Debates of Feb. 9th, 2026

Pensions

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister said that 85,000 retirees are having problems with their old age security payments because of the federal government.

When 85,000 people are affected, it is time for the Liberals to stop treating them as isolated cases. The government needs to pour resources into resolving these cases, which are piling up in Ottawa. The problems with the Cúram software need to be fixed. Civil servants need help to better serve the public. At the very least, Ottawa needs to start taking the problems seriously.

When will the federal government get to work for these people?

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

Mr. Speaker, there are seven million Canadians receiving OAS.

The computer systems used to administer this program have been modernized. This improvement and modernization of government systems will enable seniors to register online instead of waiting at a Service Canada office or on the phone, for example.

Those 85,000 people are still 85,000 too many, we agree, but the errors are being corrected and people will be—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Kildonan—St. Paul.

Automotive Industry

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Liberal government announced $2.3 billion in subsidies to buy electric vehicles. Electric vehicles manufactured in the United States will be eligible for this subsidy. It is inconceivable that the Liberal government would launch a multi-billion dollar, taxpayer-funded program that will directly benefit the American auto sector at a time when Trump's tariff war has cost Canada 5,000 jobs and counting in our auto sector.

Will the Liberal government reverse course and stop American access to the $2.3-billion subsidy, yes or no?

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

Mr. Speaker, indeed, I have good news. Last week we announced our auto strategy based on two objectives. The first is making sure we support auto production here in Canada and support those who invest in us, basically the companies that produce cars in Canada. The second is making sure that we embrace where the industry is, which is electrification, and where it is going.

Apart from the Conservatives, everybody has been in favour of it: Premier Ford, the unions, the industry and even environmentalists and consumer groups. Why do the Conservatives not get—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Kildonan—St. Paul.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, do members also know who is in favour of this? It is Donald Trump, because $2.3 billion is now accessible to his auto market, when his tariff war is costing our economy thousands of jobs. It is, again, inconceivable that the Liberals would manufacture a program that gives the American market access to billions of taxpayer dollars.

Why would we subsidize the American auto sector at a time like this? Will the Liberals reverse course, yes or no?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time and respect for my colleague, but I must say I do not understand why no Conservatives will ever say that they oppose the U.S. tariffs on auto workers. I do not understand why they have not been vocal in defending the jobs in Brampton, and in Ingersoll at GM, saying that the U.S. tariffs on auto workers are unjustified and unjustifiable.

Meanwhile, we will make sure, as we did in the 1980s when auto plants from American car companies were being closed, that we embrace the Japanese automakers. We will do that, and we will endorse companies that build EVs.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the happiest person in North America when the Liberals announced their EV subsidy plan was Donald J. Trump. Let me explain.

He has explicitly said he wants to take every single Canadian auto job and bring it down to the United States. Under the Liberals, he is succeeding; 5,000 auto workers have lost their jobs. The plant in Brampton that was supposed to build the Jeep Compass is now in the United States. The U.S. is succeeding under the Liberals. Auto workers do not want their tax dollars going to subsidizing American-made vehicles.

Will the minister look auto workers in the face today and say that no Canadian tax dollars will go to Trump's America to build vehicles?

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

Mr. Speaker, do members know what we do on this side of the aisle? We look people in the eye and say we will defend their jobs, and that is exactly what this auto strategy is about. It is about supporting auto production in Canada. We are making sure that we are talking to Koreans, to Germans and to Chinese to create good jobs in this country.

We will not just let our industry go bit by bit to the south. We will fight for these jobs. We have an auto strategy, and the Conservatives should get with the program.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I almost feel bad for the minister, pathetically trying to justify sending money to Donald Trump's America to subsidize the production of American EVs. The President has declared economic war on Canada. He has said he wants every single Canadian auto job in the United States, and under the Liberals, he is succeeding. The Canadian auto economy is being decimated. The Liberals' plan is to allow the American auto manufacturers access to Canadian dollars for EV subsidies. It is disgraceful. It is unconscionable.

Will the minister apologize to Canadian auto workers for this terrible policy?

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague's increasing his rhetoric does not actually make him right. What is right is that we have met the tariffs by the U.S. administration against our auto workers with countertariffs. Every time production reduced in Canada, what did we do? We made sure that we limited market access. We limited it to Stellantis by 50% and also to GM by 24.2%. We will invest in the companies that invest in us, and we will make sure to create good jobs in this country.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, CAMI workers were devastated last year when they lost their jobs, but it got worse. Last week they received their layoff payout, only to see that more than half of it was clawed back in taxes. That is thousands of dollars, and many of them cannot afford to wait for next year's tax return. They need the money now to pay their bills, their mortgage and their rent, and to put food on the table.

Will the Liberals work with us, stand with CAMI auto workers and provide immediate tax relief so they can afford to live?

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

Mr. Speaker, the only party fighting against workers is the party opposite, whose members voted against the budget, wherein we outline the work we have been doing to protect workers for exactly this situation. Thanks to the proactive vision of the government to protect workers in these situations, workers who are separated from their employment can now keep their last pay. They do not have to wait for EI, and indeed, long-tenured workers like many of these, will receive an additional 20 weeks of benefits on top of supports for readjustment.

We have been there for workers, we will be there and we certainly will not vote against them.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I did not get an answer to my question, but it is sadly ironic that while Canadian workers are losing their jobs, and while more than half of their payouts are taken by taxes, the Liberals are handing out $2.3 billion in subsidies for American-made electric vehicles. All this is happening while the U.S. is slapping tariffs on Canadian-made autos.

Canadian tax dollars should not be funding American-made EVs, so my question is very simple: Why is money being taken out of the pockets of auto workers to fund American jobs?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I know the member, and I know he cares about those workers, as do we. The CAMI plant in Ingersoll is a half-hour from my house. I regularly speak to Mayor Brian Petrie, who is doing an excellent job in very trying circumstances. I know the business owners who rely on the presence of the plant. I know the leaders and the staff of the social agencies that are responding to the crisis on the ground. We should work together on their behalf.

The member also knows that for the severance pay he is referring to, the CRA is treating it as always, which is as a matter of Canadian law. It is time to put away politics; let us work together on behalf of the people of Ingersoll and the auto sector.

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has committed $2.3 billion to subsidizing EVs, yet most EVs sold in Canada are made outside our country. The industry minister herself admitted that only one EV is made in Canada. Canadians are being forced to subsidize rebates for American-made cars, while over 5,000 Canadian workers have lost their jobs to U.S. tariffs.

Why is the Prime Minister forcing Canadians to subsidize American-made EVs, instead of putting Canadian workers first and adopting the Conservative plan to cut the GST on all Canadian-made vehicles? Would that not make more sense?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct my colleague. There is not only one EV made in Canada; there is the Dodge Charger, of course, but there is also the Pacifica, and more to come.

We have two battery plants. One is an LG battery plant in Windsor, which the Conservatives are against, and we still do not understand why. There is one being built as we speak, by Volkswagen, which is good news; there are 3,000 jobs coming to St. Thomas.

When it comes to our auto workers, we will continue to fight for them. We will not sit idle while a lot of the industry is going through its most difficult period in decades. We will fight for them.

Transportation

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government has been criticized for doing nothing to address Driver Inc., but it gets worse: Not only is Ottawa doing nothing to stop these drivers, it is awarding them contracts. Canada Post has done business with at least 25 companies that hire Driver Inc. drivers, including one who was directly involved in a fatal accident. Worst of all, the federal government was notified two years earlier by the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

When will the Liberals finally create a registry of crooked companies instead of hiring them?

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post obviously works with many trucking companies across the country. The CEO of Canada Post assures us that the company in question had no ties with the Driver Inc. model. A statement of expectations, a code of conduct and the consequences of non-compliance are clearly spelled out for all suppliers under contract. As a government, we obviously expect Canada Post to meet those standards.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post has hired 25 companies that use Driver Inc. drivers. The Liberals have been aware of the problem for at least two years. We have proposed 10 solutions. Not only do they refuse to implement them, but now they are contributing to the problem. At this point, it is no longer a matter of wilful blindness. Now they are complicit.

The Liberals just gave Canada Post $1 billion. Can they at least make sure that that money does not go to shady companies?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Post is proud to work with many trucking companies across the country. In doing so, the CEO of Canada Post has ensured us, it has no engagement with the Driver Inc. model. All contracted suppliers are provided with clear expectations, a code of conduct to abide by and consequences for non-compliance. We, as a government, expect Canada Post to abide by these standards.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the member for Beauport—Limoilou told us in the House that the cost of the Quebec City tramway had reached $13 billion. That is $5 billion more than what is set out in the agreement between Quebec City and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.

Can the Minister of Finance confirm whether the cost of the Quebec City tramway is $7.6 billion or $13 billion, as the member for Beauport—Limoilou said?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question.

The Quebec tramway has an investment of $1.44 billion from the federal government, and we continue to invest significantly in public transit across the country through the Canada public transit fund, as well as the build communities strong fund, where there is tens of billions of dollars available to allocate towards transit if the House supports the budget. Quebec, other provinces and cities will have access to the build communities strong fund with the support of the House to fund major transit projects.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, $1.4 billion was promised nine years ago. That is the first part. Now we have gone far beyond that, and the member for Beauport—Limoilou says that the project cost now sits at $13 billion. The federal government promised to pay 40%. At $13 billion, will the Liberals be able to follow through?

Nothing in the current budget is provided for Quebec as a whole. There is no budget for public transit. Does that amount to zero for Quebec City, or can the Liberals tell us otherwise today?