Debates of March 13th, 2026

Oil and Gas Industry

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the world is facing the biggest energy crisis since the 1973 oil embargo. Millions of barrels have been taken off-line, and Canada is one of the few countries that could provide critical energy to our allies.

The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources said that Canada would do its part, but the Liberal government has no plan to get our energy to world markets. After 10 years of Liberal anti-energy policies and economic mismanagement, we have missed the greatest opportunity to show up for our allies in a meaningful way to address this energy crisis.

Meanwhile, today's job report shows that Canada lost 84,000 jobs and that unemployment is up to 6.7%. Last year, this Parliament gave the Liberal government the power to build at unimaginable speeds, but the Prime Minister has failed to deliver, and Canadians and our allies are suffering the consequences.

We can not afford another 10 years of Liberal anti-energy ignorance. It is time to lay some pipe, create jobs and get our country back on its feet.

International Women's Day

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

Mr. Speaker, March 8 was International Women's Day. This day gives us an opportunity to highlight the progress made in advancing women's rights, while also recognizing the work that remains to be done.

On March 6, I had the honour of hosting my 12th annual International Women's Day breakfast, followed by the Orléans Leading Women and Girls Recognition Awards, celebrating outstanding women and girls.

At that event, 31 inspiring women and girls were honoured for their remarkable contributions to the vitality of our community, as well as their resilience, leadership and ability to inspire others.

It was especially inspiring that the youngest recipient was just 10 years old. Julianna Labelle delivered a rendition of O Canada that received a standing ovation. This reminds us that generation after generation, remarkable women and girls continue to inspire, lead and make a lasting difference.

Employment

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, most Canadians simply want the opportunity to work hard and bring home a paycheque in order to support their families, but under the government's mismanagement, job opportunities are disappearing out the door.

The February numbers are extremely troubling. Data from StatsCan shows that 108,000 full-time jobs disappeared, marking the largest one-month decline outside of COVID since 2009. The damage is being felt where it matters most, with 73,000 of those jobs lost from the private sector, the very sector that drives growth, innovation and opportunity. Young Canadians are down 50,000 jobs.

After years of the Liberals, Canada now stands out for all of the wrong reasons. Not only are we the only shrinking economy in the G7, but we also have the second-highest unemployment rate in the G7.

Canadians deserve better. They deserve an economy that creates opportunity, rewards hard work and helps families get ahead. That is what Conservatives are going to continue to fight for.

Public Safety

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, less than a year ago, Canadians elected a new Prime Minister and a new government. As part of that election platform, we talked a great deal about crime and making our communities safer. We came up with a holistic approach of bringing forward a number of important pieces of legislation dealing with combatting hate, bail reform and protecting victims. There is a lot there that the Conservatives need to get on side with.

Now we have just introduced lawful access once again. The Conservative Party has had months to recognize that it is time to step up to the plate. If they really want to make our communities safer, they need to start supporting the legislation to deal with extortion and child exploitation.

It is time the Conservatives get behind us, stop filibustering and let the legislation get through.

Employment

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, February's job numbers are crushing, with 108,000 full-time jobs lost, the largest collapse in full-time employment since 2020, since COVID. Youth unemployment is more than 14%. Canada now has the second-highest unemployment and the only shrinking economy in the G7. Let us be clear. It is because of Liberal policies that the private sector is hemorrhaging jobs, making the affordability crisis more acute.

Will the Liberals admit that Conservatives were right and scrap their carbon and fuel taxes that are killing Canadian jobs?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians all across the country know that we were thrust into a trade war not of our choosing. Our government is doing everything in its power and using every lever at our disposal to support the Canadian economy and insulate it from further shocks that are, again, beyond our control. What we are doing is diversifying trade.

While the Leader of the Opposition was trotting around London, giving speeches on free markets, trying to impress Liz Truss, the Prime Minister was signing tens of billions of dollars in new trade deals to create more opportunities for Canadians.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the numbers do not lie. The levers that the Liberals are pulling are obviously wrong, with 73,000 private sector jobs lost and youth unemployment at more than 14%. It is clear that young Canadians are being locked out of the workforce, cannot afford housing and cannot afford food, while the Prime Minister jet-sets to cocktail parties with global elites.

Will the Liberals admit that their policies and fiscal plan have failed? Will they adopt the Conservative youth jobs plan that will give Canadian youth hope to build a future here at home?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, we will never adopt the Conservative plan because the Conservatives do not have a plan. They do not propose anything that works on behalf of Canadians or that will deliver results for them. Our plan is the plan that we are following. That is the plan that Canadians voted for. That is the plan that is working to create jobs for Canadians.

Yes, there are choppy waters. We are in a trade war that was not of our choosing, but we are using every lever at our disposal to ensure that Canadians can get ahead. We have offered affordability measures and are signing tens of billions of dollars of new trade agreements to create opportunities for all Canadians.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister travels the world promoting Brookfield's interests like he is their PM, portfolio manager, here at home, “shocking” is the only way to describe this morning's job numbers: 84,000 Canadians lost their jobs in February and 108,000 jobs were lost in full-time work, while private sector employment fell by 73,000. Employment mostly fell among men aged 25 to 54, the core working age group, and young people between the ages of 15 and 24.

Why can the Liberals not finally admit that everything they are doing is an illusion and that they are failing Canadian families and young people?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, overseas efforts are delivering concrete results. Last week in India, we secured a $2.6-billion uranium deal. This is not about the billions. It is about the 90,000-plus nuclear workers in Ontario that it is powering. In Australia, the Prime Minister secured a commitment of $10 billion to build major projects across the country. VistaJet, based in the gulf, recently placed an order for 40 Canadian-made planes valued over a billion dollars. This is about the thousands of workers producing the world-class goods that the world is buying.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here at home, our people want to work. They want to produce and they want to provide for their families. Young people want a family and a home for their kids to grow up in. Because of the last 11 years of Liberal failures, a generation has lost hope that this will ever happen. Today's job numbers are a national crisis.

Maybe the Prime Minister can focus, for once, not on his Brookfield interests abroad but on what is happening here at home and work with Conservatives to solve the job crisis impacting Canadian families and our young people.

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, while their leader tours Europe, trying to reboot his image for the fourth time, our Prime Minister just returned from the Indo-Pacific, signing trade deals with world leaders. Let us talk about $2.6 billion in uranium for Saskatchewan. Premier Moe certainly supported it. We did not hear a word from any Saskatchewan MP on that side.

On this side of the House, we are serious about building the strongest economy in the G7. It is time for that leader and that party to stop the rhetoric, stop the obstruction and help us build Canada strong.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the February jobs report is troubling and, as everyone knows, numbers do not lie. In just one month, this government is reporting a loss of 108,000 full-time jobs. That is the worst drop since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.

While our G7 partners are moving forward, Canada is falling behind. We are still waiting for the results this government promised Canadians. The Liberals' economic policy is failing.

Will they stop punishing job creators and cut the taxes and red tape that are killing jobs in Canada?

[Carlos Leitão, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, of course, the employment figures for the last two months have been very negative. We are well aware of that.

Why is this happening? Why are we here? It is because we are in a trade war with our American neighbours. Our Conservative friends have a hard time understanding that. Given how hard it is to export to the United States, businesses are not investing. That is the crux of the problem. It is not Canadian taxes. It is American tariffs.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, businesses are not investing because they have no confidence.

Young people are suffering because of the government's economic incompetence. In February, youth unemployment hit 14%. In Quebec, 57,000 jobs disappeared in a single month. Young people are out of work because the Liberals' policies simply do not work. While the Liberals pat themselves on the back, our constituents are left wondering how they are going to pay the rent.

Will the government stop denying the obvious, listen to the Conservatives and put our plan into action?

We are giving them all our ideas. They just need to implement them.

[Carlos Leitão, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague talked about putting the Conservative plan into action, but what plan? There is no plan. There is no plan because, in the minds of the Conservatives, everything comes down to the industrial carbon tax. It is to blame for everything. Come on.

We announced a defence industrial policy that is generating a lot of interest from SMEs in Quebec and Canada. We have made massive investments. Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced investments in the north and in infrastructure. We are transforming Canada's economy.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, at the start of the conflict in Iran, Tehran launched dozens of air strikes. All of them were made public, except for the one on the Canadian military camp in Kuwait. Worse still, the Ali Al Salem base, which houses the Canadian military camp, was also hosting Italian forces. On the very same day, Italy shared the news publicly, but not Canada. Canada hid the news of this strike for two weeks. It did not even disclose the information during the House debate on the conflict, which the government itself had organized.

Why does the whole world inform its citizens, but Canada does not?

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience]

Mr. Speaker, I believe we all need to prioritize the safety and security of the Canadian Armed Forces and not expose them to unnecessary risks.

There are members of our armed forces, brave men and women, operating in a theatre of war where Iran is launching missiles and drones. For reasons of operational security, specific measures to protect the forces are not disclosed.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals cited operational security as a reason for their silence, but we are simply asking them for the same information that every other country discloses. It is only right to keep the public informed when Canada is attacked.

This just raises further questions. The public does not know why the Prime Minister blindly supported Donald Trump. They do not know why he has been changing his mind every other day since then. They do not know why he wanted to hide the attack on our armed forces.

Does the government realize that this is undermining public trust?

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience]

Mr. Speaker, I think the most important thing is that all members of the Canadian Armed Forces in the region are safe.

Our priority as a government and as parliamentarians should be the safety and security of our armed forces who are currently operating in a theatre of war. I will say that our government's priority will always be to maximize the safety and security of our armed forces.

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

Mr. Speaker, the war in Iran began while the Prime Minister was away on a trip. After backing Washington, he spent several days refusing to hold a press briefing with the media travelling with him.

When he returned, he boycotted a debate on the conflict, even though the debate had been requested by the Liberals. He refuses to explain why he stayed silent regarding the Iranian strike against Canadian troops. Today, he headed off again, this time to Europe.

Does he understand that, on an issue as important as a war that he supported, his mandate requires that he answer questions?

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was clear.

First of all, Canada was not consulted, did not participate, and has no plans to participate in the offensive actions against Iran. We support efforts to end Iran's nuclear program and decades of state-sponsored terrorism.

Canada's priorities are clear. As the Prime Minister said, civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, international law must be respected, and we will stand for the safety and security of Canadians wherever they may be in the world.

Employment

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this morning's job numbers are a scathing indictment of the Liberal government's economic performance. There were 108,000 full-time jobs lost, the largest one-month drop since the beginning of COVID, and youth unemployment is now over 14%. We have the only shrinking economy in the G7, and we have the second-highest unemployment.

Will the Liberals accept our Conservative proposals, including our youth jobs plan, and remove the taxes, red tape and bureaucracies that are killing Canadian jobs?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. opposition knows, there is a war raging that is affecting prices everywhere. In this chaos, Canada is in a strong position. Why? It is because we prepared. We invested in jobs and industries like auto, steel and aluminum. We made sure to keep life affordable for all Canadians with our groceries and essentials benefit for 12 million Canadians. We are cutting taxes. Why? We have a plan.

Preparing before a crisis is our way; complaining after a crisis is theirs. They should get on board.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, talking about before the crisis, for 10 years, the Liberal government has passed antidevelopment laws, run up the national debt, driven down productivity, driven up the cost of living, bloated the bureaucracy, enriched Liberal insiders and made Canada the only G7 country with a shrinking economy. Today's job numbers are the result of a decade of failure and lost opportunity, and the current Liberal Prime Minister is still taxing, spending and regulating like the last one.

Will the Liberals commit today to cut taxes and regulations so Canadians can get back to work?