Debates of Feb. 5th, 2026

International Development Week

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, International Development Week is a moment to reflect on how global challenges are connected and how smart investments can create lasting change.

One of the major drivers of food insecurity is climate change, especially in the world's most vulnerable communities. That is why Canada is investing in women and economic empowerment as part of its international development efforts.

I joined Mennonite Central Committee Canada, Canadian Lutheran World Relief and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank for a breakfast on the Hill. Speakers shared that Canada's ODA investments are delivering results, and that when women have access to resources, education and leadership opportunities, families eat better, communities grow stronger and local economies become more resilient.

This International Development Week, I would like to thank all organizations, team members, volunteers and donors for their contributions to making Waterloo, Canada and the world a better place. Their efforts demonstrate what it means to be Canadian, and by working together, we can deliver prosperity through partnerships.

Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised to build homes at a speed not seen since the Second World War. That was the rhetoric, but it was just an illusion because the CEO of Build Canada Homes came to Parliament this week and told us that, in fact, just nine homes are built and move-in ready.

That is the reality, and it is a stark and disappointing reality for young Canadians who face it every day. Their ambition to own a home has turned into disappointment, and that disappointment is turning into defeat. New home sales are down 45% in the GTA, and the Canadian Home Builders' Association warns that we are in for a lost decade of home ownership.

On this side of the House, our Conservative message is one of hope, as it always has been. We have offered the government several positive solutions such as to incentivize towns and cities to reduce development charges, tie funding to results, not just promises, and reward those who build.

For the sake of the next generation, will the Liberals please stop obstructing these ideas and get out of the way?

2026 Olympic Winter Games

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, February 6, the 2026 Olympic Winter Games will officially open in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.

I want to extend my best wishes to all Canadian athletes competing, with a special cheer for those representing the national capital region: Zachary Connelly, Mike Evelyn O’Higgins, Antoine Cyr, Paul Poirier, Kayle Osborne, Isabelle Weidemann, Katherine Stewart-Jones, Rachel Homan, Emma Miskew, Cédrick Brunet, Jared Schmidt, Hannah Schmidt and Valérie Grenier.

I cannot help but express my pride by recognizing our local hero, Ivanie Blondin from Orléans, who will be defending her title as a speed skating champion.

I wish the very best of luck to every Canadian athlete. Canada is behind them all the way.

Go, Canada, go!

Cost of Food

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, three years ago, the finance minister met with major grocers, promising to stabilize food prices. Since then, Canada now leads the G7 in food inflation. Now he is rolling out another temporary rebate of about five dollars a week for a $300 grocery bill. We will take it, but it barely makes a dent.

Meanwhile, according to Food Banks Canada, almost 20% of food bank clients are employed full time. Food inflation is now hitting working Canadians hard. Food inflation is now twice as high as when the Prime Minister took office.

Local food banks in my riding are feeling it too. The Wheatland County Food Bank reported record demand in 2025, with the highest numbers it has ever seen.

The Liberals can blame global factors all they want, but the reality is that their fuel standard adds 7¢ a litre today and 17¢ tomorrow, and that hits farmers, truckers and the cost of food for every family. We would think Liberals would stop obstructing common-sense solutions and actually cut the cost of food for Canadians.

International Development Week

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week, we mark International Development Week, a time to recognize the people and partnerships that help build a safer, healthier and more prosperous world.

At a time when the world is facing growing conflict, humanitarian crises, climate change and economic uncertainty, international development work is more important than ever.

I want to thank Canadians working across the international development sector in NGOs, multilateral institutions, community organizations and public service, who dedicate their skills and compassion to improving the lives of those around the globe. Their work supports women and girls, strengthens health and education systems, responds to emergencies and helps communities build resilience in the face of instability and poverty. Often working in difficult and uncertain conditions, they reflect the best of Canada's values: co-operation, respect and shared humanity.

International development is all about partnership, dignity and long-term impact, and it remains essential to building a more stable and connected world for all of us. On behalf of the House, I want to thank them for their commitment and their service. I thank them for their work.

Sebastian Halmagean

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, I had a heartbreaking conversation with Kru Alin Halmagean, a friend of mine who had just learned of the loss of his heroic son, Gunner Sebastian Halmagean.

Since Confederation, countless Canadians have answered their nation's call to serve, sacrifice and, all too often, never come home. Prime Minister Borden, speaking in 1916, remarked:

...[on] the solemn truth that the nation is not constituted of the living alone. There are those as well who have passed away and those yet to be born. So this...responsibility comes to us as heirs of the past and trustees of the future.

Sebastian told his father, who shared with me, that he wanted every young person to know that sacrifice and commitment to the Canadian Armed Forces was noble and worthy.

I want to thank him for his service and his ultimate sacrifice, offer my prayers and love to his wonderful family and, on behalf of all Parliamentarians, say that we will never forget what he gave us.

Black History Month

[Abdelhaq Sari, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, as part of Black History Month, we celebrate the Black community's history, resilience, and its important contributions to Canadian society.

This is an everyday reality in Bourassa, thanks in particular to a large concentration of Canadians of Haitian origin and from around the world, whose commitment and solidarity enrich my riding and those of my colleagues here.

For generations, Black women and men have contributed to Canada in all areas, strengthening our cohesion and shaping a more just and inclusive country.

Black History Month is a time for remembrance, but also a time for pride and recognition. It reminds us that diversity is a strength for our country.

Beyond our differences, beyond our origins, we are one people and one alone, united by the values of dignity, respect and solidarity.

The Economy

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians need hope. They need the hope of affordable groceries. However, since this Prime Minister came to power and promised to be judged by grocery prices, costs have been rising twice as fast, the fastest among all the G7 countries. I asked the Prime Minister why. He said it was because of our weak dollar. He is the one who should be protecting it.

Can the Prime Minister explain why he has given us a weak dollar and expensive groceries?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to refer to a letter dated January 24, 2026. In it, the Leader of the Opposition invited his colleagues to turn the rhetoric into reality.

What we are seeing right now is obstruction. Canadians asked us to present a plan to grow the Canadian economy, to protect Canada's sovereignty, to ensure that Canadian families, seniors and young people have a promising future.

Will the Leader of the Opposition support the government in passing the 2025 budget?

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, since we are quoting people, he is the one who said in 2023 that he was going to stabilize grocery prices by Thanksgiving. It is now more than two years later, and the cost of groceries is rising twice as fast. We actually have the worst food inflation in the G7, and the finance minister who caused these problems is still here.

Why does the Prime Minister continue with the inflationary taxes and deficits that make food unaffordable for Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will take the liberty of helping the Leader of the Opposition. He is the one who wrote on January 24, 2026, “Time to turn rhetoric into reality.” It is time to stop the obstruction.

I know that the Leader of the Opposition was likely very preoccupied with his own future recently, but had he seen the measure that we announced to ensure food security for Canadians, he would have noticed that there will be a benefit to help families and that $500 million will be invested into producing more food. The most important thing is that he now has an opportunity to support the government in helping Canadians.

Automotive Industry

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal government, and under that particular minister, auto production has fallen by half. After the Prime Minister was elected promising that he would protect the auto industry and get a deal with the U.S. by July 21, he broke both of those promises. Since then, there have been job losses at CAMI Ingersoll, GM Oshawa, Stellantis Brampton and Paccar in Quebec.

Today, he finally flip-flopped on his cherished EV mandate, but he is bringing in a new subsidy for people to buy American-made automobiles. Why is he forcing Canadian workers to pay taxes to subsidize American vehicles?

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

Mr. Speaker, I know it is Thursday, but I have good news for the Leader of the Opposition. I have very good news for him and for Canadians. It is called the Canada auto strategy. In fact, today the Prime Minister of Canada was standing up for Canadian workers and the Canadian industry for the future of the industry in this country.

The Conservatives can yell as much as they want to, but the workers know what we have done for them. They know what we are doing today and what we are going to do in the future. We will build Canada strong.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the minister was in charge of industrial policies as the minister of industry while automobile production fell in Canada by half. Now, under the Prime Minister, we have lost 5,000 more auto jobs.

Here is the deal that he announced today: The American President will continue to tariff Canadian-made automobiles going into the U.S. while Canadian taxpayers will be forced to subsidize American vehicles coming back into Canada. Instead of subsidizing American vehicles and killing Canadian jobs, why will he not take our plan to take the GST off of Canadian-made automobiles?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will tell the Leader of the Opposition that, under my watch, for the first time in Canadian history, we got a European manufacturer to invest in our country. It is called Volkswagen. It is called St. Thomas. It is called the car of the future. Volkswagen has invested a record amount in Canada.

The Conservatives can yell as much as they want, but the people in St. Thomas know who did it. They know what we are doing today, and they know we are going to support our workers, our industry and the auto sector in this country. We will let the Conservatives continue to criticize.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he is literally yelling for us to stop yelling.

This is an example of the Liberal illusion. The Prime Minister has put in charge of finance the former industry minister, who is responsible for auto production in Canada falling by half and the present collapse of auto production and jobs in our country. The Prime Minister broke his promise to negotiate a deal with the U.S., and now he wants to subsidize U.S.-made vehicles.

Why not take the taxes off Canadian-made vehicles so we can bring home jobs to our country?

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not need to speak loudly because Canadians know what we did. If he wants to look at what we did under my watch, let him talk about Windsor and about NextStar.

What we did was see where the puck was going. That is truly Canadian. We are making sure that we build not only the auto sector of today but also the auto sector of tomorrow. We understood, and it is not even just Canadians. Bloomberg said that Canada would have the most complete supply chain when it comes to EV. We are proud of our record. We are proud to invest in Canadian workers, and we will build the industry of the future together.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Bloomberg just said that the economy in Canada is shrinking under that minister and the Prime Minister.

Going from failed economic Liberal policy to failed immigration Liberal policy, Liberals have unleashed an extortion crisis by allowing Bishnoi gangsters into our country without screening. Now they are allowing them to stay here even after they are convicted if they make a phony refugee claim. Conservatives moved a motion at committee to kick extortionists out of our country after they have been convicted; Liberals voted it down.

Will they join with us, stop obstructing and pass an amendment to the law so we can kick extortionists and fake refugee claimants out of Canada?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to extortion, the Conservatives have been uniquely unhelpful in advancing the laws that police are telling us they need to combat it.

I received a message this morning from Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton, saying that the Peel Regional Police have asked him to pass along the message that the strong borders act is necessary to provide lawful access to help law enforcement break up extortion rings. For months, Conservatives have obstructed measures that would make bail and sentencing tougher on extortionists.

It is one thing to stand up and make noise in the House of Commons; it is another to get the laws adopted. Let us do the job Canadians demand.

Pensions

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some pensioners have not received their OAS benefits in nine months. Public servants warned the government last summer that it was due to Cúram. However, the Liberals did not listen to public servants. Instead, they silenced them.

This is what the government told public servants to do: Do not let Canadians know that delays or errors in payments are due to Cúram.

Why is the government going after whistle-blowers instead of helping pensioners?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, the department is making every effort to quickly resolve issues related to claims. This involves improving training so that staff are able to process claims more quickly. We are already seeing some positive signs that this training is producing results.

Our office has reached out to the members opposite. If they know of any urgent cases, I encourage them to contact my office so we can address their problems.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some seniors are not getting their OAS pension. Instead of helping them, the Liberals are trying to protect themselves. This is extremely troubling, because the same Cúram software that is experiencing major failures will also be used for employment insurance and the federal pension plan.

By downplaying the problems instead of fixing them, the Liberals are creating the perfect conditions for a fiasco that will make Phoenix look like a minor hiccup.

When will they fix the problems instead of intimidating public servants?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Secretary of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, our government is protecting seniors. We have increased old age security. We are providing dental care, and we are building housing for seniors.

We are now modernizing the digital benefits system in order to provide seniors with better service.

I invite the member opposite to give me their names, and we will help them.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we frankly have to wonder whether the ministers read the francophone media. If they did, then they would stop downplaying the problems faced by pensioners who are not receiving their OAS pension. If they did, then they would also know that public servants have been forced to become whistle-blowers because they are fed up with being silenced instead of supported.

Enough is enough. There are pension mistakes because of the Cúram software, as every public servant has said. The Liberals seem to be putting more energy into trying to put a lid on the problem than solving it. When are they going to take action?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, I do read the francophone media, but I also work in English and French, as do many people in the House.

I will also say that we have focused all our resources on making sure that we get through the waiting list. It is shrinking every day. I thank the civil service for making the effort to learn this system and learn it well.

As I mentioned, we have been in contact with these members of Parliament. If they have urgent cases, I ask them to please send them to me. We have not yet received any names.