Debates of March 26th, 2026

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the member will be aware of the landmark 2013 Supreme Court decision, the Pham decision. That decision makes very clear that when it comes to assessing the criminal actions of individuals, whether they are foreign nationals or Canadians, public safety always takes precedence. If the individual has concerns with the decision of the court, that decision is a court decision. It is not a government decision. It does not relate to legislation.

As far as visas are concerned, I remind the member of her leader's comments when he was parading around the country.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal government, the immigration system is more out of control than ever. The Prime Minister claims that temporary foreign worker number are down by 50%, yet the facts say otherwise. In 2025 alone, approvals hit a staggering 167,000, nearly triple the 60,000 in 2015. At the same time, youth unemployment is surging to 14% , and young Canadians cannot find work.

The Liberal Prime Minister either does not know his own numbers or is choosing to ignore them.

How many more Canadian workers have to be pushed out of jobs and into food banks before the Liberal government admits its immigration is betraying Canadians?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, I have respect for my colleague opposite, but I would remind him that TFWs are less than 1% of the workforce and that temporary foreign workers use is down by 70% in Canada.

In fact, this is a government that stands behind youth. We are creating jobs for youth. One of the things we are doing right now is investing in our union, training and innovation programs, supporting 1,800 trades jobs in the B.C. construction industry, 350 new Red Seal bricklayers at the Ontario Masonry Training Centre and 2,000 sheet metal apprentices and journeypersons through Canada's Building Trades Unions.

These are the kinds of serious actions that we are taking as part of our plan to get youth working.

[Kurt Holman, Conservative, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, the immigration system is more out of control than ever before.

The Prime Minister claims that student numbers are down, but last year alone, under the Liberal Prime Minister, there were over 240,000 permits issued, compared to 187,000 in 2015 before the Liberals dramatically expanded Canada's immigration policies. That is not sustainable.

Youth unemployment is 14% across Canada, even higher in London. Canadian youth cannot find jobs.

Why will the Liberals not take accountability for their immigration failures?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I have already gone over the achievements of the government on the immigration file. We will continue that work.

Furthermore, Conservatives have a tendency, unfortunately, to count permits and not people. They will count the original permit that is issued and then the renewal, so a double counting often happens. As far as creative math is concerned, we will put that aside.

Conservatives have mentioned time and again today the temporary foreign worker program. I will inform my hon. colleague, and his leader as well if he wishes to hear it, that quietly, when they have not been watching the leader's office, Conservatives have in fact been advocating for the temporary foreign worker program in their ridings.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, let us bring it a bit closer to home for the member. In London, Ontario, an immigration expert called the Liberals' immigration levels “explosive and reckless.” Someone else said, “They don't care what will happen with this many students coming in, how they will find a home, how they can find health care. But it's just about numbers, right?”

What happened? We saw health care in London strained and rents increased by over 20%.

My question for my colleague is this: How can he defend the people who are in cabinet, who caused this problem in his hometown, while he is not?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, personal attacks again speak for themselves. I am honoured to work with every single member of caucus who time and again devotes themselves to their constituency.

As far as London or any Canadian community is concerned, we continue to see immigration as a fundamental building block in this country. Of course, transformations and policy are needed. That is exactly what we are devoted to. Service has been strained. We know that, but the numbers are coming down and will continue to come down. We see sustainability in the system, and we will continue that work.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the role of a member of Parliament is to hold the government to account. The member for London Centre had the responsibility to go to his cabinet colleagues and tell them that too many people were coming in too fast, rents in his city were increasing too fast, people could not get health care, student food banks were being overrun and people could not get mental health supports, but he did not. He is standing here today and defending the people in cabinet who made these decisions for which there has been no accountability.

Can the member just say that the government was wrong? Can he just say that he should never defend the people who created a dumpster fire?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives want to talk about past policy, that is their prerogative.

What we are focused on, from start to finish, is making sure that this country's present, and especially its future, is on a sustainable footing; that we build this country up; that we focus on the economy; and that we look to the immigration system as one way to make that happen.

I will absolutely defend every colleague on this side of the House, because all of us are devoted, as the Conservatives are, to our constituents and our constituencies. Let us stop playing games. Let us get serious about the future of this country.

Health

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Mr. Speaker, out of respect for the health minister, I informed her office that I would be asking this question. I hope she respects the House enough to stand and answer it.

The Liberals blew $250 million on PrescribeIT. That is the same amount they spent on the sponsorship scandal. Taxpayers got nothing for this money. The Liberals are outright cancelling the program, acknowledging that it was a total failure.

Now Liberals are filibustering the health committee to prevent the disclosure of the contracts. Why do they not just let Canadians see the contracts so we can all try to prevent such boondoggles in the future?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague across the aisle, but the Conservatives are demonstrating classic obstructionist behaviour from committee. We have seen this. They are distracting from the real work we are doing to improve health care across the country.

Let us set the record straight. The Conservatives voted against health care. They voted against dental care. Most recently, they voted against expanding ERs in hospitals across the country. Canadians can see the difference.

Housing

[Amandeep Sodhi, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we have more good news. Today our government tabled important legislation to empower our industries and get homes built. We are working to provide affordability, to provide flexibility and to deliver on the dream of everyone: a place to call home.

Can the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure explain to the House the importance of today's legislation?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, indeed today is a very good day for housing in Canada. We are working with all provinces and territories, along with our homebuilding partners, to make housing more affordable and to deliver for Canadians. The funding from the housing supply bill would keep our projects moving, protect Canadian workers and support construction. This is for the months and years ahead.

We are investing in affordability in our housing and in the Canadians whom we need to support right now. There is a lot more work to do, but today is a great day.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Jeff Kibble, Conservative, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Pacific salmon are a public resource owned by all Canadians, not something for the Liberal government to eliminate behind closed doors.

For generations, salmon have been managed as a common property resource for the collective benefit of all Canadians, yet the Liberal government is now considering removing that principle from the salmon allocation policy. The Minister of Fisheries refuses to commit to protecting B.C.'s vital recreational fishing industry.

With only five days left to make a decision, I ask the minister to confirm that Canadians will retain their meaningful public right to fish, or will the Liberals once again turn their backs on coastal communities, recreational fishers and our way of life?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, Pacific salmon will remain a shared public resource managed by the federal government.

There have been extensive public consultations on the policy, and working group tables continue and include representatives from sport and recreation, commercial harvesters and first nations. A revised salmon allocation policy will not take away any sector's access to the resource. To suggest otherwise is wrong, and it actually divides Canadians.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's fisheries resources do belong to the people of Canada. The fisheries minister confirmed this last October when I asked her at the fisheries committee. However, the minister's department has recklessly published a proposal that would eliminate this principle, and Canadians are paying the price for the uncertainty it has caused.

Was the minister's statement at committee more Liberal bait and switch, or will she reaffirm that Canada's fisheries resources belong to the people of Canada?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, clearly the opposition member did not hear me, so let me repeat that Pacific salmon will remain a shared public resource managed by the federal government. There have been extensive public consultations on the policy and working group tables continue. That includes representation from sport and recreational groups, first nations and the commercial sector. A revised salmon allocation policy will not take away anyone's access to the resource. To suggest otherwise is wrong and divides Canadians.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it sounds like the minister is tired of hearing from Canadians, but Conservatives will not stop raising their voices on their behalf.

We recognize that the salmon allocation policy must be aligned with the Ahousaht decision. No one is disputing that in the policy's review, but why is the minister's department floating the proposal to go far beyond, and proposing to sink over 9,000 jobs in B.C. by gutting the public fisheries' access to chinook and coho salmon?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is incorrect. Let me repeat: Pacific salmon will remain a shared resource managed by the federal government. There have been extensive public consultations on the policy, and working group tables continue that include representations from the sport and recreational group, first nations and the commercial sector. A revised salmon allocation policy will not take away any sector's access to the resource, and to continue this argument is to continue to divide Canadians.

Canadian Identity and Culture

[Lori Idlout, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, March 31 will be National Indigenous Languages Day. Our government acknowledges that indigenous languages must be celebrated and supported.

We have more great news. The additional $17.2 million towards national Aboriginal broadcasting will go a long way. More indigenous peoples will preserve their cultures by showcasing their stories.

Could the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages share how this will impact Nunavut—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages.

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for her tireless work for Nunavummiut and for the north generally.

Last week I had the chance to visit a number of indigenous broadcasters across the north to see the amazing work they are doing to revitalize the language, to broadcast their people and their languages. That is why I topped up the aboriginal broadcasting envelope that we have at Canadian Heritage by $17 million, just to make sure that those often small organizations doing amazing work can continue to do that amazing work.

Just in Nunavut, the member's riding, we announced $4 million, including $2.5 million for the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation. Keeping Inuktitut—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Wellington—Halton Hills North.

Foreign Affairs

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Parliament recognized, with Liberal MPs supporting, that a genocide, including forced labour, was taking place against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang province in the PRC. In response, the Liberal government imposed sanctions. Today, a Liberal member of Parliament in committee intimated in questioning Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a former PCO official, that there was and is no Uyghur forced labour.

I have two questions. First, does the government still assess that Uyghur forced labour has taken place? Second, will the sanctions remain in place?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade and to the Secretary of State (International Development)]

Mr. Speaker, I want to be absolutely clear to all members of this House: Forced labour is unacceptable. We must ensure that our global supply chains remain free from these abuses. That is why we prioritize the inclusion of comprehensive labour provisions and free trade agreements to promote international labour standards. We also work with Public Safety to reduce forced labour from our supply chains, and we will protect Canada's interests while upholding labour standards from all workers.