House of Commons Hansard #98 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was workers.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Procedure and House Affairs Members present reports from the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs concerning committee membership and election candidate criteria, while debating proposed measures regarding "longest ballot" organizations and nomination signature limits. 700 words.
Opposition Motion—Tariff-free Auto Pact Conservative MP Kyle Seeback moves a motion criticizing the Liberal government’s handling of the auto industry, citing declining production levels and job losses. Conservatives propose a 'tariff-free auto pact' to double production via GST exemptions and a one-for-one sales rule. Liberals oppose the motion, arguing the plan is outdated and ignores current global trade realities. Meanwhile, the Bloc Québécois rejects it, highlighting concerns regarding climate goals and regional interests. 47900 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Supplementary Estimates (C), 2025-26 First reading of Bill C-23. The bill appropriates specified sums for federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, advancing through the House of Commons for final approval on division. .
Interim Supply Members move and carry a motion on division to grant interim supply totalling $86.4 billion to fund government operations until March 31, 2027, as part of the budgetary process for the upcoming fiscal year. 600 words.
Interim Supply First reading of Bill C-24. The bill receives first, second, and third reading in the House of Commons, is reviewed clause-by-clause as a committee of the whole, and is ultimately passed on division for federal public administration funding. .
Amendments to Bill C-8 Laila Goodridge argues against the government’s challenge to amendments made by the Standing Committee on Public Safety regarding Bill C-8, asserting that the committee’s changes are procedurally sound and within the bill's scope. 1300 words, 10 minutes.
Respecting Families of Murdered and Brutalized Persons Act Second reading of Bill C-235. The bill increases, at a judge's discretion, parole ineligibility periods to 40 years for offenders convicted of abduction, sexual assault, and murder. Supporters, primarily Conservatives, argue it prevents the retraumatization of victims' families. The Bloc Québécois opposes the measure, citing constitutional concerns regarding Supreme Court rulings on cumulative sentencing and potential wasted parliamentary resources, but the motion passes and proceeds to committee. 4200 words, 30 minutes.
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Mr. Speaker, the government has gone on every production line in the auto sector, and we have the support of workers. I know the Brampton facility is really important to my colleague, but what did the head of Unifor Canada, Lana Payne, say? She said the Conservatives' auto proposal is putting the Stellantis Brampton plant in jeopardy and also GM Ingersoll's future in jeopardy.
Why are they against the auto workers in Brampton and Ingersoll?
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canada's auto sector has been gutted. Production was cut in half since 2015. Thousands of jobs are gone and exports have collapsed. Now, with U.S. tariffs hammering our workers, the Prime Minister has done nothing to stop them. Instead, he has accepted them as permanent while using Canadian tax dollars to subsidize foreign-built vehicles. That is not a plan. That is surrender.
The Conservatives have put forward a tariff-free auto pact to double production, restore our supply chains and bring jobs back to Canada. Will the Prime Minister stand up for Canadian workers and support our plan, or will he continue with the managed decline of the auto sector, just like the—
Automotive IndustryOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
The hon. Minister of of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation.
Evan Solomon LiberalMinister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives want to close their eyes and hope that the tariffs just go away like it is 50 years ago. That is not a plan. That is a fantasy. Even The Globe and Mail said that the Conservatives' plan is straight from the 1960s. I am sorry, but nostalgia is not a plan.
We are investing in our auto workers. In fact, the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario is investing in the parts manufacturers. I visited Kumi in Bradford and A. Berger Precision in Brampton West, which are Conservative ridings. Their voters support our plan. Why do the Conservatives not open their eyes, stop fantasizing and support our plan?
Julie Dzerowicz Liberal Davenport, ON
Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, I know that parliamentarians across the alliance and countries on both sides of the Atlantic are looking to Canada for leadership in new cutting-edge defence technologies and innovation. It is critical that we rearm, rebuild and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces while building up Canadian industry.
Can the Minister of National Defence update the House on the critical investments we are making in Canada's defence industry?
David McGuinty LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, with Canada's first-ever defence industrial strategy, we are making major investments to build up Canada's domestic defence industry. Last week alone, we announced a $900-million investment to support drone development and quantum technologies, a $200-million investment in space launch capabilities in Atlantic Canada, a $300-million contract for new modular assault rifles, and over $1.4 billion for domestic ammunition production in Ontario and Quebec.
That is a plan. We are delivering. It is security, sovereignty and jobs.
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General dropped another scathing report on the modernization of the pay system. This pay system is now costing taxpayers over $4.2 billion, but the government fails to learn from the Phoenix fiasco, which is costing millions of dollars more for taxpayers every single year. The government has had an entire decade. When will it fix the system and stop wasting taxpayers' money?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, quite to the contrary, what the Auditor General has mentioned is that Canadians will get value for their money and that we are moving cautiously.
By the way, I want to thank the Auditor General for her report. We are accepting the three recommendation she has made to make sure that we get this right, because public servants deserve to have their exact pay, on time. That is exactly what we are moving forward on with this new pay system.
Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB
Well, Mr. Speaker, public servants are actually scared to retire, because they do not trust the pay system, and it is no wonder. There are over 230,000 transactions that are backlogged, and many of those are more than a year old. The government has had 10 years, and now it wants to fast-track the old system to the new system. When will they fix the system and give public servants confidence in both their paycheques and their retirement?
Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions
Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
Did something happen? I do not know. I did not see anything.
The hon. minister.
Public Services and ProcurementOral Questions
Louis-Hébert Québec
Liberal
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, I missed something there, but I want to thank the member for her important question.
Public servants deserve to have their exact pay and on time. As far as the backlog is concerned, I am happy to report that we have reduced the backlog by 50% over the course of the last two years. We have learned from the mistakes over Phoenix that we need to move step by step in a cautious and a prudent way to make sure we get this transition right. We will get this transition right.
William Stevenson Conservative Yellowhead, AB
Mr. Speaker, “I'll always be worried [the government will] come looking for something...I can never trust the information l get from them”. These are the words of a public servant who is afraid to retire because of a broken pay system the Liberal government refuses to fix. There are 133,000 employees in the same situation.
The Auditor General has confirmed that billions have been spent with no clear plan to fix the backlog, meaning that the new system would start with the same flawed data.
How can Canadians trust the government to fix the mess it has had a decade to address?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank the Auditor General for her report. We accept her recommendations. We are working on the three she has put forward, one of which is, of course, to make sure we reduce the backlog in a timely way, which is exactly what we are doing. We have reduced it by 50% over the course of the last two years.
As we are transitioning to a new pay system, we are making sure we are going step by step, in incremental pieces, so that we get this transition right.
Michael Ma Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Mr. Speaker, as digital capabilities evolve, so do crimes and threats to our national security. For decades, law enforcement agencies across the country have asked for updated tools to combat crimes like extortion, child exploitation, auto theft and organized crime.
Can the Minister of Public Safety elaborate on the importance of the lawful access measures in Bill C-22 to keep Canadians safe?
Gary Anandasangaree LiberalMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, let me thank the member for Markham—Unionville for his hard work and advocacy.
As members are aware, law enforcement agencies across Canada have been asking for additional tools, the most important one being lawful access in order to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. Through Bill C-22, they would have the tools they need to combat childhood sexual exploitation, extortion, human trafficking, money laundering and more. I urge all members in the House to support Bill C-22 and ensure that law enforcement have the tools they need to keep Canadians safe.
Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Mr. Speaker, the recreational fishing industry is facing a review of the salmon allocation policy that could destroy the industry and strip away Canada's historic principle of common property resource access.
The recreational fishing industry supports over 9,000 jobs, generates $600 million in direct income and contributes over $1.2 billion in GDP in British Columbia.
Will the minister commit to protecting historical access to common property resources for recreational fishing, or will the Liberals let yet another vital industry, coastal communities and a way of life on Vancouver Island die?
Joanne Thompson LiberalMinister of Fisheries
Mr. Speaker, the policy the member referenced was put in place in 1999, so of course we took six years, starting in 2018, to review the terms. There has been one year of consultations, which finished at the end of January. No decision has been made.
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, in the middle of a national housing crisis, the Liberals have quietly pulled funding for the Right Fit program, a program that directly connects wheelchair users with accessible housing. With just days' notice, funding is being cut as of April 1, leaving some of the most vulnerable Canadians, people with disabilities, without support, without housing options and without answers.
At a time when accessible housing is already in critically short supply, how can the housing minister justify abandoning wheelchair users in such a cruel manner and cutting the very programs designed to help them find a place to live?
Gregor Robertson LiberalMinister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
Mr. Speaker, we are obviously very concerned about those who are homeless right now or utilizing the programs we put in place: Reaching Home and the unsheltered homelessness and encampments initiative. The unsheltered homelessness and encampments initiative was a two-year program. We have communicated very clearly the transition over to Reaching Home, which will continue for several more years.
We want to make sure we are providing the services. We are putting $1 billion into supportive and transitional housing as well and working with provinces to make sure we can support people who need that housing the most.
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Mr. Speaker, the illegal war waged by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in the Middle East is inflicting devastating consequences on civilians, especially children. The humanitarian and environmental tolls are immense, and the economic fallout is global. It is driving up gas and fertilizer prices, disrupting critical supplies, like helium used in MRIs, and threatening pharmaceutical supply chains. Canadians who are already struggling with the cost of living will feel these impacts.
Will the Prime Minister ensure that Canada is not complicit with our arms exports in the killings of civilians and take a clear stance against this horrific war?
Anita Anand LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for raising this very important point. Canada is deeply concerned about the humanitarian toll the war is taking, and we are concerned about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which is threatening global energy security and economic stability.
As we have emphasized, Canada's focus is on humanitarianism, de-escalation and ensuring the unimpeded flow of energy and supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. We urge all parties to de-escalate the conflict, and we will continue to work with the G7 and like-minded countries.
Presence in GalleryOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
I wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food for the Province of British Columbia, and the Hon. Bowinn Ma, Minister of Infrastructure for the Province of British Columbia.