Debates of March 25th, 2026

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, since September, Canada's economy has created 80,000 jobs. We know that, in times of global uncertainty, we need to invest. That is why we have made the largest infrastructure investment in Canadian history.

We are building big, we are building bold and we are building now, with Canadian steel, Canadian lumber and Canadian unionized workers. We are laser-focused on creating jobs: good jobs in the skilled trades and good jobs for future generations.

When will the Conservatives get on board?

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not think the gravity of the situation is hitting the government appropriately. In the last two decades, Canada has lost 100,000 entrepreneurs, but our population has gone up by 10 million people. Since 2019, there has been a 19% increase in business exits, with only a 5% increase in new businesses. Nothing the government is doing is helping our entrepreneurs, our job creators.

When will the government reverse its horrible economic policies and get out of the way so businesses can thrive?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on delivering results, which includes increasing business confidence. In fact, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reported very recently that small business optimism is at the highest level in two years.

That is because, on this side of the House, we are ensuring that we are cutting red tape for small and medium-sized enterprises. We are investing in them and ensuring that, as we expand to new markets and new countries, they have all the opportunities to be able to export and to grow their businesses. We will always be there for them.

Government Accountability

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised the strongest economy in the G7. Instead, Canada is at the bottom. We have the only shrinking economy, the second-highest unemployment, the highest household debt and the worst food inflation in the G7. The Prime Minister cannot hide behind global challenges when every other G7 country faces the exact same pressures. These problems did not appear overnight. They are a direct result of bad Liberal policies.

Will the Prime Minister reverse course on the policies that have left Canada with a shrinking economy, soaring food prices and rising unemployment?

[Corey Hogan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition is picking up the same lines like a soon-to-be-gifted kettlebell, but these repetitions will not get them the gains they seek, because they require Canadians to forget everything before yesterday. We are in a trade war, and in that trade war we are performing very well. We are getting more jobs than the United States. We have foreign direct investment at the highest level in 18 years. Alberta's unemployment decreased by 0.4 points this year. There is much to celebrate, because we have a strong focus on building the economy and we are seeing results.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Albertans know that the member lives in an illusion. There are no projects that have been approved by the government and no shovels in the ground. For years, the Liberal government did everything in its power to block pipelines, stall major energy projects and scare off investment, weakening one of Canada's most critical economic drivers, the oil sands. Canadians are now paying the price. With a shrinking economy and over 100,000 jobs already lost this year, the consequences are clear.

Will the Prime Minister finally reverse course, unleash Canada's energy sector and help rebuild our economy?

[Corey Hogan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, oil and gas production in Canada is at record highs, up 34% in the last 10 years. We have managed to do that while reducing emissions in our country by 6%. We have found a way to sustainably grow and meet the growing needs of the world, including diversifying needs from allies that are increasingly requiring lower carbon emissions. We are building strong. We have approved Ksi Lisims, the Taylor to Gordondale pipeline, NexGen's and Denison's uranium mines. TMX optimization is under way. There are LNG projects, from Cedar to Woodfibre, Tilbury and LNG Canada phase two. They are happening. We are building strong, and we welcome you to join us in that building.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

All questions and answers must be directed through the Chair.

The Economy

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians the strongest economy in the G7, but today we are falling behind. We now have the only shrinking economy in the G7 and among the highest unemployment and the highest household debt. In rural communities, families are being hit really hard. Farmers and producers are facing soaring input costs and blocked resource projects that drive local economies. Canada is struggling because of Liberal policies that have stifled growth.

When will the Prime Minister turn from these failed policies that have left Canadians behind?

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

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the economy, the leader opposite is missing in action. The member is a good man. I respect his faith very much. On this side of the House, we are focused on building a strong economy, the strongest economy in the G7. We are investing in nation-building projects, like Port Saint John in my riding. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars that will employ thousands of people. What about the Sisson mine, a nation-building project, a major project, in the member's riding, which will employ thousands of people?

On this side of the House, we are serious about building a strong economy. The other side simply is not.

[Colin Reynolds, Conservative, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are hurting. The Prime Minister promised Canadians the best, yet our economy is performing among the worst. We have lost over 100,000 jobs in the first two months of this year, and our economy is beginning to shrink. If this is the result of global factors, as the Liberals claim, why is our economy performing so poorly compared to those of other G7 countries?

Will the Prime Minister work with us to reverse the disastrous economic policies that have made it harder for Canadians to put food on the table?

[Rebecca Chartrand, Liberal, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency]

Mr. Speaker, we are making life more affordable, not just in big cities but across northern and indigenous communities. We have cut taxes for 22 million Canadians so northern families can keep more on their table. The permanent national school food program is saving families around $800 a year, and we are tackling food costs by building an all-season infrastructure road through the Arctic. We are building the nation and building scalable affordability. We are also reforming nutrition north.

[Michael Guglielmin, Conservative, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's rhetoric is completely disconnected from reality. He said that Canada would be the best economy in the G7, yet he has delivered the worst, as 100,000 jobs are gone in two months. Here is Canada's G7 record. Canada has the only shrinking economy, the highest food inflation, the highest household debt and the second-highest unemployment. He continues to point to global pressures, but every other G7 country is facing the exact same problems. Their economies are growing and ours is shrinking.

This is a domestic failure made in Canada by the Liberal government. When will they reverse their economic policies that are failing Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, the opposition wants to close its eyes and have a fantasy that the trade war will go away and that the tariffs will go away. It does not work like that. They have to have a plan. They have to invest in their workers. They have to invest in affordable housing. They have to invest in national defence. They have to invest in Canadians and their workers, including those making auto parts, as we are doing with the Federal Economic Development Agency in many Conservative ridings.

Let me boil it down simply. They have to believe in Canada, buy in Canada and build in Canada. They should try that.

Housing

[Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, accelerating housing construction is key to improving affordability. That is why Build Canada Homes is working with partners across the country to launch new projects. Last week, I had the great pleasure of participating in an announcement with my colleagues to deliver some very good news to New Brunswickers.

Can the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure update the House on this recent housing announcement in New Brunswick?

[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. We have some good news for New Brunswick. Through Build Canada Homes, we are working with partners to build 1,200 affordable housing units, with the potential to increase this number to 1,500 housing units. These projects are ready to move forward quickly, and nearly half of these units will use modern building methods to speed up construction.

Together with our partners, we are building more homes for all Canadians.

Justice

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, no community in this country will be protected from hate with legislation that threatens to imprison them for deeply and sincerely held religious beliefs, but that is precisely what Bill C-9 would do. This is a bill the Liberals are forcing to a vote today despite the cries of millions of Canadians from multiple faiths and civil society groups that this bill would violate their civil liberties. It may appease some people, like the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, who believes one needs a black highlighter to read a holy text, but most Canadians want the freedom to live out their beliefs.

Will the Liberals do the right thing, and reduce this divisive and toxic bill to the rubble bin where it belongs?

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

Mr. Speaker, one of the member's colleagues from Windsor included in her flyer those same tired talking points. The Windsor Star spoke to some of her constituents, who said that her flyer was divisive, inflammatory and insulting to their intelligence, and that they were more concerned with the misinformation from the Conservatives than with the content of the bill.

Bill C-9, the combatting hate act, is designed to protect religious freedoms, to ensure people of faith can practise within their community of faith without fear of intimidation or obstruction, and to make sure we recognize the moral culpability when a person is targeted for a crime on the basis of their identity. That is good policy that would keep Canadians safe.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad the Liberals are getting their money's worth with their media bailout, but that does not eliminate the many concerns that Canadians have raised across this country. The Liberals say, when these civil liberties concerns are put at their feet, to just trust them that they will not violate charter rights, because the charter protects those rights. However, last week, that very Attorney General appealed the Federal Court of Appeal decision that ruled the use of the Emergencies Act unlawful and found that the government, despite the promises of Justin Trudeau, did violate the constitutional rights of Canadians. If the Liberals truly are serious about protecting these rights, why will they not drop their appeal and drop Bill C-9?

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

Mr. Speaker, it seems the Conservative strategy when they lose an argument is to blame the media and throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. Let us actually talk about the facts.

Bill C-9, the combatting hate act, from inception, was designed to protect religious freedoms, to combat hate crimes that were taking place in this country, to protect the ability of the Jewish community to go to their synagogues and the Muslim community their mosques and Christian communities their churches, and to ensure people could pray freely without fear of intimidation or obstruction. We heard loud and clear that people are sick and tired of hate crimes in this country and want their government to do something about it. The Conservative option is to send out fundraising emails. We are—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong.

Public Safety

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Emergencies Act has been ruled unlawful by the courts twice. The Liberals violated the charter rights of Canadians by freezing their bank accounts when the threat of a national security threshold was never met. They have wasted millions of dollars of taxpayer money, and now they are appealing this court decision for a third time. With an affordability crisis and a jobs crisis, will the Liberals quit wasting taxpayer monies on something that the courts have twice ruled is unlawful?

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

Mr. Speaker, it seems that the Conservatives never tire of standing up for the people who illegally occupied the main street of our nation's capital, refused to leave, were implored to leave by local residents and the police, and were asked politely but refused to leave this city and this capital that Canadians are so proud of.

The real question is, why do the Conservatives continue to stand up for the convoy and lawlessness in this country?

National Defence

[Paul Connors, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland and Labrador is strategically located to bolster Canada's defence strategy. Our new government is committed to spending 2% of GDP on defence this year and 5% by 2035.

My question is very simple: Will Newfoundland and Labrador have an opportunity to play a role in the defence strategy?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Newfoundland and Labrador is completely right. Our province was made for this moment. That is why I was proud last week to announce a federal investment of $16 million in Newfoundland and Labrador companies to build a stronger industrial base for defence manufacturing in our province.

That means good jobs for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to build more of what Canada needs at this time to stay strong, secure and sovereign.