Debates of April 14th, 2026

House of Commons Hansard #102 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was taxes.

Topics

This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Facilitating Agricultural Regulatory Modernization Act First reading of Bill C-273. The bill proposes allowing Canadian farmers to access agricultural products approved by allied nations within 90 days, aiming to reduce bureaucratic delays and regulatory red tape to lower costs and increase food production. 300 words.

Petitions

Reducing small business regulatory burden

Actions against the IRGC

Establish a peacebuilding research centre

Protecting minors from predators

Reverse agricultural research cuts

Opposition to Bill C-9

Opposition Motion—Fuel Taxes Members debate a Conservative motion proposing the total removal of federal fuel taxes to address the national cost of living crisis. The Conservatives demand immediate relief for farmers and truckers by eliminating excise, GST, and carbon levies. In response, the Government announces a temporary suspension of excise taxes. Meanwhile, the Bloc Québécois questions the motion's environmental impact, and the NDP argues that corporate profits should fund relief without cutting infrastructure or health services. 50500 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.

Statements by Members

Grocery store affordability crisis

Excellence in Canadian ETFs

Remembering Lapu-Lapu festival tragedy

National Canadian Film Day

Concerns over Toronto injection sites

Recognizing community worker Marc Bergeron

Bail policies and public safety

Human rights abuses in Iran

Protecting private property rights

Tribute to mayor Claude Frappier

Eastern Townships agricultural excellence

Relieving gas price burden

Cervical cancer prevention awareness

Criticism of fuel tax policy

NATO spending and defence funding

Critique of federal fuel taxes

Recent federal by-elections

Question Period

The Conservatives dismiss the government's fuel tax relief as a half measure, demanding the elimination of all taxes on gas. They urge the government to defend private property rights following the Cowichan ruling and secret Musqueam agreements. They also raise ethics concerns over the Alto rail project and Iran’s UN committee membership.

The Liberals tout Canada’s economic growth and affordability measures, such as suspending fuel excise taxes and lowering flight costs. They promote high-speed rail, nature conservation, and funding for French media. Additionally, they commit to protecting property rights by appealing the Cowichan ruling and highlight programs like dental care and employment insurance.

The Bloc advocates for French-language regional news by calling for increased media funding and contributions from web giants. They also demand the government eliminate the EI "spring gap" and provide additional weeks of benefits for seasonal workers.

The NDP urges the government to enforce the Canada Health Act against expanding two-tiered diagnostics and care.

The Greens criticize cuts to scientific research in environment and agriculture, specifically for insect taxonomy.

Youth Criminal Justice Act Second reading of Bill C-231. The bill seeks to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act by prioritizing addiction treatment for youth over traditional punitive measures. Representatives from all parties express support for the initiative, emphasizing the need for rehabilitation over incarceration. While supporting the overarching goal, some members propose targeted amendments to better integrate structured, evidence-based intervention and help youth break the vicious cycle of addiction. 5900 words, 45 minutes.

Conservation Donations Members debate Motion No. 15, proposing tax parity for land and monetary conservation donations. Liberals argue this voluntary approach leverages private investment for biodiversity goals. Conservatives oppose the motion, arguing it advances a "30 by 30" agenda that restricts economic activity and public land access. The Bloc Québécois supports the measure as a necessary tool to address the biodiversity crisis. 8300 words, 1 hour.

Adjournment Debates

Access to disability benefits Gord Johns argues the current disability tax credit process duplicates provincial efforts, wastes physician time, and creates barriers for applicants. He advocates for Bill C-211 to streamline access. Maggie Chi defends the current federal system, asserting it ensures consistent, equal support for Canadians across all provinces.

PrescribeIT program expenditure Matt Strauss criticizes the government for spending $250 million on the failed PrescribeIT project, demanding transparency through the release of the contract. Maggie Chi defends the government's decision to end the program, emphasizing their ongoing commitment to digitizing health care through new legislation and collaboration with provinces and territories.

Phoenix pay system replacement William Stevenson criticizes the government for the ongoing failures of the Phoenix pay system and expresses concern that the proposed replacement, Dayforce, will repeat past errors. Maggie Chi defends the government by citing improvements in pay accuracy and emphasizes that the gradual transition is designed to ensure reliability.

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Public Services and ProcurementAdjournment Proceedings

April 14th, 2026 / 7:10 p.m.

Don Valley North Ontario

Liberal

Maggie Chi LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I share the hon. member's concern on this issue and welcome further discussion of the outgoing Phoenix pay system and its effects on Canada's public sector workers.

Our hard-working public servants are dedicated to serving Canadians. Every day they strive to deliver a broad range of programs and services that make a positive difference in communities across the country. I want to be clear that it is totally unacceptable that for so long so many of our public servants have had to contend with inaccurate and untimely compensation.

Our government recognizes the toll this has taken and Public Services and Procurement Canada has acted to address the issue in a number of ways. The department has hired and trained more compensation advisers and has expanded client support services and call centres to meet the challenge. Alongside work on reducing the existing backlog of cases, the department is focused on ensuring all current pay transactions are accurate the first time around. At the end of last year, an average of 98.4% of pay transactions were accurate.

The department is also making use of improved technology and taking advantage of new ways of processing pay transactions, such as bulk processing and automation. The department is also exploring AI-enabled supports for more straightforward cases. The use of these technologies means faster results and a reduced need for manual processing, allowing compensation advisers to focus their efforts on the more complex cases.

While much hard work is going into fixing the problem created by the existing pay system, we know the situation is not sustainable. We must transition from Phoenix once and for all, and that is what our government intends to do.

Last May, the Government of Canada announced it is moving towards implementing a new, more reliable pay solution known as Dayforce. This will replace not only Phoenix but also more than 30 existing HR systems. This new system will be rolled out gradually over the coming years, and that pace is deliberate. We need to avoid the mistakes of the past and make sure we have a robust and reliable system that pays public servants accurately and on time.

As we move forward with this transition, we are guided by the many lessons learned, including the most recent recommendation of the Auditor General, which we have accepted and are addressing. We will also point out that, in her most recent report, the AG found that we are managing the project to transform the pay system and that the project will provide value for money once implemented.

While nothing can erase the financial disruptions of the past, we can certainly work to ensure they do not happen again. If we are to build trust with our public servants, we must act decisively to eliminate the backlog, improve our capacity to manage pay in the here and now, and phase in a replacement system that truly meets the needs of Canada's hard-working public servants. That is exactly what we are doing.

Public Services and ProcurementAdjournment Proceedings

7:15 p.m.

Conservative

William Stevenson Conservative Yellowhead, AB

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are losing confidence in the fairness of our immigration system.

The Auditor General found over 153,000 suspected cases of international student visa fraud, yet only a fraction are being investigated. At the same time, the Ethics Commissioner found that a deputy minister who was in immigration at the time broke the Conflict of Interest Act by fast-tracking a friend into an $80,000-a-year role at immigration, despite their having no French, no government experience, no basic systems knowledge and no expertise in federal laws.

With the system in its worst shape in years, fraud goes unchecked, the minister avoids accountability and insiders get special treatment. Decisions like this, alongside other online failures such as the pay system, undermine the work of dedicated public servants and demotivate those who actually follow the rules.

Canadian taxpayers expect qualified people in charge. How can they trust the government when their connections matter more than their competency?

Public Services and ProcurementAdjournment Proceedings

7:15 p.m.

Liberal

Maggie Chi Liberal Don Valley North, ON

Mr. Speaker, we know that the problems with the Phoenix pay system have had lasting consequences for public servants and their families. Public Services and Procurement Canada has strengthened its ability to deal with compensation issues accurately and in a timely fashion. Much progress has been made, but some public servants continue to face pay issues. This is unacceptable.

From hiring and training more pay advisers to using AI-enabled service supports for more straightforward cases, I can assure the member that the government is taking concrete actions to address and mitigate public service pay issues. We are also phasing in Dayforce, a more stable and reliable replacement system, that will better serve Canada's dedicated public servants and rebuild trust in the Government of Canada as an employer of choice.

Public Services and ProcurementAdjournment Proceedings

7:15 p.m.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker John Nater

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:17 p.m.)