Debates of April 15th, 2026

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong for that great question and for her determination to do what is right for Canada.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced that we will be suspending the excise tax on gasoline and diesel, meaning Canadians will save 10¢ per litre on gasoline, putting more money in Canadians' pockets as they face higher gas prices and global uncertainty. On this side of the House, we are focused on making life more affordable for Canadians. The other side continues with the rhetoric.

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let us get serious. Folks in Oshawa are reaching their breaking point. Seventy-four per cent of Canadians say the cost of food and gas is crushing them. Forty-three per cent of Canadians are just $200 away from not paying their bills. Families are cutting back and putting off major decisions, while young people are losing hope that they will ever get ahead.

Despite all this, the Prime Minister stands here and has the audacity to claim that affordability is the best it has ever been and “Canadians are getting ahead”. Why will the Prime Minister not fully cut taxes on gas and food so that Oshawa families can actually get ahead?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, far be it from any member on this side of the House to deprive the Conservative leader of driving the Conservative bus deeper down into the valley of unpopularity. They can rest assured that we will save the Conservatives money at the gas pumps along the way, with savings of 10¢ per litre with the excise tax having been suspended for the next four months and 28¢ per litre since this government got into power. That is in addition to the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. That is in addition to a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. We are the party that is making affordability a reality.

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Oshawa and Durham Region families cannot pay their bills or put food on the table with these Liberal half measures and talking points. After years of the Liberal government spending, 61% of Canadians say that they are facing financial whiplash.

Conservatives have put forward a real plan to suspend all federal gas taxes through to the end of 2026. However, once again, the Liberals are taking a great Conservative idea and watering it down. Will the Prime Minister stop the half measures, deliver real relief and fully cut taxes on gas and food for Oshawa families and all Canadians?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to take this member seriously when she has voted against every affordability measure that impacts families in Durham Region. She stood up in this House and voted against the groceries and essentials benefit. She has voted against a tax cut for 22 million Canadians. The Conservatives say they want us to cut taxes at the pump. That is exactly what we are doing and yet they are opposed to it. We are making life more affordable.

Where was the member when we announced a major project to give jobs to 21,700 members of the Durham Region community for the SMR project—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Terra Nova—The Peninsulas.

The Economy

[Jonathan Rowe, Conservative, Terra Nova—The Peninsulas, NL]

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal Prime Minister claimed he was going to have responsible budgets and fix Canada's economy. Instead, he actually spent more in reckless spending than Justin Trudeau, and now Atlantic Canadians are having to spend more and struggle more. Atlantic Canadians are working harder, and yet they are not making any headway.

Nearly a third of Canadians say they do not even have enough to cover their bills. We are in serious trouble. When will the government get serious about affordability?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the the opposition member from Newfoundland and Labrador that Bay du Nord is a way that we support Newfoundland and Labrador with jobs and money in the economy. That is $8 billion in 5 Wing Goose Bay and $12 million to support local companies. I also want to remind this member, who has fishing and harvesters in his riding, of the renewal of the Atlantic fisheries fund and Atlantic wild salmon fund. We are doing the work. We are not reading tired notes and we are not following poor politics.

[Jonathan Rowe, Conservative, Terra Nova—The Peninsulas, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I just asked a question about affordability and I cannot believe I did not hear anything about affordability. I guess that is no surprise, considering this fisheries minister voted against my bill that would have allowed struggling Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to fish for food seven days a week, so on Wednesdays, to go out in their small boats, take a fish for food and bring down their grocery bills. Will this fisheries minister allow Newfoundlanders to fish seven days a week to help with their grocery bills?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, we debated the private member's bill and it was defeated for very good reasons.

What I will remind this member from Newfoundland and Labrador is that we followed due diligence with an open consultation on what the recreational fishery needs to look like. A “what we heard” report will be coming out very shortly. We will follow with select consultations and then, based on what I have heard, I will put a plan together for this season. That is how we set policy that actually aligns with the needs of communities. Again, it is not just tired notes and rhetoric.

Taxation

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Mr. Speaker, he makes promises, but the Prime Minister fails to make life more affordable. Canadians are experiencing financial whiplash under the Liberal government. Nearly three-quarters say rising prices for essentials like food and gas are straining their finances. Unpredictable conditions mean cutting back on spending and delaying major financial decisions.

Canada is less affordable under the current Prime Minister. Will he help Canadians by adopting our Conservative plan to cut all federal taxes on gas and food?

[Eleanor Olszewski, Liberal, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, what I hear when I travel through Alberta is how supportive people are of the government's advancing priorities for Albertans, the things that matter most to them: affordability, energy and economic growth. The announcement to temporarily remove the federal excise tax on gas will help families, farmers, truck drivers and business operators throughout the province. We are working hard to build a country where Albertans and all Canadians can have greater prosperity.

Ethics

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance recused himself last September from the Alto high-speed rail project, and yet no one was informed. From 12 to 16 times, he debated and defended the project, answered questions, promoted it and even voted on it. I looked up the meaning of the word “recuse” and listen carefully to this: To recuse is to remove oneself from a matter due to a conflict of interest or incompetence.

I do not know what the Liberals are going to make of that sentence, but if conflicts of interest come to mind, why does the Minister of Finance not explain himself to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics? Quebeckers have a right to know.

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

Mr. Speaker, this question was properly answered by the Minister of Finance and the member knows full well that we carefully follow the strictest ethics rules in the world.

Concerning Alto and high-speed rail, I can assure the member that Quebeckers have noticed the Conservative leader's opposition to this major, unifying national project that is set to be a game-changer for mobility in Canada.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are about to begin the 12th hour of Liberal monologues at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics, by the same members who talk to us about everything except the motion under consideration. The motion simply asks that the Minister of Finance, Alto and the Ethics Commissioner come to answer questions regarding recusals or potential conflicts of interest. We have heard about the Trans-Canada Highway and the St. Lawrence River. We have even heard reports of wild turkeys on Highway 50, but nothing related to the motion.

Could the Prime Minister tell his minions to stop obstructing the committee's work and send the Minister of Finance to answer questions?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member heard about Highway 50 because I was thanking my colleague from Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation for constantly bringing our attention to the issue of Quebec's most dangerous highway. As for my colleague the Minister of Finance, he is meticulous and strictly adheres to ethical guidelines.

Again, when it comes to high-speed rail, we will not take any lessons from the Conservative Party on mobility or on this generational investment that is set to be a game-changer for mobility in Canada.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the law is clear that ministers must not use their position to further the personal interests of their family members, but the finance minister is championing the multi-billion-dollar Alto project where his partner is a vice-president. It was the finance minister who told the Prime Minister that he was concerned about a conflict of interest because of that relationship and said that he needed to recuse himself, and Canadians agree. The problem is, that is not what he did. Now the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics wants to review the matter and have the minister come to clear the air. Instead, we have a Liberal filibuster.

Will the minister end the filibuster and come to committee?

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

Mr. Speaker, who is championing high-speed rail in Canada? It is the 173 Liberal MPs on this side of the House, who are going to build major nation-building projects, including high-speed rail. It is a major project for national unity, a major project for mobility in our country and a project that will favour the building trades, men and women, and steel, aluminum and lumber. We are going to put people to work using Canadian materials, and we are going to move that train as fast as we can.

Committees of the House

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the problem for the Liberals is that even their Liberal candidates in the area know this is so unpopular that they are speaking out against this boondoggle. Canadians want accountability from the Liberals. It is $90 billion. The minister is refusing to come to committee, and there is this Liberal filibuster that persists.

My question is to the chair of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. Can he tell the House why the minister has not been scheduled to appear to testify on this conflict of interest scandal?

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the member is quite right. If the minister had nothing to hide, he would have nothing to fear in coming to the ethics committee. The ethics committee will be heading into its 12th hour with the Liberals filibustering an amendment that Conservatives actually support. The motion calls on the finance minister to explain his claim that he has recused himself from decisions on Alto when it is clear he has not.

Yesterday the Liberal Prime Minister promised Canadians they would see less showboating, more relevance and substantive debate at committee. If the Prime Minister truly believes that, why does he not tell his members to stand down and have the finance minister appear?

Public Safety

[Eric St-Pierre, Liberal, Honoré-Mercier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-22 is being debated again in the House today. This is a vital bill that will help combat serious crimes such as extortion and that will move police investigations forward. Law enforcement agencies across the country are calling for this measure, as is the member for Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner.

Can the Minister of Justice explain to the House why Bill C-22 is important for the safety of all Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Honoré-Mercier for his question. Crime is moving online and is becoming increasingly organized and sophisticated. Criminals are using the digital environment to exploit children and to engage in extortion and human trafficking. Bill C-22, an act respecting lawful access, gives police officers the tools to investigate, disrupt organized crime and protect our communities. Our police officers across Quebec and Canada are calling for these tools. We are listening to them.

I urge all of Parliament to support this bill, which is so important for our country.

National Defence

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, once again, the Liberals are giving to our troops with one hand but taking with the other. The Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence love to brag about their fake raise they gave to the forces. The reality is that many of our troops are taking home less on their paycheques because of Liberal policy changes. Sadly, military families were only given one week's notice before the change to their out-of-pocket, out-of-country living allowances, in some cases reducing their take-home pay by up to $1,500.

Why are the Liberals shortchanging frontline troops who are putting their lives on the line to defend Canada?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing fake about 8%, 13% and 20% pay raises. That is the first thing. The member knows better than to raise this subject matter, which is important, this way. Ninety thousand members of the forces are getting a pay raise. He is aware of that. We have invested in hundreds of new housing units on and off bases, 800 homes are being constructed today, and we have modernized the application process.

We are making progress. I am looking forward to thoughtful and earnest suggestions for improvement. That was not one of them.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, all that bragging is just talk and no action.

It is the Minister of National Defence's job to fight for the best interests of those who put on the uniform to fight for each and every one of us. These brave Canadians are deployed to Latvia and other places around the world without hesitation. They sacrifice months away from their loved ones in the name of Canada because the minister tells them they have to. It is his job to make sure they are treated as the best that this country has to offer.

Instead of making excuses or bragging, will the defence minister take responsibility and help our military families make ends meet?