Debates of Feb. 4th, 2026

The Economy

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I encourage the Liberal government to go talk with Canadians and find out just how much they are suffering because of the cost of living. The Minister of Finance promised to stabilize food prices three years ago, but his plan has not worked. Food inflation in Canada has reached an all-time high, twice as high as in the United States. They need to stop trying to pull the wool over people's eyes.

Here is the Conservatives' solution: the affordability plan. Will the Liberal government support it and finally do something to help Canadians?

[Nathalie Provost, Liberal, Secretary of State (Nature)]

Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we will be voting at third reading on the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. I am very pleased about that. We are going to work together for Canadians by passing this measure and putting $1,800 back in the pockets of families with four children. That is what it means to give purchasing power and control back to families, not to manufacturers, grocery stores or the system, but to families who will make their own decisions. That is what Canadians want. They want to make their own choices, and we are going to let them. We thank the Conservatives for their support.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, three years ago, the Minister of Finance promised to stabilize food prices. Since then, the price of lettuce has gone up 40%, the price of coffee has gone up 34% and the price of beef has gone up 27%. Instead of lowering costs, the Liberals are rolling out another temporary rebate as a band-aid solution.

Will the Liberals finally turn things around and support our Conservative motion, which eliminates the industrial carbon tax, eliminates the fuel standards tax and strengthens competition in the grocery sector?

[Nathalie Provost, Liberal, Secretary of State (Nature)]

Mr. Speaker, it is essential that Canadians have a choice in their spending. We believe in this very strongly, and so we are working with the Conservatives to get the Canada groceries and essentials benefit passed. At the same time, we are also rebuilding our economy to deal with a tariff war that nobody on that side ever talks about. We are addressing this system so we can give Canadians back their purchasing power. We must do this together.

International Trade

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in Davos, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of diversifying trade markets, and rightly so. However, he himself is blocking a trade agreement with Taiwan. Taiwan's representative in Canada has confirmed that all pages of the agreement have been initialled by both parties and that the document is ready and has been printed in three languages. All that is missing is the Prime Minister's signature. This agreement has been sitting on his desk for nine months.

Is Ottawa abandoning an agreement with a reliable partner because it is afraid of its new Chinese friend?

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

Mr. Speaker, as our colleague correctly pointed out, the government is committed to expanding its partnerships around the world, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.

Canada and Taiwan enjoy strong economic ties and a close relationship. While remaining consistent with our long-standing one China policy, we will continue to advance Canada's interests by diversifying our trade and strengthening our relationships with reliable partners around the world.

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Taiwan is a reliable partner. It is a democracy and a market economy. It is a leader in green technology and AI, fields where trade would be good for Quebec. It is the sixth-largest economy in Asia.

It is exactly the kind of middle power that Canada should join forces with to counter the hegemony of giants, according to the Prime Minister's speech in Davos. However, it is the Prime Minister himself who is blocking the agreement with Taiwan to court China.

Why is the Prime Minister doing the exact opposite of what he said in Davos?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, we are expanding our partnership around the world, including in the Indo-Pacific. Canada and Taiwan enjoy strong economic and people-to-people ties, consistent with our long-standing one China policy. We will continue to stand up for Canadian interests as we diversify trade and strengthen relationships with reliable trading partners around the world.

Public Safety

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here we go again. This time, in Guelph, police warned the community that a high-risk offender with a history of violence and breaching court orders was released after pleading guilty to breaching probation. Police said he posed a danger, especially to women, and less than two hours later, he was arrested again.

This is weak Liberal bail law in action. Once again, the Liberals' principle of restraint put a dangerous offender back on the street.

Will the Prime Minister finally take public safety seriously and repeal Bill C-5 and Bill C-75?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to look at what is in front of us right now, as we speak. We have a number of very important pieces of legislation that will address the issue that my friend opposite brought forward. There is Bill C-12, which is going through the Senate. There is Bill C-9. There is Bill C-14, which speaks to bail reform, as well as ensuring that there is consecutive sentencing. There is also Bill C-16. Again, I ask the members opposite to pass the legislation and make sure it becomes law.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this dangerous release happened for only one reason. Liberal soft-on-crime laws are still on the books, and the government refuses to repeal them. Time after time, Liberal laws put repeat violent offenders back on the street, ignore police warnings and put Canadians in harm's way. Conservatives, on the other hand, are ready to work with anyone in the House to put public safety first and end these dangerous policies.

Will the Prime Minister finally get serious about public safety and work with us to repeal these laws, 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, dangerous people who commit serious crimes should not be allowed to roam freely in our streets where they can reoffend. Now—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. minister can start again.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, they are going to regret their applause in a moment, I can assure members, and that is because when the member posed the question, he blamed the principle of restraint. Let me tell members something about the principle of restraint. It is the subject of a change in Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act that the Conservatives have been obstructing for months. Despite calls from provincial governments, from municipalities and from experts in their field, they have been getting in the way—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

This is supposed to be an exchange of ideas.

The minister may continue with his answer.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, after months and months of Conservatives obstructing bail reform in this country, we have finally seen a spirit of collaboration. My only hope is that the spirit their leader seemed to embody during his opening remarks of this session will be what carries the day, instead of the nonsense we are seeing today in the House.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, on January 27, Charlottetown police responded to a violent home invasion involving assault, an imitation firearm and a chemical irritant. Two individuals known to the victims were arrested. One of the accused is facing multiple charges, including, with no surprise, failure to comply with conditions of release and probation. The Liberal soft-on-crime principle of restraint continues to put dangerous offenders back on the street.

Will the government repeal Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 so that Canadians can once again feel safe in their homes?

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, since taking government, we have had a tough-on-crime agenda. We have six different bills going through the House right now that are all tackling the situations the member mentioned.

It has been eight months since we put in place Bill C-2. We have been waiting on the Conservatives for their co-operation to pass lawful access measures that would help police in their investigations. We have been asking for help on cracking down on fentanyl and tackling organized crime, but they have been stalling and they have been obstructing all along. I hope they will get on board and work with us.

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

Mr. Speaker, last week, a man in Woodbridge was gunned down in broad daylight. This week, a home in Vaughan was targeted for a shooting for the fourth time in five months.

Now the York Regional Police chief has said that police service will not participate in the federal Liberal government's gun grab, because it does not address the underlying sources of gun crime. Most provinces and territories have opted out. Dozens of police services have now refused to participate.

With little support from the police and provinces, will the Liberal government finally end this ideologically driven scheme and focus on stopping illegal guns and repeat violent offenders?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, last week when the Prime Minister met with first ministers from across Canada, all 13 of them unanimously asked for this House to pass Bill C-14. The party opposite is talking about being tough on crime, but it refused to pass the legislation that is required for bail reform, that is going to make consecutive sentences and that is going to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. That is enough talk. We need action.

I urge the party opposite to pass Bill C-14.

Firearms

[Carol Anstey, Conservative, Long Range Mountains, NL]

Mr. Speaker, while violent crime and extortion continue to rise across Canada, the government keeps targeting law-abiding Canadians instead of criminals. Most provinces and territories have told the government they will not participate in the Liberal gun buyback.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the premier has been clear. The Liberals “should focus on criminals, not law-abiding hunters and our way of life.” Dozens of police services have said they will not help carry out this program. Even the minister responsible admitted in private this was a bad idea.

Will the Liberals end this wasteful scheme and stop the gun grab that punishes law-abiding Canadians?

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, like I said before, when it comes to food inflation as well, responsible governments do more. That is why we are also seeing an uptake in people wanting to surrender their prohibited weapons. Over 22,000 people have signed up to get their guns out of our communities. That is progress.

In addition to that, we have put major investments into our borders to catch illegal guns and get them off our streets. We have also put forward measures and legislation to help the police catch criminals and help them with their investigations.

The Conservatives have been obstructing all of those measures. I would ask them to allow Bill C-2 to come to a vote.

Justice

[Amandeep Sodhi, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, from rank-and-file officers to police chiefs, law enforcement from across Canada has asked Parliament to quickly pass Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act, to better address repeat violent offenders. From my own community of Brampton, Mayor Patrick Brown and the Peel Regional Police commend the government on its work and for listening to our communities.

Can the Minister of Justice explain how Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act, delivers on those requests and protects communities?