come from Canadian taxpayers. Does the government realize that American electric vehicles will in turn also be subsidized?

Need I remind the government that we are currently in a terrible trade war because of Donald Trump and that, so far, Donald Trump's actions have cost 5,000 people their jobs? Why subsidize American cars?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, after being in a tariff war for almost a year, it is surprising to finally hear the Conservatives denounce the tariffs imposed on the Canadian automotive sector. In the meantime, we have presented a plan, a plan supported by the entire industry, by the unions, by the Premier of Ontario, where the industry is really established, as well as by environmentalists. We agree that we need to invest in the electrification of transportation and of the auto industry, because we know that, globally, that is where the investments are being made. We follow the capital.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister forgot one name in her litany of people who would agree with this: President Trump. Obviously, he and the American industry will benefit from this.

If the minister really wants to help workers, help the industry and help Canadian families buy a car, why not take up our proposal to axe the GST on cars made in Canada? That is a concrete measure. That will get results.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, we are already helping the automotive sector with $3 billion, and we will continue on that path. We will support the 500,000 people who work in the auto sector in Ontario, but also in the battery industry in Quebec. We agree that we need to invest more in the electrification of transportation because it also supports jobs in our beautiful province.

My colleague also needs to understand that the North American auto sector is completely integrated. When he calls for a boycott of electric vehicles made in the United States, is he saying that workers manufacturing auto parts for this sector will—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Simcoe North.

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the auto sector is half the size today as it was when the Liberals took office. President Trump has launched a sustained and unjustified attack on Canada's auto sector. His stated goal is to take Canadian auto jobs and put them in the U.S. Now the government is going to use taxpayer money to subsidize electric vehicles made outside of Canada. Thousands of these rebate cheques will end up in American pockets.

Does the minister really believe that we should be using taxpayer money to reward President Trump's behaviour?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is shocking that the opposition members do not recognize the measures the government has taken to support the auto sector, to support workers and to make sure that we are investing in national projects. They vote against us every single time.

We have an auto strategy. We have a liquidity management fund. We are reducing tariffs. We are making sure we are building Canada strong. We urge the Conservatives to get on board.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal government, Canadian auto production is down by half. Mass auto layoffs in Oshawa, Brampton and Ingersoll are devastating our communities. We gave the minister a very reasonable solution to help auto workers. Under section 153 of the Income Tax Act, he can bring forward a regulatory change to reduce the mandatory withholding rate on lump sum severances for impacted workers.

The Minister of Finance rejected it. Why?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I come from a riding with and I represent auto workers and the auto sector. They want this government to keep doing what we have been doing, which is to support auto workers, support unions, support auto manufacturing and ensure that we are, together, building Canada strong. This is what we do in times of economic stress. We band together. On this side of the House, we urge them to vote with us, vote for Canada, vote for national projects and build Canada with us.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance called standing with auto workers “political malpractice”. It is easy to talk about that here in Ottawa, but try saying that to the workers who lost their jobs, to the workers who cannot feed their families, to the workers who cannot pay their mortgages. The government is sending billions of their tax dollars outside of Canada to fund foreign jobs and foreign projects. Canadian workers feel betrayed.

Will the minister just drop the rhetoric, work with us and stand for Canadian workers?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, breaking news for the opposition: we are in a trade war. Maybe instead of talking down the Canadian economy, talking down workers, they should join us and build them up. We are investing $3 billion in the auto sector. We are backing companies who choose to build here. I was just in Bradford, Ontario, where we invested in Kumi Canada. It employs 280 Canadians and it supports our plan to build in Canada, buy in Canada and believe in Canada. They ought to try it.

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals providing billions in rebates for American-made EVs coming into Canada is anything but elbows up. This is at a time when Donald Trump is tariffing every single Canadian auto going into the United States. Furthermore, working-class Canadians are now being forced to subsidize $50,000 cars they cannot afford so wealthy people can buy them. In an affordability crisis, this makes no sense. In a trade war, this makes even less sense.

When will the Liberals reverse course on this ridiculous policy that gives American-made EVs a subsidy and leaves Canadian workers paying the bill?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, the only party going in reverse is the Conservative Party. We are going to move forward. We are going to drive forward by investing in the Canadian auto sector. We have a plan to invest $3 billion in this auto sector. We are making sure that we are building the cars of the future. We are not only building the cars of the future; we are building affordable homes. We are making sure that families can put food on the table. This is called building Canada. They are blocking all those. They should get on board, stop blocking, start building Canada and join us.