Debates of Feb. 2nd, 2026

The Economy

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has doubled down again. Since he took office, food inflation has doubled. Compared to that in the United States, food inflation has doubled. Since the Liberals took power, food bank usage has doubled. The Liberal fuel standard tax already adds 7¢ per litre to the cost of fuel; the Prime Minister wants to more than double that to 17¢ per litre, further increasing food inflation.

Will the Liberal government support our food affordability plan by eliminating both the industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard tax, which would provide double the relief for Canadians?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, well, the Conservatives are back from Calgary. They heard more old—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I would not call that an incendiary statement.

From the top, the hon. government House leader.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in Calgary the Conservatives heard more old hits than at the Elvis tribute show at the casino, and they came back and are repeating them just the way the leader writes it out for them in the back rooms: imaginary taxes and no plan for affordability.

We have a bill before the House that would give up to $1,800 for families to afford the cost of groceries in this country. We know affordability is a challenge; this is why we have real policy, but the Conservatives just play the old hits.

Rail Transportation

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the residents of Mirabel are once again being threatened with expropriation by the federal government. First it was the white elephant that is the airport and now it is the high-speed train.

A new rail corridor was announced for the train at the last minute, and it is going right through my community. There were zero consultations with elected officials, farmers or the residents of Mirabel.

Just like the train, these consultations are passing straight through Mirabel without stopping, even though the rail line will apparently need to go through the homes of people who are still traumatized by the expropriations of 1969.

As a first step, will the government ensure that real consultations are held in Mirabel?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, consultations were held and there will be more. We are consulting all the mayors and community stakeholders in the Lower Laurentians, across the entire region, as well as in Quebec and Ontario. Guess what? Canadians are excited about this new technology, this progress.

Come on. My colleague is comparing an international airport to a small corridor that is 60 metres wide. Give me a break.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals say they will discuss matters directly with citizens, but in their Bill C-15, they put a gun to their heads.

People back home are not excited to know that they may be sent an expropriation notice via email. They are not excited to know that they will not be able to dispute these notices for 30 days.

The Liberals want to get rid of the requirement to hold public hearings and conduct impact studies. They want to maintain control over the land in question for two years. Worse yet, they want to unilaterally set the purchase price of the land.

It is all in Bill C-15. This is a throwback to the 1960s for Mirabel.

Will the government back down on these measures?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, why did the member not stand up to oppose Quebec's Act Respecting Expropriation, which made it possible to build and complete the Réseau express métropolitain?

The bill is based on the exact wording of that Quebec act and Ontario's legislation, which also allows for the development of public transit projects. This is not new, and we are obviously going to negotiate directly with the property owners.

Taxation

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister broke his promise that Canada would have the fastest-growing economy in the G7, because the Liberals liberalled. GDP flatlined in November. GDP per person flatlined in 2025, and the Bank of Canada says that Canada's growth will flatline basically all of next year. It is because Liberals drove out business investment, and the Prime Minister has done nothing to repeal a single Liberal anti-development law or tax.

When will the Prime Minister listen to Conservatives and repeal all these Liberal laws and taxes that are blocking development, so Canadians can build?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives were focused on themselves in Calgary, this country was moving forward.

Let me give a piece of news to my colleague, because he has been busy in the last few days, supporting his leader. Canada will have the second-fastest growth in the G7. That is what the international agencies are saying.

Canada created hundreds of thousands of jobs. We have seen investments coming in this country. We are building a country for the future. We have made generational investment. While they talk down Canada, we believe in Canada. We will attract investment. We will be the fastest-growing economy. We will be the strongest country in the G7.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, with Liberal math like that, it is no wonder Canada's economy is tanking and we have the highest inflation for groceries in the G7.

Businesses are postponing any type of expansion, because Liberal taxes and red tape are still making growth impossible. While this government protects oligopolies in banking, telecoms and groceries, Liberals continue to liberal by blocking energy projects and getting rid of any type of competition.

Why not just scrap Liberal barriers and taxes so Canadians can finally build?

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

Mr. Speaker, across the country we have great news. There are new jobs in Thunder Bay at Alstom. There are new jobs in La Pocatière in Quebec. There are new jobs in St. Thomas with Volkswagen. There are new jobs at Vale and Glencore in Sudbury. There are new jobs at Bombardier in Montreal. There are new jobs at Hitachi in Varennes. There are new jobs at K+S Potash in Bethune, Saskatchewan. Also, there are new jobs at Toyota. It is good news.

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

Mr. Speaker, a new report shows that 10% of all Canadian small businesses have been wiped out since 2020 as new closures outpace start-ups. The Bank of Canada now says that it expects only 1.1% GDP growth next year, that businesses are delaying expansion plans, and that growth in business investment is forecast to remain flat for 2026.

Businesses do not want to invest here, because regulations and taxes make it difficult for businesses to invest and grow. When will the Prime Minister listen to Conservative ideas and finally remove taxes and barriers that are stopping Canadian businesses from building and investing?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, we are on a mission to build the strongest economy in the G7, and small businesses are at the heart of that. While Conservatives talk down Canada, the Prime Minister delivers, securing multi-billion dollar trade deals so that small and medium-sized enterprises can grow and scale their businesses and have opportunities not just here in Canada but around the world. Our buy Canadian policy is opening up federal contracts so that Canadian businesses can take advantage of them, ensuring that we can be our own best customer. That is the way to support small businesses.

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

Mr. Speaker, other countries are growing faster because they are cutting red tape and encouraging investment. Meanwhile, here in Canada, over 121,000 small businesses have closed since 2020. Domestic growth is shaped by the overall investment climate. Canadian businesses are postponing projects, productivity is falling and small businesses are closing at alarming rates. The Prime Minister promised the fastest-growing economy in the G7, yet since he was elected, not a single anti-development law has been repealed, and tax burdens continue to rise.

Will the government work with us to remove its own barriers to growth and get out of the way so we can build again in this country?

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are not going to take advice on the economy from a leader who has never worked in it.

Let us look at economic facts. We have the strongest-growing economy in the G7 and the best net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. We are going to continue to grow our economy. Canadians cannot cash the Conservative leader's slogans. It is time for us to focus and build the strongest economy in the G7.

[Éric Lefebvre, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the first point is the promise. The Prime Minister promised that we would have the fastest-growing economy in the G7.

The second point is the results. GDP growth for November was 0%. In fact, the GDP is expected to decline in the fourth quarter. The automotive sector is down 12.6%. The forestry sector is down 2.8%.

The third point is the consequences. Businesses are delaying plans to expand, grow or invest in Canada. They are choosing the United States.

My question is simple. When will the Prime Minister put our ideas for cutting bureaucracy and taxes into practice?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are already cutting bureaucracy and taxes. We did so for 22 million Canadians a while ago. In fact, this was a bill that should have gotten more support from our colleagues.

Not only are we the second economy in the G7 in terms of growth, but more jobs are being created in Canada than the United States. Since 2025, 189,000 jobs have been created.

Housing

[Chris d'Entremont, Liberal, Acadie—Annapolis, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it has now been 100 days since the launch of Build Canada Homes, and we are now seeing real momentum on the ground. Projects are moving faster, partnerships are coming together and communities in my riding are seeing concrete progress on affordable housing.

Can the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure tell us what has been achieved in the 100 days of Build Canada Homes and how this initiative is helping Nova Scotians and Canadians?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his commitment to delivering for Canadians.

In just 100 days, Build Canada Homes has hit the ground running, delivering real—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

This is a very exciting question. It is creating a lot of excitement. Let us pause for a second.

The hon. Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, from the top, please.

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

First and foremost, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his commitment to delivering for Canadians.

In just 100 days, Build Canada Homes has hit the ground running, delivering real results in dealing with Canada's housing crisis. We have signed major agreements with provinces, territories and cities. We have advanced six major federal land projects. We have lined up thousands of affordable homes, with tens of thousands more coming. Shovels will be in the ground this year.

In Nova Scotia alone, we are working with the province to deliver 1,430 homes faster, smarter and more affordably.

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

Mr. Speaker, 20 minutes from my place, people can look across the Canadian border at affordable homes that look exactly like the ones selling for double the price in our country. Nearly half of young Canadians now say they have considered leaving their province just to afford housing. Two of my daughters moved out of B.C. to afford a home. Now they want to come back, but prices are worse than ever, and new home sales in Vancouver are down 56%.

Does the Prime Minister even care that young people are priced out of home ownership?