Debates of April 14th, 2026

Taxation

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, it would be so simple and it would help people, like the 26,537 residents in her riding who have access to the Canadian dental care plan. It would be so simple for the member to support that program. It would be so simple for her to support the Canada child benefit, which allocates $67 million a year to 10,000 families in her riding.

When the member says “peanuts”, she is talking about $2.4 billion going back to Canadians because we are eliminating the excise tax on gasoline. That is not peanuts. That is significant.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what I also find odd is that Canadians already pay about 20% more for gas than Americans do, while the Liberals are proposing partial relief that will cover barely a third of taxes for a third of the year. What we in the Conservative Party propose is that the Liberals keep co-opting the Conservative Party platform, but in its entirety, instead of just half of it. Then we would agree with them.

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the fact that we eliminated the carbon tax, which lowered the price of gas in this country by 28¢ a litre. I also find it ironic that the member opposite was part of the Quebec government that put a price on pollution with its cap-and-trade system. That is peak irony.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the measures announced this morning by the Liberal government are too little too late in the face of the magnitude of the cost of living crisis in Canada. The price of diesel today is $2.75 a litre. The announced tax cut of four cents a litre changes nothing for our truckers. The Liberal government is still charging eight cents a litre in GST and seven cents a litre for the clean fuel regulations. Canadians are paying 20% more for gas than Americans.

Will the Liberal government stop patting itself on the back and start working for all Canadians?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, like the people watching us on TV, I must give the member an A in theatre but perhaps a C in math.

The fact is that we are leaving $2.4 billion in the pockets of truckers. I look forward to seeing the people of Saint‑Nicolas and Lévis. I hope he will put this video on his platforms to inform all truckers in the Quebec City region that we are there for them and that we understand that lowering the price of diesel will also help with food costs. We know that the price of diesel has an impact on logistics. We will continue fighting for Canadians every single day.

The Economy

[Braedon Clark, Liberal, Sackville—Bedford—Preston, NS]

Mr. Speaker, over the past year, Canadians have navigated a rapidly changing and increasingly fragmented world, one that is more complex, more volatile and more unpredictable. In this environment, Canadians have done what they have always done. We have rolled up our sleeves, looked out for one another and adapted. This work belongs to all of us. This is Canada's moment to build together. Last night, the good people of Scarborough Southwest, University—Rosedale and Terrebonne placed their faith in this plan.

Could the Minister of Finance please update the House on the next steps in our plan to build a strong and resilient Canadian economy and give us a—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Minister of Finance.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, budget 2025 presented generational investments in housing, infrastructure, productivity, innovation and our defence. It is our plan to grow the strongest economy in the G7.

I will have the pleasure of presenting the spring economic update on April 28 to the House. This is going to be a plan that is going to help families. It is going to help our industry. It is going to help our nation prosper and to bring good news to Canadians across the nation.

Indigenous Affairs

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are facing rising costs, economic uncertainty and housing challenges. The Cowichan ruling in British Columbia is now adding a new layer of doubt about whether homes in the city of Richmond are truly secure. Home ownership is the foundation of financial stability for millions of Canadians, yet the Liberals have failed to clearly defend it in court.

Will the Prime Minister instruct his lawyers to unequivocally argue that the private property rights of Canadian homeowners must come first and finally provide the certainty Canadians demand?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear that Canadians can still buy, sell, inherit and renovate their homes under provincial and municipal law.

We disagreed with the Cowichan ruling and appealed it on September 8, 2025. We believe that the Cowichan decision requires legal clarity. That is why the government will pursue all legal options through the appeal process. We will protect private property owners and uphold the Constitution without fearmongering.

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government filed its appeal at the last second, but here is the thing: In 2018, the government instructed its lawyers to not make the argument that fee simple property is supreme while the case was in the lower courts. Unfortunately for the property owners involved, the government cannot mount an appeal with an argument that it did not make originally.

I ask the minister to please help Canadians and all of us understand how the government intends to win a court case with an argument it cannot make.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, we are appealing the Cowichan ruling, and we will be pursuing all legal options.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government avoids the question, hiding behind appeals and technical definitions instead of stating a clear and substantive position. This is pattern. In court and in backroom agreements, the Liberals refuse to say whether they will stand up for Canadian homeowners. Canadians deserve certainty.

Will the Prime Minister direct lawyers to argue that the private property rights of Canadian homeowners must come first, yes or no?

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

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Canadians can still buy, sell, inherit and renovate their homes under provincial and municipal law.

We disagree with the Cowichan ruling, which we appealed on September 8, 2025. We believe that this decision requires legal clarity. That is why the government will pursue all legal options through the appeal process.

We will protect property rights and uphold the Constitution.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, appealing the decision is not the question. The government still has not said whether it is arguing that Canadian homeowners' private property rights come first. I will keep asking this question until there is a clear answer.

Will the Liberals make that position clear in court and in all future agreements, yes or no?

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

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has asked us to state the position of the Government of Canada clearly. We disagree with the decision of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. We have decided to appeal that decision in order to pursue a different outcome. At trial we defended fee simple, and we believe that more clarity is needed, particularly on the issue of private property rights.

These debates are legal debates. The appropriate forum for them to take place is through the appeal process, not on the floor of the House of Commons.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Cowichan ruling has created uncertainty for homeowners and first nations in B.C., calling into question whether private property rights are secure. Canadians are already struggling with affordability. They should not have to wonder whether or not they own their own homes. Cowichan themselves said that they did not seek to invalidate private property ownership.

Will the Prime Minister direct his lawyers to thoroughly argue in court that the private property rights of Canadian homeowners must be a priority as well?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I have told the House, we are appealing the decision, but what I would like to point out is that courts are one way of settling the aboriginal title and negotiations are another. This is what we have done in that member's jurisdiction.

We have been working with the Government of British Columbia as well as the Haida Nation. It has been two years since the Haida title agreement has been in place in the province of British Columbia. The sky has not fallen. Private property is protected under the Haida agreement.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this could have been avoided. The Liberal government's secret approach to agreements, such as the Musqueam rights recognition agreement, without transparency or clear protections for private property, has added to the anxiety private property owners are already experiencing. The consequences are uncertainty, stalled sales and the potential to derail previous reconciliation efforts.

Will the Prime Minister commit today that no future agreements will be signed unless they explicitly protect and prioritize the private property rights of Canadian homeowners?

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

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. This band of Conservatives is what is sowing dissent and anxiety in Canada. The government is being crystal clear. We support—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I did not really hear all the words there, but it was an interruption, so the minister may start from the top.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

He might have to start from the top again if the hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola continues.

The hon. minister has the floor.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!