Debates of April 14th, 2026

Agriculture and Food in Compton—Stanstead.

[Marianne Dandurand, Liberal, Compton—Stanstead, QC]

Mr. Speaker, agriculture and food are at the heart of my region's identity. Committed men and women are showcasing our farm-to-table expertise. One example is Karine Vachon and Jean‑François Bolduc of JF Bolduc farm. For 25 years, they have innovated, improved their practices and contributed to more sustainable agriculture. Their work was recently recognized by the Réseau des fermes durables de l'Estrie.

The excellence of the Eastern Townships extends to our plates. My region has three finalists at the Lauriers de la gastronomie québécoise, whose awards ceremony will be held on May 4. The Routier-Bolduc family from the La Station cheese factory is one of the finalists in the artisan of the year category. The Manoir Hovey is also in the running with Alexandre Vachon, finalist for chef of the year, and Joanie Métivier, finalist for sommelier of the year. We must continue to support and promote this farm-to-table expertise.

Gas Prices

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister continues to make big promises, Canadians continue to struggle. The truth of the matter is that he is an illusionist. Canadians are paying 35% more due to rising global oil prices, and Liberal taxes are making it even worse, forcing them to pay almost 20% more than Americans. Not only is the Prime Minister late to the game at announcing relief at the pumps, it is an illusion that he will actually deliver on affordability when he is only pausing the fuel excise tax from April 20 until Labour Day.

Conservatives have brought forward a plan to eliminate the fuel excise tax, the GST on gas and diesel, the industrial carbon tax and the clean fuel standard for the rest of the year. It is a plan that would cut costs at the pump by 25¢ per litre, saving a family of four $1,200 this year. Canadians deserve affordable fuel and food. Conservatives will continue to fight the cost of living crisis, restore economic growth and make life affordable again.

Cervical Cancer

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology of Canada says we are in a national silent health crisis. Cervical cancer has become the fastest rising form of cancer in Canada. Last year an estimated 1,650 Canadian women were diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 430 will die from the disease. Cervical cancer had been in decline for decades, but in recent years, rates have been on the rise. This is a disease that is almost entirely preventable through human papillomavirus vaccination, easily diagnosed through cervical screening and highly curable when treated early.

Last July, our government released an action plan to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040. During this April, Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Month, Canadian women need to know that HPV vaccination and cervical screening can save lives.

Gas Prices

[Grant Jackson, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian gas prices have soared and the time for action is now. Unsurprisingly, the Liberals have only just stumbled out of the gate.

Conservatives have presented a plan with real solutions for Canadians amidst an affordability crisis that Liberals created. Here is the solution: Cut four costly Liberal gas taxes. Our plan would halt the fuel excise tax and the GST until the end of 2026 and permanently remove the fuel standards tax and the industrial carbon tax. These taxes cost Canadians an extra 25¢ a litre on gas and 21¢ a litre on diesel. Cutting taxes would keep that money in Canadians' pockets.

This morning, the Liberals attempted to poach this plan but, true to form, they did not even copy and paste correctly. By pausing only the fuel excise tax and only until September, the Liberals have acknowledged that cutting taxes is the answer, but their half-measure plan would save far less than our Conservative plan would.

Will the Liberals admit their mistake this afternoon and implement our full plan today to promote real relief for Canadian families?

National Defence

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Sydney—Glace Bay, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have good news. Canada has reached the NATO 2% defence spending target half a decade ahead of schedule and with the largest year-over-year increase for our defence budget in generations. This is a proud moment, and I want to congratulate the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Defence for their leadership in making it happen.

This is more than a number. It is a signal to the world that Canada is serious about defending what we have built and protecting what we value. Cape Breton knows this very well, because Sydney has been selected as the preferred home for Canada's next generation of polar ice vessels. This is bringing jobs, strengthening our Arctic sovereignty and putting our community at the centre of the defence renewal.

We are rebuilding and we are rearming, and in a world that is watching, Canada once again will lead the way.

Fuel Taxes

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, no one is surprised the Liberal Prime Minister stole another Conservative idea, but like a typical Liberal, he only took a part of it. The Prime Minister said he was looking for solutions. We put one right in front of him.

Conservatives are calling for all federal fuel taxes to be removed for the rest of this year, including the excise tax, the GST, the Liberal fuel standard and the industrial carbon tax. Canadians would save 25¢ per litre at the pump, and families would save $1,200 just this year.

Instead, the Liberals announced a half-measure and kept all the Liberal fuel taxes in place that are driving up the cost of gas, groceries and transportation. Canadians are paying 20¢ more per litre than the Americans, and the difference is federal Liberal fuel taxes.

Today, Conservatives brought a motion forward to remove all federal taxes for the rest of the year for Canadians. If the Prime Minister is going to steal our ideas, he should at least be willing to steal them whole.

Federal By-elections

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last night Canadians made a big decision in University—Rosedale, Scarborough Southwest and Terrebonne by putting their trust in this new government's plan and our Prime Minister.

To everyone who put their name on the ballot, I want to say thanks. Our democracy is better off for their participation.

I would like to congratulate our new colleagues Danielle Martin and Doly Begum, and of course welcome back our colleague Tatiana Auguste.

This government has a clear mandate to continue taking action on the important issues that matter most to Canadians, and with these three newly elected colleagues and under the leadership of our Prime Minister, we will do just that.

Taxation

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, after weeks of Conservative pressure, the Liberals finally admitted that their high fuel taxes are hammering Canadians at the pumps, but, in typical Liberal fashion, this Prime Minister has proven to be just another Liberal, keeping more windfall taxes for government than for providing relief for Canadians.

The Liberal announcement today is simply not good enough. It is going to provide only a third of the relief for a third of the year. The Conservative plan is to scrap 100% of federal fuel taxes for the entire rest of the year. If the Liberals are going to admit that the Conservatives were right all along, why not just go all the way and adopt our full plan?

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

Mr. Speaker, I know it is Tuesday. There is so much good news that I do not know where to start. I really do not know. Just look at their faces. They should be smiling. The International Monetary Fund just announced that Canada is forecasted to have the second-fastest growth in the G7. In addition, we are suspending the federal fuel excise tax on gasoline from April 20 until Labour Day. Every day is a good day to—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, good times are almost here, just a little over the horizon, but right now there are no smiles on motorists' faces, because they were expecting 100% relief at the pumps. Under the Liberal government's plan, the government will still continue to collect windfall taxes, and hard-working Canadians will have to pay more at the pumps.

The Liberal government is keeping the GST on fuel and the fuel standard tax, which alone adds seven cents a litre. It is providing only a third of the relief for a third of the year. We do not give a pharmacist a high-five when he gives us only one third of our prescription. Why not just go all the way and reduce, scrap and eliminate 100% of fuel taxes for the—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Minister of Energy and Natural Resources.

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the opposition members, who do not have a plan, we have a plan. We have reduced the price of gasoline by 28¢ a litre since we became the government. We are reducing taxes for Canadians. We are reducing GST for Canadians. We are reducing development charges on homes, which, in my riding, is saving $200,000 a home. That is how one deals with affordability.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while Canadians are struggling to pay for groceries, the Liberal government is once again proposing half measures. The Prime Minister's announcement only deals with a fraction of the fuel taxes and only for a few months. It is a measure that would reduce the cost of gasoline by as little as 10¢ a litre. Meanwhile, prices at the pump continue to skyrocket. Canadians are already paying far more than their American neighbours.

Why are the same old Liberals refusing to offer real relief to Canadian families?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is only Tuesday and we already have so much good news that I do not even know where to begin.

This morning, the International Monetary Fund reported that Canada will have the second-fastest growth in the G7. We are also announcing the suspension of the federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel. This measure will leave $2.4 billion in Canadians' pockets. That is great news for motorists, great news for consumers and great news for Canada and affordability.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the truly good news will come when this government decides to take all of our advice. For three years, we have been asking them to eliminate the carbon tax; they did it. Now we are asking them to remove all taxes on gasoline: GST, excise tax and clean fuel surcharges included.

Is the government ready to go the extra mile to help Canadians who face the harsh daily reality of paying too much for everything?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the announcement made by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance. It will put $2.4 billion back into the pockets of Canadians to help with the cost of living. However, we are not stopping there. We have cut taxes for 22 million Canadians, and then there is the Canada child benefit, the Canada dental plan and the grocery benefit. There are so many measures that I am having a hard time naming them all. These are all measures the Conservatives voted against. They are in no position to lecture us when it comes to the help we are providing Canadians to cope with the cost of living.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal gas price change amounts to what is really chump change. It is only for a third of the year, for a third of the tax. It is not relief when Canadians barely save 10¢ a litre on gas and four cents a litre on diesel. It is not relief when Canadians still have to pay the GST and the Liberal fuel tax. Canadians are going to get back pennies. Meanwhile, the Liberals are collecting billions of dollars in federal gas tax revenue.

Why the half-measure? Why not adopt the Conservative plan to remove all the Liberal taxes on fuel, diesel and gas?

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

Mr. Speaker, in addition to all this good news, I want to highlight one additional measure the Prime Minister and my colleagues announced today, and that is that Canadians are going to find it less expensive to get out and travel around the country this summer, because we are lowering the excise tax on jet fuel. We are going to reduce the cost of domestic flights. We will even go visit the member in Foothills.

Get out and enjoy Canada. Vive le Canada.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is incredible how the Liberals can twist themselves in pretzels. It was not that long ago they were accusing all Conservatives of taking a summer vacation while the planet burned, and now they are saying we can travel around the world.

It is not a benefit when the Liberals are pocketing billions of dollars in gas tax revenue right from the pockets of Canadians who are struggling just to buy the basics. Why do the Liberals take these half measures? Why do they not follow a Conservative policy and eliminate all of the Liberal taxes on fuel so Canadians can afford that summer vacation we would all love to take?

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

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that global instability has created an atmosphere where we had to react, and we are reacting.

I credit the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance for coming forward with this. I hear from the farmers on the front line every other day that they are concerned about the crop they are going to put in. It is the second-fastest growing economy. That is a contribution from our farmers. It is 28¢ less a litre since this new government has been put in place, and $2.4 billion back in the pockets of Canadians. It is a good day.

News Media Industry

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, regional news is in jeopardy, and this is even more true for regional news in French, which is why the independent local news fund, or ILNF, is so important. Ever since the CRTC allowed 15 English-language stations from the Corus group into the fund, the share of funding going to French-language media has plummeted. The only two eligible French-language groups have lost nearly half of their funding, which has dropped from 26% to 14%. Obviously, the solution is for GAFAM to contribute to media funding, but first, regional news in French must survive.

Will the government increase the fund?

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

Mr. Speaker, we know that thanks to the fund, several regional French-language media outlets receive federal funding specifically to provide information in French. Yes, we are considering all the options in a landscape where these platforms and these broadcasters are under threat from the larger platforms.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have no problem with funding going to English-language regional news outlets, but it should not come out of French-language media outlets' funding. If outlets are added to the independent local news fund, money should also be added. We would obviously not have this problem if the Prime Minister had not abolished the digital services tax. The government could have provided decent funding for all our media outlets through the web giants' fair share.

Since the Prime Minister is depriving our media outlets of this revenue, will he top up the fund?

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

Mr. Speaker, as I said in my previous answer, we are considering several options.