Debates of March 25th, 2026

The Economy

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, if the member would like to talk about farmers, and canola farmers specifically, let us talk about how the clean fuel regulations actually help canola farmers. It adds to the value of a bushel of canola.

The Leader of the Opposition may want to speak to some of his constituents. He represents the second-largest canola-producing riding in all of Alberta, and right next to him is the Strathcona renewable diesel facility that is going to purchase about half of Alberta's canola production. That is good for farmers.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like the minister to know that the Liberals' fuel regulations are so complicated and has made it so expensive that three-quarters of the feedstock comes from the United States or used cooking oil from China, not canola farmers in Alberta. It is the clean fuel standard, the industrial carbon tax, the escalator tax and tariffs on fertilizer that are making food unaffordable and farming unsustainable.

Will the Liberals realize that it is their own policies that are causing these problems? Will they cancel their fuel tax, their industrial carbon tax and their escalator tax and help make Canadians' life more affordable?

[Heath MacDonald, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, we eliminated the divisive consumer carbon price, and they are still complaining.

We know that the industrial carbon tax has a negligible effect on food. If the member goes out and buys an F-150 Ford tomorrow from the highest emissions contributor of steel and aluminum in this country, I can tell him that he can go back to the Leader of the Opposition and get his triple-triple, because it is cheaper than what it is costing us in GHG emissions.

Justice

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals keep saying that they will not comment on the Supreme Court's proceedings regarding Bill 21 and the notwithstanding clause.

However, they are holding a convention in Montreal the weekend before the election in the riding of Terrebonne, and the first proposal they will be debating is whether to give the federal government veto power over all provincial legislation that invokes the notwithstanding clause before court challenges are exhausted. That is the first item on their agenda.

The Liberals may not be willing to comment on the court's proceedings, but they will have to vote on this proposal. How are they going to vote?

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

That question does not pertain to federal government affairs.

I will allow the hon. member to ask his second question.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is written in black and white: “...that the Liberal Party of Canada urge the Government of Canada to: Invoke disallowance on any Provincial legislation that proactively invokes the Notwithstanding clause before court challenges are exhausted”.

That is what they want, but they are trying to get the Supreme Court to do their dirty work for them. If the Liberals want to change the Constitution, then they should reopen it.

Will they have the courage to do that instead of hiding behind the courts?

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

Mr. Speaker, the federal government clearly has a responsibility and an obligation to defend the Constitution. It is possible to defend the French language and the right of francophones to live in French, while also defending the Constitution.

This is not the right place to have this debate since the matter is before the Supreme Court of Canada. This is not the appropriate forum, since this issue is being deliberated in court. That is the best place for these discussions.

The Economy

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister was elected a year ago on a promise that he would build the strongest economy in the G7. Here we are one year later, and things are still not on track. In the first two months of this year alone, 100,000 Canadians lost their job. Ours is the only G7 economy that is shrinking. We have had the highest spike in unemployment in the G7 and we have the worst food inflation in the G7.

Do the Prime Minister and his government realize that their policies are not working?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, it is important to understand that there are many factors affecting food prices, including international developments such as rising fertilizer prices.

What we can control are the measures that we are putting in place to address affordability, namely a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. The Canada groceries and essentials benefit is helping more than 12 million Canadians and it represents roughly $1,800 per family. We are not stopping there, because there are other things within our control. Canada's defence industrial strategy will create 125,000 jobs in Quebec with investments in the Davie shipyard in Quebec City and the Valcartier military base.

I hope the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk will support us.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have bad news for the government, but especially for Canadians: The Liberals' policies are not working. There are 100,000 Canadians—100,000 men and women, 100,000 families—who have lost their jobs. That is the reality after 10 years of Liberal government and after one year of this new Prime Minister. He claims that this is happening all over the world.

If the impacts are being felt the world over, why do Canadians, here in Canada, have to deal with the highest food inflation in the G7? That is unacceptable.

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, what is unacceptable is that at every turn, whenever the member opposite had the opportunity to truly support his constituents through measures like the Canada child benefit, the Canadian dental care plan, a tax cut or the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, he voted against them. That is what is regrettable.

What are we doing on this side of the House? We are building the strongest economy in the G7 with Canada’s defence industrial strategy, with major projects like the one at Nouveau Monde Graphite, where 1,300 new jobs have just been announced. That is what we are doing on this side of the House.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that Canada would be the best-performing economy in the G7, yet here we are as the worst: more than 100,000 jobs lost in two months, the second-highest unemployment rate, the highest household debt and the highest food inflation in the G7. Instead of solving the problem, the Prime Minister continues to block projects, impose taxes on production, and inflate the deficit at the expense of Canadians.

How can this Liberal government say that everything is fine when its decisions are hurting families and the economy?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am listening to my colleague. I have a lot of respect for him and we work on a number of issues together, yet I fail to understand why he refuses to acknowledge that, as a result of this government's decisions that prioritize Canadian procurement, suddenly new jobs are being created in his riding in La Pocatière at Alstom. Why does he not ask us about that? I am sure that the people of La Pocatière are very happy. This will affect the entire services sector, the entire sector all across his region.

The same goes for the member for Louis‑Saint‑Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, who just asked the Quebec lieutenant a question. We are investing in the Quebec City area. We are making sure that Davie will have more—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska.

Public Services and Procurement

[Éric Lefebvre, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government's Cúram financial fiasco continues. After $5 billion in cost overruns, officials themselves have admitted that they do not know the exact future costs, suggesting that yearly operating costs could exceed $660 million to $1 billion. Cúram is the most costly Liberal scandal in history.

My question is simple. Will the Prime Minister show some leadership and will he take over this file himself?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to modernizing the payment of benefits, it is important to understand that the system we are replacing is 50 years old and was jeopardizing our seniors' old age security pensions. Changing the system was not an option.

From what I am seeing, the transition is going well for 7.7 million seniors whose benefits are being delivered accurately and on time. Service Canada employees have been dedicated to chipping away at the backlog for months.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to Le Journal de Québec, the Liberal government has paid out over $211 million in cost overruns to Accenture, an external IT consulting firm. Accenture recruits developers for the Cúram system and outsources the jobs to India. Both there and here in Canada, Accenture is one of the largest tenants of a company the Prime Minister knows well: Brookfield.

Has it become the norm for Liberals to use taxpayer money to make well-connected firms richer and to serve the interests of the Prime Minister while citizens foot the bill?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to see that the benefit payments system is being modernized. That needed to be done.

In fact, according to the Auditor General's 2014 report, the 50-year-old system was leading us straight into a wall. It was unsustainable. It cost a fortune to maintain. It is good that we are moving toward a modern system that ensures that our seniors receive their benefits on time and in the correct amounts. There are 7.7 million Canadians who depend on this system.

We are moving forward and modernizing how benefits are delivered.

Regional Economic Development

[Chris d'Entremont, Liberal, Acadie—Annapolis, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent Acadie—Annapolis, a predominantly rural riding in Nova Scotia that I have always called home.

I recognize the value of small and medium-sized businesses, whether it is engaging with business owners or supporting them in my daily life. However, we know that rural business owners often struggle with less access to financing, smaller markets, a tighter pool of workers and longer supply chains.

To the minister responsible for ACOA, how is the Government of Canada supporting small and medium-sized businesses in Acadie—Annapolis and in Atlantic Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his advocacy for economic growth in Atlantic Canada. I would like to point out that he once served as the critic for Atlantic Canadian economic development, before he joined the governing benches. Despite almost five months passing, the Conservatives have yet to appoint a successor, despite having good Atlantic Canadians they could put in the position.

To my colleague's question, we are advancing new programs to help small and medium-sized businesses deal with American tariffs and to help small firms become big firms by tapping into the defence industrial strategy. We have not forgotten what built our economy, including the fishery, which the member has been a champion for to restore the Atlantic fisheries fund and to remove Asian tariffs on Nova Scotian seafood. We need more champions like this in government.

Employment

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I hope it was worth it. Under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is losing jobs at speeds not seen in a generation. Over 100,000 full-time jobs were lost in one month alone, and close to 50,000 youth jobs were lost.

In the G7, we have the only shrinking economy, the second-highest unemployment, the highest household debt and the highest food inflation. The Liberal rhetoric simply does not match the reality.

Why can the Liberals not recognize the problems that their policies are causing and adopt the Conservatives' jobs plan?

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the Conservatives' jobs plan is, because they vote against every single thing, including the things that unions have said they need.

We are investing in skills training for young people. We are moving forward with a defence industrial strategy that is creating 125,000 jobs, the major projects are estimated to support over 60,000 jobs and we are ensuring that workers have the training they need.

These are all things the Conservatives fight against. What exactly is their jobs strategy? Is it to do nothing?

Government Accountability

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we released a detailed jobs plan in the fall. The Liberals' approach is clearly failing. Over 100,000 jobs have been lost. They talk about major projects, but they have not approved a single major project.

Canadians at home are experiencing the catastrophic impact of Liberal policies. The Liberals promised a trade win. They have not delivered it. The industrial carbon tax remains in place. Objectively, we are shedding jobs at rates not seen in a generation.

Will the Liberals stop patting themselves on the back and actually recognize the challenges Canadians are facing?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, here are a few facts for the member. Joint support ships will provide 3,500 jobs. Arctic and offshore patrol ships will provide 2,300 jobs. Remotely piloted aircraft systems will provide 700 jobs annually. River-class destroyers will provide 5,250 jobs. Logistics vehicle modernization will provide 1,000 jobs. Armoured combat support vehicles will provide 1,650 jobs. The list goes on and on.

The Economy

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians the strongest economy in the G7. Instead, Canada now has the only shrinking economy and the second-highest unemployment. We have lost over 100,000 jobs since January of this year, and many of our small businesses are going to the United States. Other countries are dealing with the same problems and the same global pressures.

Will the Prime Minister admit his policies are failing Canadians and outline why our economy is the worst in the G7?