Mr. Speaker, I am confused. Is 28¢ cents a litre hot air? Twenty-eight cents—
House of Commons Hansard #103 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was enforcement.
House of Commons Hansard #103 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was enforcement.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Lawful Access Act, 2026 Second reading of Bill C-22. The bill seeks to modernize law enforcement investigative capabilities for digital crimes. Liberal MPs argue these authorities are vital to combat rising digital threats. Conservative members fear potential ministerial overreach and privacy infringements. While highlighting the need to tackle child exploitation, opposition MPs emphasize the necessity of rigorous committee review to balance public safety with civil liberties. 15400 words, 2 hours.
National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act Second reading of Bill S-211. The bill S-211 proposes a national framework to regulate sports betting advertisements. Supporters express concern that ubiquitous advertising harms youth and vulnerable populations. Conversely, the Bloc Québécois argues this area falls under provincial jurisdiction, contending that federal intervention constitutes an unnecessary, clumsy intrusion into established provincial gaming management responsibilities. 7300 words, 1 hour.
Tim Hodgson LiberalMinister of Energy and Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, I am confused. Is 28¢ cents a litre hot air? Twenty-eight cents—
TaxationOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
The noise is not just coming from the right corner in the back. There is a lot of it coming from here.
The hon. minister may start from the top.
Tim Hodgson Liberal Markham—Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am confused. Is a 28¢-a-litre cut on gasoline hot air? Is $200,000 on a new home hot air? If that is what he thinks is hot air, maybe he needs to go back to school.
Ned Kuruc Conservative Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, after years of Conservative pressure, the Liberals have announced a watered-down version of our Conservative plan. The Liberals are only removing a third of the fuel tax for a third of the year, all while still collecting up to $10 billion more from taxpayers. I have heard from the community I represent in Hamilton, and that is not enough. Conservatives would remove the whole tax for the full year.
Will the Prime Minister listen to Canadians, vote with us and bring real relief at the pumps?
Adam van Koeverden LiberalSecretary of State (Sport)
Mr. Speaker, try as they might, the Conservatives are not fooling Canadians, and that member is not fooling Hamiltonians. They know that fuel is too expensive because of the war in the Middle East, and they also know that our Liberal government is meeting the moment with a tax cut for 22 million Canadians, with affordable child care and dental care for families, and with the groceries and essentials benefit to deliver up to $1,800 for families with a modest income. As a result of this week's affordability announcement, we are letting Canadians keep $2.4 billion in their hands, in their pockets after they earn that hard-earned money, at the gas pumps. Canadians can see right through the Conservative bluster on this issue.
Ned Kuruc Conservative Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister confirmed that Conservatives have the solution for Canadians, but he is delivering only a third of our plan. Liberals are keeping the GST and the clean fuel standard. It is time to cut all the tax for a full year. Our plan will cut an extra 25¢ per litre, which will save families $1,200 per year. This is what Hamilton wants. Let us make it a great day for Canadians.
Will the Prime Minister vote with us and bring real relief at the pumps?
Evan Solomon LiberalMinister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, the party of “no” cannot seem to take yes for an answer. We just cancelled the excise tax on gas, saving 10¢ a litre for a family, 28¢ since we became the government, which puts $2.4 billion in the pockets of families. What do these guys say? They say no. They say no to all our affordability issues, no to the groceries and essentials benefit. They do not say yes to Canadians. We are building a real plan for real families and real affordability.
Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC
Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of Liberals, affordability is getting worse for northerners, despite what they tell us. I quote from their own recent nutrition north report: In the Northwest Territories, 60.7% of Inuit are food-insecure. In Nunavut, 76% of Inuit experience food insecurity.
Will Liberals vote for our Conservative motion to remove all federal taxes on gas and diesel, so that Canadians can save 25¢ a litre for the rest of the year, or will they keep voting for half measures?
Rebecca Chartrand LiberalMinister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Mr. Speaker, we are making life more affordable in the north, not just in big cities but across northern indigenous communities. We have cut taxes for 22 million Canadians so that northern families can keep more in their pocket. The permanent national school food program is saving families $800 a year. We are also cutting costs for jet fuel, which is going to impact communities throughout north of 60. We are tackling food costs and building all-season infrastructure in the north and the Arctic. We are building for all of Canada.
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, regional news in Quebec is in jeopardy, especially now that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, the CRTC, has added 15 Global News stations to the independent local news fund without increasing the funding. There are more media outlets, but they are all sharing the same amount of funding.
Yesterday, when we alerted the minister to this, he accused us of pitting francophones against anglophones. On the contrary, we want all regional news media to receive adequate funding. The reality is that in the current context, French-language media outlets in Quebec are losing half of their funding.
Will the Prime Minister increase the fund to fix this problem?
Marc Miller LiberalMinister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well that through measures like the journalism labour tax credit, the Canada Media Fund and the local journalism initiative, we on this side of the House will always provide strong support for the French-language media sector.
Martin Champoux Bloc Drummond, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is time to take action.
Of course, the solution also requires big tech to contribute. In the meantime, our media outlets are shutting down and Ottawa is not doing enough to prevent that. Right now, big tech is in court fighting to avoid having to co-operate. That is why the government needs to boost the independent local news fund. It needs to make radio and television stations eligible for the journalism labour tax credit, as Quebec has done. It needs to stop rewarding advertising on platforms owned by big tech.
There are plenty of things to be done, but now the need for action is becoming quite urgent. When will the Prime Minister take action?
Marc Miller LiberalMinister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, of course big tech must do its fair share, but if the Bloc Québécois members truly believed what they are saying, they could have supported budget 2025, which included an investment of $127 million.
Jason Groleau Conservative Beauce, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister chose to reduce gas taxes by a measly one-third. As a result, Canadians are still paying 15¢ in federal tax per litre of gas. The Liberal inflation of the last 11 years is costly for Canadians, the people of Beauce, workers and businesses. This is a sign that the government does not respect its citizens and is completely out of touch.
My question is for the Prime Minister. Will he vote in favour of our Conservative motion, which will suspend all federal taxes on gasoline?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Mr. Speaker, yesterday Quebeckers and Canadians woke up to some good news. It was important to find ways to help Quebeckers cope with the effects of the inflation caused by the war in Iran. That is why we decided to suspend the excise tax on gasoline. This measure has been very well received in Quebec and across the country.
This follows significant investments made by the government to support families across Quebec and the country. For instance, there was the tax cut we announced a few months ago, as well as the Canada groceries and essentials benefit.
Jason Groleau Conservative Beauce, QC
Mr. Speaker, four cents per litre of gas is not going to make any difference. What a joke.
Canadians are suffocating thanks to the Liberals' inflationary cost of living. The government has collected an extra $10 billion in federal gas tax. That is ten thousand million dollars. Instead of padding Ottawa's coffers and making their rich buddies billions of dollars richer, can the Liberals help real people in our communities?
My question is straightforward. Will the Prime Minister stop picking Canadians' pockets and lower the cost of living?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Mr. Speaker, here in Ottawa, we are doing our job. We are doing what has to be done. We suspended the excise tax on gasoline, we lowered income tax for Quebeckers and Canadians, and we have taken steps to help people offset the effects of food inflation at the grocery store.
My colleague and I are both from Quebec, and he is well aware that Quebec also has a contribution to make. We are going to work with Quebec's new premier, whose platform promised to fight food inflation and the cost of living in Quebec.
Éric Lefebvre Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is a fact: The Liberal government is set to pocket an extra $10 billion as a result of rising gas prices for Canadians. Yesterday, the Liberals announced a measure that amounts to a third of our proposal and is set to end in September.
This amounts to an extra $10 billion that was not budgeted for. Why not use the $5 billion in additional tax revenue to eliminate all taxes on gas for the whole of 2026 and finally give Canadians some breathing space, as the Conservative Party is proposing?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, it is true that we do not control oil prices, which have risen due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the war in Iran, as my colleague mentioned. However, what we do control is what we do to help Canadians.
I am pleased to reiterate that, as of Monday, Quebeckers will see a reduction of 10¢ per litre, which will help families cope with the cost of living.
Another thing we control is the votes we cast in the House. In my colleague's constituency, 32,456 of his constituents have access to the Canadian dental care plan. Why does he constantly refuse to stand up for his constituents?
Éric Lefebvre Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC
Mr. Speaker, home ownership is a priority issue for Canadians, but that dream feels out of reach at the moment. Everyone here agrees on that. The average selling price for a home in Quebec has increased by 6.9%. More specifically, prices in Quebec increased by 6.3% for a single-family home, 5.3% for a townhouse or home in a multiplex and 7.7% for a condo.
When will the Liberal government adopt our plan to boost residential construction and eliminate the GST on all new homes?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind the House that one of the first things this government did when it took office was to eliminate the GST on new homes for first-time homebuyers.
We did not stop there. With Build Canada Homes, we have a plan to build at an unprecedented scale across the country. I am very proud to remind my colleague that Quebec was the first province to reach an agreement under the Build Canada Homes program.
This program will make it possible to build homes across the country and increase the housing supply to ease pressure on prices, but what is truly remarkable is finally seeing the Conservatives show even the slightest interest in housing.
Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals would have us believe that they listen to people's concerns, but Canadians' reality suggests otherwise. In Saguenay, the price of a duplex has climbed 24% in the past year, and a Desjardins study suggests that things are going to get worse.
Young people want to own their own home, but they see no light at the end of the tunnel. When will the Liberal government put more money back in young Quebeckers' pockets so they can buy their first home?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Mr. Speaker, I like and respect my colleague very much. We will work together to reduce the cost of rent in Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean.
We know that access to property ownership is important too, which is why we eliminated the GST on first home purchases. Our plan is working. We have to do more, and we are also going to work to bring good investments in housing construction to his riding.
I know there are a lot of projects happening in his riding and the region, and that is a priority for the government.
Marilyn Gladu Liberal Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong, ON
Mr. Speaker, during this time of geopolitical volatility, we never know when the next major shock is coming. We need serious leadership and a real plan to build a strong and more independent Canadian economy. Since the conflict in the Middle East began, this global volatility has impacted the wallets of Canadians. We need more direct support for them. Yesterday morning, we saw just that.
Can the Secretary of State inform Canadians how our new government is bringing down costs for essentials at home in the face of instability abroad?