Debates of March 24th, 2026

Regional Economic Development

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the regions of Quebec have run out of patience. The Liberal government's inaction is costing them dearly. That is not according to me; it is according to mayors, business people and organizations in the Chaudière-Appalaches region who are here in Ottawa to sound the alarm. The Prime Minister promised to get rid of U.S. tariffs on steel and softwood lumber. He failed. He plunged the immigration system into total chaos. That is another failure. Now, jobs are being lost in every one of our regions.

How many more jobs will we have to lose before the Prime Minister keeps his promises to businesses in Beauce?

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague referred to several cases related to sectors in Beauce that have been affected by U.S. tariffs. Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions will work with the member. That said, I would like him and his caucus to do more to condemn the U.S. tariffs, because the silence on that side speaks volumes.

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, business representatives from Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean are here in Ottawa because they cannot wait any longer. The Prime Minister was supposed to reach an agreement on aluminum tariffs with the Trump administration. One year later, there is nothing, nada. Meanwhile, 57,000 jobs were lost in Quebec in February. Workers in the aluminum industry are paying the price. Contracts are disappearing, uncertainty is setting in and the regions are suffering.

Why is the Prime Minister abandoning our workers and businesses in the regions?

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

Mr. Speaker, I will also have the opportunity to meet the same people my colleague will be meeting later today. I had the opportunity to work with him last week. Why? It is because we want to help workers in the aluminum industry. We know they are being hit with unjustified tariffs from the Trump administration. We are here to protect them. We are also in talks with several businesses in the region to provide support. We are having discussions and making decisions regarding major upcoming investments at Rio Tinto. We are there for Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.

Northern Affairs

[Philip Earle, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, on March 12, the Prime Minister was in Yellowknife to announce a historic plan to defend, build and transform the north, backed by more than $40 billion in investment. This is a question I wrote myself. It is very important.

Can the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations please update the House on why this new plan is so critical to keeping the north moving forward?

[Rebecca Alty, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, for decades, communities across the Northwest Territories have been clear: The Mackenzie Valley Highway is essential for their future. This project would finally connect remote communities, lower the cost of goods, unlock critical minerals and create real opportunities for local businesses. We are also advancing the Taltson hydroelectric project and the Arctic economic and security corridor with indigenous partners.

With more than $40 billion in investments, we are building a stronger, more resilient and more connected north.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I spoke with a man in my riding who works at a local cabinet manufacturing shop. He works hard and pays his taxes, but his hours were cut because students with expired visas take his shifts for cash under the table. This is the direct result of a system the previous Liberal immigration minister let spiral out of control, where international students came without proper oversight and thousands overstayed their visits.

Will the Liberal Prime Minister admit that this mess started under his previous minister? Canadians, like my constituent, are now paying the price.

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

Mr. Speaker, what the member alleges is hard to prove. What I will say is that what we can prove is that the investments we are making in workers, the investments we are making in major projects and the investments we are making in defence will lead to hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Do members know who is happy about that? It is the unions and the workers all across this country who are eagerly looking forward to building Canada strong under the Prime Minister.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what we are seeing today did not come from one mistake. It came from years of mismanagement by multiple Liberal immigration ministers. One opened the floodgates without oversight. Another failed to enforce the rules, and now the current minister is continuing with more permits, with millions of visas sitting expired or unchecked. Even Liberal MPs have said this minister is not up to the job.

Through you, Mr. Speaker, I would ask the Prime Minister this. Why are three of the most ineffective immigration ministers in Canadian history still sitting around the cabinet table while Canadians face the consequences of their failures?

[John Zerucelli, Liberal, Secretary of State (Labour)]

Mr. Speaker, many members on this side of the House have answered that question throughout this entire question period.

What I would say is that the number of repetitive questions from the Conservative benches are up. Do colleagues know what is down? The number of Conservative MPs sitting on that side of the House.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of disastrous Liberal policies, the immigration crisis is worse now than ever before. The Auditor General's latest findings revealed widespread fraud and dangerous gaps in the Liberals' oversight of foreign student work permits. In spite of this, the Liberals are pushing ahead with hundreds of thousands of new foreign work permits with no plan to remove the millions of existing expired foreign visa holders who remain in Canada. The Liberal Prime Minister needs to take responsibility for promoting the ministers who created this chaos.

Why are three of the most incompetent and destructive ministers in Canadian history still in his cabinet?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are not going to take advice on jobs and the economy from a leader who has never worked one day in it. On this side of the House, we are going to continue to build the strongest economy in the G7. At home, we have cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. Abroad, we are signing new trade deals. Diversifying markets will result in thousands of jobs and tens of billions of dollars in investment.

It is time for that leader and that party to stop the same questions, the same rhetoric, and help us build Canada strong.

[Costas Menegakis, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, successive Liberal immigration ministers have destroyed our once-respected immigration system. Yesterday, the Auditor General revealed that the Liberals only reviewed 2.6% of 153,000 suspected cases of foreign student work permit fraud. The Liberals have allowed hundreds of IRGC agents into the country. Yesterday, the immigration minister practised the art of deflection. It seems that when it comes to the safety of Canadians, the Liberal ministers play a game of “Who, me? Yes, you! Not me! Then who?”

Why are some of the most incompetent and destructive ministers in Canadian history still in cabinet?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of young people, young people in this country are ready to work, and we are making sure that the opportunities are there for them. Through Canada summer jobs, we have tens of thousands of young people who are getting a job for the first time, and they are getting experience right in their communities. We are investing $635 million in student work placements, so that post-secondary students can build their careers and jobs right here in this country.

That is what we are focused on. We are focused on youth who can gain the skills for the future to build Canada strong.

Automotive Industry

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

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about some auto facts. A decade ago before the Liberals took office, Canadian auto producers produced two million vehicles a year. After a decade of Liberal incompetence, that went down to 1.2 million. Now it gets worse, unfortunately, because since the new Prime Minister has taken office, auto exports are down a further 54%. It is a decimation. We have lost the Brampton plant. We have lost Paccar. We have lost the BrightDrop facility. We have lost the third shift at Oshawa.

This is all since the Liberals announced their so-called new auto policy. When will they realized it is garbage and move to our tariff-free auto pact?

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

In the interest of fairness, when that word was used before by another member, I expressed disappointment, and I will do the same, because I want to be consistent. I just do not think that elevates us in the eyes of the public.

The hon. Minister of Industry.

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

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about facts. The proposal by the Conservatives is too little, too late. Why? They did not even consult workers when doing it. They have no measures for workers in their auto proposals, and actually, Unifor, which represents workers, is against it. Our auto proposal is actually supported by the Conservative Premier of Ontario. Premier—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I will give the member a few extra seconds, because it was very loud on the left, like it can be very loud at the back on the right. It is a good way for the Chair to learn the names of ridings when members do that.

I will give the hon. minister a little more time.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Ahuntsic-Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, everyone is in favour of our auto strategy: the Conservative Premier of Ontario, Premier Ford, industry, unions, consumers, everyone, so why do they not get with the program and get on our side?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is actually shocking how uninformed the industry minister is when it comes to the auto strategy. They announced their auto strategy, and auto exports, since they announced it, are down 32%. This is a decimation. The reason this is happening is that there are tariffs on our autos at about 15%. The Liberals have been completely incapable of removing the tariffs. They have no plan to remove the tariffs. All they do is talk about something that might happen.

We have a plan that has been endorsed by the president of GM's Oshawa assembly plant and the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association. Why do they not get on board with the tariff-free auto pact?

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

Mr. Speaker, whatever that was, what the Conservatives forgot when thinking of our auto industry is actually 200,000 workers. Why? It is because they forgot about auto parts. Canada has been leading when it comes to auto parts. We have the three biggest companies in the world: Linamar, Martinrea and Magna. They forgot to protect the GM engine and transmission workers in Cambridge. They forgot the Ford engine auto workers in Windsor. They forgot the Honda engine workers in Alliston. They forgot. I could go on.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have thrown in the towel on Canada's auto sector. Since 2015, auto production is down by half, exports are down by 53% and over 5,000 auto jobs are gone. The Conservatives' auto pact would restore tariff-free access to the U.S., doubling auto production here at home.

Instead of giving up on our auto sector, will the Liberals stand with their auto workers and support our motion to boost production here in Canada?

[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 know nostalgia is not a strategy. We cannot go back to 1965, to a tariff-free auto pact.

What has Unifor said about the Conservatives' so-called plan? It said this plan cannot achieve its intended objectives, it is mathematically incorrect, and it may prevent potential future growth in our automotive industry. Unlike them, we actually sit down with the workers and the unions and consult them on the plans and strategies that we lead and move forward on implementing. We have offered liquidity support and financing for them to pivot, adjusted the availability standard for EVs, and much more.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here is what the president of Unifor Local 222 said, “Finally, a...plan to protect the livelihood of thousands of Ontario Auto sector workers.” Under the Liberal plan, production is down and exports are down, but job losses are up.

The Conservative plan would double auto production here in Canada. The Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association supports our plan. The local unions support our plan. The auto worker on the assembly line supports our plan. Will the Liberals?