Debates of Feb. 4th, 2026

Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Act

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last night at the finance committee, the member put some very good questions to the finance minister, and his responses were shameful. The minister did not answer, really, any opposition MPs' questions during his entire hour-long appearance. It was a shameful display from a minister unwilling to answer questions and explain his bill to Canadians.

I want the member to have a chance again to talk about the commitment the minister made that he would bring stability to the prices of groceries. He said that in 2023. Nothing has happened. He was asked pointed questions about competition, which he failed to answer.

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

Mr. Speaker, we know that no one can be asked to do the impossible. We cannot ask the minister to move mountains, although the minister has an unfortunate tendency to create expectations that are impossible to fulfill.

It is true that the Conservatives questioned him about this in committee yesterday. I say this in a non-partisan way. It is a fact that tensions sometimes rise in committees. It is a fact that the questions are sometimes difficult, although at times the ministers ask for it.

When a minister avoids answering a question, wastes time or tries to prevent a member from the other side from asking questions, the result is frustration and a disservice to democracy. We sometimes get the impression that we are being denied our privilege as parliamentarians to ask questions, and situations like that can sometimes create unnecessary tension.

Regardless of my opinion that some of the Conservatives' questions yesterday were not very good, I think that the Minister of Finance did not always act in the service of democracy. I hold him in very high regard, and I think he can do better.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette—Manawan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Mirabel for his eloquent speech. He addressed a number of topics related to the bill. I would like to hear his thoughts on a few things.

First, he pointed out that we are in a kind of oligopoly when it comes to food retailers. He noted that their numbers have declined over the past few decades. How is that putting pressure on people's grocery bills?

Second, the Bloc Québécois has often suggested increasing the GST credit. Can my colleague expand on that a little more? Finally, why was this measure not included in the budget?

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

Mr. Speaker, very quickly, at the height of the inflation crisis in 2022, when inflation was at 6%, 7%, 8%, the Bloc Québécois had called for that. We also called for the frequency of the cheques to be increased.

At the time, the minister said that was inappropriate. All of a sudden, for the same reasons, it became appropriate. As the saying goes, it helps to sleep on it. The minister needed several hundred nights to sleep on it. We congratulate him for seeing common sense.

The Minister of Finance has reformed the Competition Act, but I think it should have been done a long time ago. Indeed, Canada has a serious competition problem in the retail sector, but also throughout the entire supply chain.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak following my colleague from Mirabel. I plan to take a slightly different approach in my speech, in that my speech will focus more on my riding.

My colleague talked about how this measure could look like an election gimmick. He even asked the Minister of Finance if he had his election signs ready. I want to echo what my colleague was saying, because there are many ways the government could help the entire population, and the unilateral policies look a lot like a marketing ploy on the part of the government, which is boasting about the fact that it is going to help some 12 million Canadians and Quebeckers.

For years, everyone has been hammering home the point that people are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table. Whether in Canada or Quebec, the situation is different depending on the community. Not all communities have the same level of wealth. Not all families have the same income or the same salary. Not all of them live in big cities. My colleague mentioned Costco and Walmart. In a riding like mine, sometimes people do not even have a grocery store within a three-hour drive. I will let my colleagues figure out how expensive that can be and what it means for folks in Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan.

That being said, a number of things in my riding could have had a considerable impact. When we talk about the cost of living, of course, the whole issue of groceries comes to mind. Now, we are being told that GST credit increase, as shown, will not be available to everyone. Furthermore, it will not be available quickly. People will have to wait three months. However, when people need money, when they want to eat, there is no time to waste. If people want to make a budget, they need to know how much money they are going to receive so they can stretch it out for the time it takes. I am really talking about stretching it out. I know that the election campaign was about 10 months ago, but I want to show how capable we are of acting fairly quickly to resolve certain situations, in ways other than some marketing stunt like this, even though we agree and we want to put more money in the pockets of Canadians and Quebeckers. That is certain.

The fact remains that there are other ways to help. My colleague mentioned the issue of seniors, for example. Some of them are in vulnerable situations. They are still being discriminated against by the government, yet the government refuses to correct that mistake, its discrimination. That would be a good start. Any change in the tax system that would allow seniors to work would be welcome. Many want to work, but feel that they cannot because any money they make—which could help them make ends meet and put food on the table—would get clawed back. That is one example for seniors. I am in a constituency where there are many seniors in vulnerable situations, living with the challenges that come with rural constituencies like mine. People have to travel 300, 200 or 100 kilometres to get services that will never match what is available in large centres.

When it comes to employment insurance, I say the same thing every time: We need a reform. Once again, the government has been bragging about how it will undertake a reform. It has been 10 years, now going on 11. The Liberals have said in every one of their election platforms that they were going to reform the employment insurance system. It is getting ridiculous. Again, EI is a little bit different everywhere, but in a riding like mine, where many people rely on seasonal industries and there are many seasonal workers, a reform is necessary. These people cannot make it through the whole year.

What the government is doing is preventing people from living in and occupying certain areas. At a time when we are talking about sovereignty and matters of national security, the government is displacing people from their land and driving them out of rural regions like mine. That is one way of doing things, and it kills industries. It can kill industries like the fishery, for example. It harms tourism, of course. The forestry industry is also affected. We should not be looking down on these industries because they are what help communities like mine thrive. Summer is really difficult these days, and I will talk more about the forestry industry later. There is really a need.

Obviously, we would like this to be developed, including secondary and tertiary processing, so that everything does not need to be sent out and people can work all year round. When you live in a region like the Lower North Shore, for example, where there are not necessarily roads connecting every village, where there are fishers with a few processing plants, it is hard to develop while in a constant state of survival. Food prices are not the same as in Montreal or even in certain parts of my riding. We are already facing huge challenges. People do not have the money to invest and grow. They need a big helping hand, more than just a GST rebate.

I said I would come back to forestry. The same goes for the forestry sector. In my riding, some communities are emptying out. It may be an exaggeration to say that entire towns are emptying out, but in places like Port-Cartier, where Arbec is located, and Baie-Comeau, where Domtar is located, hundreds of jobs have been lost, including indirect jobs related to these activities.

There are jobs where the government is telling workers that it will not help them at all. These people have no money left in their pockets. They may have to leave the region. Some have already quit and left. The economy is being destabilized right now, particularly in the forestry sector in my region. It is happening in other places also and some of my colleagues are seeing it as well. This is not helping people put food on the table. People are leaving the regions because of a lack of measures. The government is unable to stimulate the economy. It is not even able to maintain the precarious situations that existed before. Once again, a GST credit will not do any good.

Instead, why not implement a program to temporarily keep workers on the job until disputes are resolved, like the tariffs imposed by the U.S. or the CUSMA renegotiations that will be taking place later on? We remain very vulnerable, and this is yet another blow.

I mentioned EI, seniors and forestry. I would also add temporary foreign workers to the list. It may seem strange to bring this up now, but while it was not a question of cheques being taken away or reducing GST credits, the measures announced by the government in 2024 are having a real impact on our region. The people who came here to work helped companies develop. Some of these businesses, in certain sectors, are not even sure whether they will be able to stay open. They may have to close down or slow down production, simply because they can no longer manage.

The Bloc Québécois is asking for something very simple. Earlier, someone said that all the Bloc does is criticize. That is not true. We have made proposals. Why not put a moratorium on the temporary foreign worker cap? That would give them time to make other arrangements. Can we have discussions about what could be done to allow these people, who are already well established in our regions, to remain there? Our population is declining. I want people to be able to stay in my region, but the message we are sending them is that fishing and forestry are bad.

Nothing is being done for seniors. Like I said earlier, my riding has a lot of seniors. As for young people, the same thing goes for them. Income tax credits could be provided to help young people. Nothing was said about housing. All of these things are interconnected. There is more to it than groceries alone. What people spend on groceries is money not spent on housing. There are a lot of factors involved.

I could also mention Nutrition North Canada. People forget that in some places, especially in indigenous communities, in northern regions like mine or in remote areas, food prices are already extremely high, and nothing has been resolved. Nothing was resolved before we started talking about it more in connection with certain urban or non-indigenous communities. Things are still the same in my riding: In the north, in indigenous communities, everything is already extremely expensive. No help is on the way, and prices keep going up for them too. Some programs should be reviewed. Once again, the GST cannot fix these situations. It is a band-aid solution, a marketing ploy.

I also talked about indigenous issues. I am now the indigenous affairs critic. Perhaps some people forget about these communities too often, because food insecurity affects them, too. I would like everyone to really pay attention to this. I said that it affects those communities, and it has for a long time. This is nothing new. The housing we are talking about is really not a new issue for them either.

The Bloc Québécois supports a measure like this one, but we believe that the government can do better. In any case, we can see that it is increasing its deficit by $3 billion, an amount that will climb to $12 billion, simply to get some good press. Meanwhile, people have basic needs, such as housing and food, and they need help with that now. The Bloc Québécois is proposing solutions to achieve that.

[Caroline Desrochers, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure]

Madam Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague. I know she works hard for her constituents.

I am a bit surprised to hear her say that we are not doing anything about affordability when her party keeps blocking measures that the government is putting in place to try and make life more affordable for people.

It is a shame that she calls the Canada groceries and essentials benefit a marketing ploy. I think she is forgetting about all the other measures it includes, like investments in the agri-food sector to increase production. I was pleased to hear her say that the Bloc Québécois was going to support this measure.

Now, the big question is this: Will the Bloc Québécois support the budget implementation act, which will really make a difference in people's lives?

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Madam Speaker, as an elected official, I believe that we can make a difference every day in our work for our constituents, for Quebeckers, for Canadians. Of course, we will see what happens when it comes time to vote. I think that sometimes voting against certain measures also sends a signal to do better. It is one way of sending that message.

Obviously, we are willing to admit when a measure is good. At the same time, measures should be designed to reach as many people as possible. There are other targeted measures that could also be worth looking at. I do not think it is going to solve anything. That is basically the message I was sending. I understand that there is good faith, but I do not think this is going to solve the issue.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, obviously, the price of groceries is very high because of Liberal policies. It is higher than in other countries. In our opinion, the industrial carbon tax has contributed significantly to the increase in grocery prices. I would like to hear my colleague's opinion on this tax. Does the Bloc Québécois support our position that this tax should be eliminated?

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Madam Speaker, I might actually turn that question back over to my colleague. I agree that prices are high. For me, the important thing is to find a solution. If building pipelines and increasing oil and gas consumption means that we pay a carbon tax, I imagine that the more appropriate thing would be to reduce that consumption and production so that we do not have to pay the tax.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech and for her excellent work. She raised a number of important points, and I want to pick up on a few of them. Of course we agree that this GST credit was necessary. However, I think we need more meaningful measures, which are being discussed in our ridings.

I would like to give my colleague the opportunity to talk more about the issues the Liberals are dragging their feet on, such as real EI reform. I know she can attest to the fact that, at the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, the Liberals do not really want this reform, which was proposed some time ago. It could really help some people and would be much more transformative than the GST holiday.

I would also like to come back to the issue of foreign workers. I know that a group of chambers of commerce was here earlier this week to talk about how essential these workers are to supporting businesses in the regions. I will give my colleague the opportunity to talk about these two measures, among others.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I would also like to commend the organization Action‑Chômage Côte‑Nord, which is working tirelessly to make elected officials aware of the need to modernize the Employment Insurance Act. My colleague Louise Chabot, who is no longer a member of Parliament, introduced a bill in November 2024 to completely overhaul EI. We do not need to have the Bloc Québécois's name on it, though. If the government wants to take it on and amend the act, the bill is ready. The consultations have been done. We are ready.

However, I must say that this is an excellent example of how the measure fails to meet the needs of people back home who work in seasonal industries. The government is talking about issuing a cheque for a small amount every three months. However, people cannot make it through the year because they cannot work, there is no investment and they do not have access to EI. I must say, if I could choose, I would rather have support that would help me feed my family year-round.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Madawaska—Restigouche.

I am pleased to speak today in support of Bill C-19, an important measure that aims to provide Canadians with a tangible way to cope with the cost of living, particularly the cost of groceries and essentials. This bill will amend the Income Tax Act to increase the maximum annual amounts of the GST credit by 50% for the 2025-26 benefit year. It also provides for an additional 25% increase in these amounts starting in the 2025-26 benefit year, for a period of five years.

The need for the new Canada groceries and essentials benefit is simple and clear. It will help more than 12 million Canadians afford everyday essentials, starting in the spring of 2026. We know that lower-income Canadians are struggling to absorb the rising cost of food and other basic expenses. Prices remain too high, and this reality is evident in all our communities.

The cost of living is a major concern for Canadians, and no less for our government. For us, affordability is a key priority of action, and we are constantly on the lookout for concrete solutions to address the challenges confronting households. The GST credit increase and this new benefit are other examples of our determination, in an uncertain world, to focus on things within our control by taking direct action to put more money back in the pockets of Canadians and make life more affordable.

This benefit builds on the existing GST credit to provide additional support amounting to $11.7 billion over six years. Our goal is to provide a one-time top-up as soon as possible in the spring of 2026. This one-time payment alone will deliver $3.1 billion in additional support to individuals and families already receiving the GST credit. Starting in July 2026, the 5-year 25% increase in the Canada grocery and essentials benefit will deliver $8.6 billion in additional support between 2026 and 2031. In all, these measures amount to $402 additional dollars for a single person with no children, $527 for a couple with no children and $805 for a couple with two children. These amounts are intended to directly offset the increased cost of groceries, which has outpaced the overall rate of inflation ever since the pandemic.

To illustrate the impact this measure will have in concrete terms, a single senior with $25,000 in net income would receive a one-time top-up of $267 plus a longer-term increase of $136 for the 2026-27 benefit year, for a total increase of $402. In total, this person would receive $950 for the 2026-27 benefit year. Similarly, a couple with two children with $40,000 in net income would receive a one-time top-up of $533 plus an increase of $272 for a total increase of $805. In total, this family would receive $1,890 for the 2026-27 benefit year.

After the one-time top-up payment is made in the spring of 2026, eligible families and individuals will receive the enriched regular payments as of July 2026. These payments will be made at the start of each quarter to permit timely access to the funds to help families with day-to-day expenses.

These amounts will be in addition to existing benefits like the Canada child benefit, the Canada disability benefit and the guaranteed income supplement.

It is important to note that recipients will not have to apply to receive these additional payments. However, they will need to have filed their 2024 tax return to receive the one-time payment and their 2025 tax return to receive the increased payments starting in July 2026.

In my riding of Alfred‑Pellan, this measure will have a very real impact. Alfred‑Pellan is home to many families, workers, newcomers and seniors who live alone. These are hard-working people who contribute to the vitality of our community and who are telling us very clearly that the cost of groceries is putting increasing pressure on their budgets. For these households, a few hundred extra dollars can have a real and immediate impact.

I also want to mention the other important measures announced by the Prime Minister in conjunction with the announcement for the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. These measures are part of a comprehensive approach to address food insecurity, support farmers and strengthen supply chains.

They include setting aside $500 million from the strategic response fund to help businesses address the costs of supply chain disruptions without passing those costs on to Canadians at the checkout line.

These measures also include creating a $150-million food security fund for small and medium enterprises and the organizations that support them, as well as providing $20 million to the local food infrastructure fund to ease immediate pressures with food banks.

In addition, we are taking measures to lower the cost of food production, such as accelerated depreciation for greenhouse buildings and the development of a national food security strategy to tackle the root causes of food insecurity by strengthening domestic food production and improving access to affordable, nutritious food.

The cost of groceries and essentials is still too high. Too many Canadians are still struggling to put food on the table. Affordability pressures, particularly those associated with food, demand an immediate response. That is why our government is taking action through concrete, responsible solutions to make life more affordable.

The new Canada groceries and essentials benefit will deliver real help to thousands upon thousands of Canadians. We estimate that 12.6 million individuals and families will receive this benefit, which provides material support where it is most needed. I therefore urge all members to support Bill C-19 in order to offer tangible relief to Canadians.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech, and I think he knows full well that the Bloc Québécois will support Bill C-19. We heard from a lot of members of my party who have indicated that we will be supporting this bill.

There is one issue that keeps coming up that I am really concerned about. We get a lot of calls in our riding offices from people who say that they need more income to be able to meet their obligations and pay their monthly bills. I am wondering whether my colleague thinks that the measure would have been even more effective if the payments were made monthly instead of quarterly. Many people are borrowing money or living off their credit cards so that they can pay the bills.

If the GST credit was paid every month, it might better support people who live at home and who really struggle to make ends meet at the end of the month. Does my colleague not agree that it would be better to issue the payments monthly rather than quarterly?

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Madam Speaker, this bill is in addition to the Canadian dental care plan, $10-a-day child care, Canada's national school food program and the middle-class tax cuts. This is not an isolated measure. It is part of a coherent plan to improve affordability. That is the important thing. The important thing is not when the amount will be paid, but that an amount will be paid, whether quarterly or monthly.

The important thing is that the Government of Canada is taking action to meet a vital need.

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

Madam Speaker, a lot of comments have been made about the essentials benefit as though it is the government's only measure. I want to hear some more insight into what the long-term measures in the bill consist of.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Madam Speaker, this support, this help, will make a big difference for people in need. It is not just for food banks. It can also help pay rent or other expenses. It really meets a need for all vulnerable families. It is clear that this is going to help 12 million Canadians.

The important thing is that there is support that will help 12 million Canadians. The important thing is that Canadians will get to decide how they will spend the money to meet their needs.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Madam Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague how today's announcement regarding Bill C-19 fits into a broader strategy to address the cost of living in Canada. In other words, how will it help Canadians deal with the rising cost of living and how will it strengthen food security? This is not a stand-alone measure. It is part of a plethora of other measures that really help Canadians.

I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Madam Speaker, Bill C‑19 is not ideological. It is pragmatic. It puts money in the pockets of Canadians who need it quickly and efficiently.

This is not about scoring points. It is about who is prepared to deliver results for Canadian families. We are taking action, not leaving Canadians to suffer economic consequences.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, when we are talking about food costs, we have to look at the corporate profits. I know big grocery stores are making big profits.

Where I live, in coastal British Columbia, when it comes to fish and independent fish harvesters, a lot of the quota licences are held by a handful of fishers. We call them slipper skippers or armchair fishers because they hold the licences and then lease them out to fishers, who do not actually make very much money. As well, the consumer ends up paying more money.

Does my colleague agree that this model needs to be changed, that anybody out fishing should be making the profit and that this would lower prices for consumers at the end of the day?

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Madam Speaker, hundreds of thousands of Quebeckers, including many seniors, will benefit directly from this measure. In Laval, in Alfred-Pellan, single seniors will receive up to $950 for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

A refusal to approve this assistance on ideological grounds would be difficult to explain to Quebeckers and Canadians who are struggling to pay for groceries.

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Madam Speaker, today we are discussing an important bill that will roll out the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. This benefit is based on the existing GST credit. It will put more money in the pockets of Canadians who need it most. People with low or modest incomes will see an increase in the amount of money they receive. We are doing this because we recognize that there is a real need to help people.

When I travel around my constituency, people talk to me about the cost of living. It is a top issue for Canadians. As a government, we have a duty to listen and take action to meet people's needs. That is why the objective of this measure is to provide immediate assistance to those who need it most. It is part of another package of measures we have put in place, in the 2025 budget and over the past few years, to help Canadians cope with the rising cost of living.

If we really want to have a long-term impact, we need to address the root causes that are making groceries more expensive today. I am very pleased that our government has announced it intends to develop a food security strategy. The goal is to increase domestic food production and ensure that more of the food on our plates comes from Canada. I would love to see more chicken from Upper Madawaska, more potatoes from Grand Falls and more vegetables from growers like Légumier du Madawaska or Jardins de Georges in Saint‑Quentin on my plate. To do that, we need to create incentives to help our food businesses.

Why is it important to reduce our dependence on international imports? When we look at the causes of food inflation, we see that there are a number of factors that go beyond Canada's borders. I am thinking in particular of disruptions to supply chains around the world that may be caused by the post-pandemic context, but also by global conflicts happening around the world. I am also thinking of the tariff disputes that are affecting supply chains and the cost of food. Also, when we import a lot of our food, like most of our produce, which comes from abroad in the winter because of our climate, fluctuations in exchange rates will have a significant impact on the price of groceries. In short, if we really want to address the root causes of rising grocery prices, we need to improve food security and help Canadian businesses increase their production.

Given the tariff war, we have earmarked $500 million in the strategic response fund to help food sector businesses cope with tariff shocks. The aim is to help these businesses avoid passing on the financial impact of tariffs to consumers at grocery store checkouts. Similarly, we have earmarked $150 million in the regional tariff response initiative to support the food sector.

As we develop our strategy, we will also review the rules surrounding unit product labelling in grocery stores. Our goal is to help Canadians make informed grocery choices and give them a good idea of the price they will pay at the checkout. We will also review competition rules. In particular, we will ensure that the Competition Bureau has more oversight over the activities of food sector businesses. Why are we doing this? It is because fair competition ultimately benefits consumers by creating downward pressure on prices.

We will also introduce tax incentives to encourage the construction of more greenhouses in Canada. As I mentioned earlier, we face a challenge here in Canada in that, with the winter, we cannot produce as many fruits and vegetables as we would like throughout the year. We want more greenhouses so that we can produce food all 12 months of the year here at home. More specifically, we will be rolling out immediate expensing for greenhouses acquired on or after November 4, 2025, and that become available for use before 2030.

This is a whole suite of measures. More measures are coming that will ensure that Canada has a proper food security strategy to address rising food costs. This is a top priority for Canadians, and it is also a priority for our government to respond to the challenges caused by soaring prices.

If we want to strengthen Canadians' purchasing power in the long term, it is important to strengthen the Canadian economy. Last spring, we were elected with a mandate to make the Canadian economy stronger, more resilient and unified.

From day one, we got down to work. We eliminated the federal barriers to interprovincial trade. Our Prime Minister travelled around the world to forge new trade partnerships with different countries and to attract foreign investment to Canada. We also included tax incentives in budget 2025 to encourage investment. For example, entrepreneurs who want to buy equipment to boost their productivity will be able to deduct more pieces of equipment on their tax returns. We also included various measures in budget 2025 to encourage innovation, such as the enhancement of the scientific research and experimental development tax incentive program. These are practical measures that increase our Canadian businesses' productivity and thus strengthen our economy.

We also announced our buy Canadian policy because we believe that the federal government must be its own best customer. We have a lot of purchasing power, and we want to use that power to benefit Canadian businesses. In practical terms, that means government investments in infrastructure. We announced a whole series of historic investments in infrastructure and housing in budget 2025, and we want to prioritize Canadian materials, such as our softwood lumber and steel. Softwood lumber is an important industry in my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche because it is at the heart of our local economy. As a government, we feel it is important to be there for the industry when it is struggling. That is why we implemented a strategic response fund to help softwood lumber companies deal with the current tariff crisis.

Why am I talking today about the need to strengthen the Canadian economy and build a stronger economy? The idea is that a stronger economy benefits everyone. With a stronger economy, all Canadians will have a shot at better career and employment opportunities, higher wages and therefore increased purchasing power. All the work we are doing to transform and strengthen the Canadian economy is for the benefit of all Canadians so that, in the medium and long term, everyone can increase their purchasing power.

Today, we are discussing the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, which is a measure based on income. I would like to mention an initiative that we put in place in budget 2025 that will help ensure that the money we are offering truly makes it into the pockets of Canadians who need it most.

We have a problem right now, which is that millions of low-income Canadians do not file an income tax return, often because of a lack of resources or support or out of the mistaken belief that they do not need to file if they have a low income. As a result, millions of Canadians are missing out on essential federal benefits that they are entitled to. I am thinking here of the new Canada groceries and essentials benefit in particular, but also of the Canada child benefit, the Canada workers' benefit and all of the other income-related federal benefits.

The solution we came up with was to introduce automatic federal benefits starting in the 2026 tax year. This program will be phased in and fully implemented by 2028. This will help an estimated 5.5 million Canadians. We are talking about people who often have very low incomes; these benefits will significantly improve their lives. The people affected will first have the opportunity to review a pre-filled income tax return and confirm whether the information is correct. Then, the Canada Revenue Agency will be able to automatically submit a tax return on their behalf. Of course, if they want to file their own tax return, they can do so. This measure is really targeted to help people who are not currently filing a tax return and therefore losing access to essential benefits that can help meet their needs.

Lastly, I want to mention that the benefit that will be implemented by Bill C‑19 is part of a whole suite of measures to help Canadians deal with the cost of living. I am thinking in particular of the middle-class tax cut that we announced at the beginning of our mandate last spring. I am also thinking of the national school food program, which we are making permanent in budget 2025, the Canada child benefit, the affordable child care program, the Canadian dental care plan and all the other social measures we have put in place over the past few years.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Madam Speaker, as always, I greatly appreciated the speech by my colleague across the floor. It is a pleasure to hear him speak. He is a new MP, and I honestly think that he has learned a lot, very quickly.

I know that my colleague is a thorough and hard-working member of Parliament who knows his files. In his speech, he said that budget measures had been announced to help people. I wonder why, three months after the budget was tabled, a budget measure is being introduced in a separate bill. My colleague is well aware that the Standing Committee on Finance is currently studying Bill C-15, which implements the budget that was presented.

Why did his government not include this measure in its budget three months ago?

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Madam Speaker, the cost of living and affordability are top concerns for Canadians. We want to listen to Canadians and meet their needs on an ongoing basis.

In budget 2025, we implemented a number of measures that directly address the issue of the cost of living. I am thinking of the middle-class tax cut, the school food program becoming permanent, and the investments we will be making in infrastructure, including affordable housing. Budget 2025 already includes a whole suite of measures to directly address the cost of living. I hope we will see it back in the House very soon so we can pass it at third reading.

With respect to the measure we are currently studying, we brought it forward because we realized that people needed help right now. Budget 2025 includes several measures to transform and strengthen the Canadian economy and enhance purchasing power in the long term. In the meantime, we wanted to make sure that Canadians got help right now. This is yet another measure that will put money back in the pockets of Canadians right away.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Madam Speaker, once again, we have seen this before. The Liberal government is trying to address a structural problem by providing short-term relief measures. As we have seen in the past, when these kinds of measures are temporary and short-lived, they do not help the cost of living. While these programs are being offered, the cost of living is still rising.

I want to challenge the government to provide one example of these kinds of measures creating long-term, sustainable and measurable reductions in grocery prices. If this has not worked before, why would the government believe that this time it would work?

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Madam Speaker, I would like to remind the member that his party supports Bill C-19, from what I understand, and I think it is a welcome measure that will receive unanimous support in the House.

My colleague talks about structural problems. In fact, I would say that a bigger structural problem is our Conservative colleagues' unwillingness to help Canadians in need. Every time we propose measures to help Canadians cope with the cost of living, our official opposition colleagues vote them down. We want to make the school food program permanent, but they oppose it. That in itself is not surprising, because their leader has been opposing it for years and has been saying that the school food program will serve to feed the bureaucracy rather than the children. I would invite my opposition colleagues to visit schools and see how this program is really making a difference. More than 400,000 children now have access to healthy meals in the morning.

The Conservatives opposed the Canadian dental care plan and the affordable child care program. Speaking of the affordable child care program, one of the first speeches given by the Leader of the Opposition in 2005 was to oppose public funding for child care. When it comes to structural problems, I would say that the bigger problem is our Conservative colleagues' unwillingness to help Canadians in need.