Debates of Feb. 13th, 2026

Housing

[Jacob Mantle, Conservative, York—Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, where are the homes? They keep talking about building, but we see no action. In fact, not only will homebuilding decrease; CMHC says that home prices will rise. We will have less supply, more demand and higher prices. That is a nightmare scenario for young Canadians. It appears to me that the Prime Minister's lofty political promise was nothing more than Romeo's lie when he swore his love on blessed yonder moon.

Will the Prime Minister instead adopt our proposal to cut the GST on all new homes?

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

I am going to pause very briefly, being the MP from Stratford, to say the member is very close to the line there, even when quoting Shakespeare.

[David Myles, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and to the Secretary of State (Nature)]

Mr. Speaker, when I am home, talking with constituents in Fredericton—Oromocto, what I hear is that they appreciate that our Prime Minister and our government have a plan, a plan to diversify our exports, foster and facilitate interprovincial trade and make historic investments in the infrastructure that is going to enable all of this. This is going to mean a stronger economy, more housing, better-paying jobs and long-term careers. I also hear that they want us to work together, so let us work together and get this done.

[Kurt Holman, Conservative, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian dream of home ownership is fading for young Canadians. CMHC now warns that homebuilding will fall over the next three years, with 2028 housing starts projected to be down 18% compared to 2025, even as prices continue to rise.

At the same time, nearly half of young Canadians say they are being forced to leave the communities they were raised in because they cannot afford to live there.

When will the government adopt our plan to remove the GST on all new homes and restore the dream of home ownership for young Canadians?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is a new member. I want to commend him. He has been very active in the community. It has been good to get to know him and to work with him. I know he cares also, of course, about home ownership. He met with the London Home Builders' Association recently. What it has shared is exactly what I said earlier, that regulatory red tape at the municipal level stands as the largest impediment to getting more homes built. Unless we address that, there will not be home ownership worthy of being called the right outcome for Canadians. What we need to do is push that. The housing accelerator fund does exactly that. London is moving in that direction. Other municipalities are too.

[Kurt Holman, Conservative, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with respect, despite government announcements and staged photo ops, the data clearly shows that we are not building enough homes to meet Canada's needs. An insufficient supply of new homes is why CMHC expects prices to keep rising. Just this week I also met with London members of the Canadian Home Builders' Association, and they informed me that taxes and regulatory costs have risen 700% over 25 years and now make up 30% of the price of a new home.

At what point will the government acknowledge these burdens and adopt our plan to remove GST on new homes?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, our government has a plan to build Canada strong. We have a plan to create good jobs across the country and to attract investment across this country. We are building industrial capacity, building affordable homes and investing in our future. We have also introduced a new buy Canadian policy, so that we are our own best customer. That is how we build Canada strong.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government's own housing agency shows fewer homes being built over the next three years, while home prices will only rise. A third of homebuilders are building less because they are forced to lay off workers. Young men and women in B.C. are seeing the dream of home ownership fading. Years of Liberal homebuilding programs have not delivered.

Will the Liberals adopt our plan to remove the GST on all new homes to help builders build and young Canadians buy?

[Wade Grant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from British Columbia for the question. I am so proud to stand on this side of the House as we build Canada strong from coast to coast to coast. Building Canada's housing is very important not only in cities and provinces but in first nations communities. I live in a first nations community with a housing list of over 500 people. These people want to come home to their communities. That is why I am so proud of this new policy. It is why I know my children are going to be able to live where they please with their families for future generations.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation just said that by 2028, new housing starts will fall by as much as 18.1%. Meanwhile, the Liberals continue to bring in hundreds of thousands more temporary foreign workers and have no plans to get millions with expired visas to leave. Housing starts are not keeping up with immigration, and the Canadian dream of home ownership is fading for young people.

When will the government adopt our positive plan to incentivize homebuilding by removing the GST on all new homes and restore the dream of home ownership for young Canadians?

[Eleanor Olszewski, Liberal, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we are building big in this country, and that means building more homes.

While the Conservatives belittle what has been done so far, it is time to check some facts. Calgary is a recognized national leader in terms of fast-tracking housing projects using federal program funding like the housing accelerator fund and is building affordable, inclusive and resilient communities. If the Conservatives really cared about housing for young people, they would support our plan, which will deliver real results for Calgarians and Albertans.

Employment

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that rents have doubled in Calgary, and it is not just the dream of owning a home that is fading for young Canadians. Data shows that the prospects of getting a good-paying, entry-level job for Canadian youth have never been dimmer. Canada's economy is slow, and now artificial intelligence is changing entry-level jobs in almost every field, including law and accounting.

Given all of this, why are the Liberals bringing in hundreds of thousands more temporary foreign workers, with no plans to get millions with expired visas to leave, instead of incentivizing businesses to hire and give hope to Canadians?

[Eleanor Olszewski, Liberal, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, affordability starts with opportunity, and that means making sure every Canadian can get a good-paying career. Our plan is working. Just last month in Alberta alone, nearly 42,000 good, full-time careers were created. That is more people earning paycheques, putting money back in the economy and getting ahead. At a moment when Canadians are focused on affordability, it is time for Conservatives to stop blocking the budget implementation act and back a plan that is delivering real results.

Transportation

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Bloc Québécois met with the Prime Minister yesterday. He emphasized the need to put an end to Driver Inc. scheme. However, the battle is far from over. Not only is the federal government not doing much about this issue, but it is, in fact, part of the problem. Canada Post has contracted no fewer than 25 companies that do business with Driver Inc. drivers. The federal government is feeding the beast with our tax dollars.

When will the Liberals get Driver Inc. drivers off our streets instead of getting out their chequebooks?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post is proud to work with many trucking companies across this country, and in doing so, the CEO of Canada Post has assured us, there is no engagement with the Driver Inc. model. All contracted suppliers are provided with clear expectations, a code of conduct to abide by and consequences for non-compliance. As a government, we expect Canada Post to abide by these standards.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in order to solve the problem, the Liberals should start by acknowledging that it exists and stop making it worse. Canada Post is doing business with at least 25 companies that hire Driver Inc. drivers.

We gave the Liberals 10 solutions to get these dangerous drivers off our streets, but the problem persists. Not only are the Liberals not using our solutions, but the federal government actually hires Driver Inc. drivers through Canada Post.

That raises a fundamental question that every family and every victim has asked but that has gone unanswered: Why do the Liberals not want to solve the problem?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post is proud to work with many trucking companies across the country.

In doing so, the CEO of Canada Post has assured us that there is no engagement with the Driver Inc. model. All contracted suppliers are provided with clear expectations, a code of conduct to abide by and consequences for non-compliance. As a government, we expect Canada Post to abide by these standards.

International Trade

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister once called called China our biggest security threat. Now he tells us that it is a strategic partner. He told Canadian canola farmers to expect lower tariffs by March 1, yet just yesterday we learned that Beijing is delaying its decision until at least March 9. Last time I checked, partners keep their word.

Our farmers deserve better than uncertainty, shifting timelines and empty promises, yet that is all the Liberal government has delivered.

Is there truly a deal to reduce tariffs on Canadian canola, or did the Prime Minister mislead our farmers about getting results?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I will start by saying that our canola growers grow the best canola in the world. They are doing tremendous work.

Yes, we have a great partnership, a renewed strategic partnership, with China to export canola. In fact, we know that Chinese importers have already secured 650,000 metric tons of Canadian canola, which is 25% of China's total import last year. The door is wide open now, and we will continue to engage in reaching a strong—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. member for Portage—Lisgar.

[Branden Leslie, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, that did not instill any confidence for Canadian canola growers.

The Prime Minister's deal with Beijing opens our streets up to 49,000 Chinese EVs annually, jeopardizing our security and our auto jobs. He assured Canadians that everything was fine, telling us that we would have canola tariffs dropped by March 1. However, with yesterday's announcement that China is pushing back its decision on tariffs until March 9, we cannot now be sure that he is delivering anything at all. Farmers are left hung out to dry, and in exchange for what? Fancy photo ops and false promises.

Can our farmers actually expect lower tariffs, or was the Prime Minister merely hoodwinked into making concessions for nothing in return?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague that the new partnership the government has secured with China is being implemented. We have orders, and in fact, orders have been placed. Commerce is resuming right now with China, so it is good news. I invite my colleague to come to us if he wants more detail, but commerce is resuming with China.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, commerce resuming does not mean tariffs are coming off. Beijing has postponed its decision on whether it will reduce tariffs on Canadian canola just weeks before seeding begins. Decisions need to be made now by farmers. Last year many farmers, including me, chose not to seed canola because of those tariffs and the price collapse. Yet the Prime Minister stood before Canadians and said that tariffs would fall to 15% by March 1.

The Liberals promised action. All they have delivered is dust. Did the Prime Minister mislead Canadian farmers?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and to the Secretary of State (International Development)]

Mr. Speaker, we will not rest until normal trade resumes to make sure that canola is being shipped to all markets around the world, including China. That is why the Prime Minister and this government have been working really hard. That is why the Prime Minister visited China to help reduce the tariffs on canola.

As my colleague said earlier, we are so fortunate to have the best canola grown right here in this country. There is a demand for that canola across the world. That is why we are negotiating free trade agreements with countries like the Philippines and Indonesia right now where we can export canola, and we will continue to do that work.

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, last month during the Prime Minister's visit to Beijing, he announced that he finally had a deal to roll back that country's tariffs on Canadian canola. He even had a grandiose signing ceremony with Xi Jinping in front of Canadian and Chinese flags. Yesterday, however, the Chinese announced that they were postponing their decision until March 9.

Is Beijing backing out of the deal, or was the Prime Minister misleading Canadian canola farmers in the first place?