Debates of Feb. 25th, 2026

House of Commons Hansard #89 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was veterans.

Topics

line drawing of robot

This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Statements by Members

Funding for North End Women's Centre
Coldest Night of the Year campaign
Recognition for volunteer Tyrell Harder
Death of former mayor George LeBlanc
Death of radio legend Lowell Green
Celebrating Black History Month
Impact of mechanized human thought
Celebrating Lunar New Year
Critique of new housing body
Death of actor Raymond Bouchard
Black Business Association of BC
Unaffordable living and debt
Ramadan and Ummah Society
Immigration crisis straining services
Black History Month community tributes
Health care system in crisis
Pink Shirt Day and bullying

Question Period

The Conservatives criticize the Liberal government's handling of the immigration system, demanding the Immigration Minister's firing for incompetence and the ballooning asylum backlog. They highlight three million expiring visas, criminals avoiding deportation, and insufficient security checks. The party also raises alarms about exploding federal deficits, record household debt, the housing crisis, and the failed Cúram software project.
The Liberals defend their immigration record, highlighting reduced asylum claims and efforts to strengthen the system with Bill C-12. They emphasize modernizing government benefits, including for seniors, and strengthening the Criminal Code. The party promotes housing investments for affordability, infrastructure projects, and social programs like the national school food program, while asserting fiscal sustainability.
The Bloc demands an independent public inquiry into IT project cost overruns (Cúram, Phoenix, ArriveCAN) that wasted billions in federal funds. They also criticize the $5-billion cut to the public transit fund, with Quebec receiving nothing.
The NDP calls for mandated community safety plans for corporations and restored funding to protect Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people from violence.

Petitions

Arms Trade Treaty loopholes
Bill C-9 and religious freedoms
Salmon allocation policy revisions
Marking and tagging hatchery salmon
Canada not meeting Paris Agreement targets
Bill C-218 and medical assistance
Bill C-9 and religious texts
Inequality, austerity, and public services

Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1 Report stage of Bill C-15. The bill proposes changes to various laws, with opposition parties raising concerns. The NDP seeks to delete clauses related to the digital services tax, underused housing tax, and luxury tax, arguing these repeal measures the Liberals previously deemed essential. The Bloc Québécois criticizes proposed expropriation powers for the high-speed rail project and the elimination of the digital services tax, while Conservatives highlight amendments to limit ministerial powers to exempt entities from laws, which they call "King Henry VIII-style powers." 23300 words, 4 hours.

Adjournment Debates

Funding for crack pipes Dan Mazier asks if Health Canada funding can be used to buy crack pipes, citing conflicting statements. Kevin Lamoureux says he was unprepared for that specific question, noting that he was expecting questions on safe injection sites instead. Lamoureux encourages Mazier to bring the crack pipe question to the Minister of Health.
Government Finances and Debt Mike Lake questions Kevin Lamoureux about rising deficits and debt under the current government, referencing concerns from Fitch Ratings and comparing the situation to the 1990s. Lamoureux defends the government's economic policies and AAA credit rating, criticizing the Conservative Party's record and approach.
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FinanceAdjournment Proceedings

8:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, first of all, the member talks about 2008. As we remember, Stephen Harper inherited a multi-billion dollar surplus. He turned it into a multi-billion dollar deficit before 2008. When 2008 came around, it was the banking industry in Canada, in good part, that saved the day compared with what was taking place in the United States and other areas of the world. One of the reasons Canada got credit was the regulations we had in banking.

The member said the Conservatives had a surplus in 2015. Well, they might have said they were going to have a surplus, but they never delivered on a surplus because they were kicked out of office before they could actually deliver that final budget.

FinanceAdjournment Proceedings

8:20 p.m.

An hon. member

That's not true.

FinanceAdjournment Proceedings

8:20 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, that is the reality. That is the truth, and you cannot change history, as much as you would like to be able to. The government takes the issue of affordability and inflation—

FinanceAdjournment Proceedings

8:25 p.m.

The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia

I am not trying to change history at all.

The hon. member for York—Durham not being present to raise during Adjournment Proceedings the matter for which notice had been given, the notice is deemed withdrawn.

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 8:25 p.m.)