Debates of April 27th, 2026

Finance

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my neighbours in Oshawa are already struggling with the high cost of living, yet the Prime Minister is doubling down on the same old reckless Liberal spending. The deficit has ballooned, and the Parliamentary Budget Officer whom the government silenced has said that two-thirds of new spending is going to day-to-day operations and not real investment. Deficits mean inflation today and higher taxes tomorrow.

Will the Prime Minister stop the costly credit card budgeting and commit to capping this year's deficit at $31 billion?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Secretary of State (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Conservatives not only do not want to take care of people but also do not understand what an investment is. We are talking about a party that voted against dental care for children and for seniors. The Conservatives are a group of people who voted against supporting kids' just having a healthy lunch in school. We are talking about a party that voted against child care so parents could get back to work earlier and support their family.

The Conservatives prove time and time again that they have no interest in supporting Canadians, and they still do not understand what an investment in Canadians actually means.

[Rhonda Kirkland, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we know what the state of the country is when Conservatives are asking the Liberal Prime Minister to do as good a job as Trudeau did and to keep the budget down to his level.

Conservatives believe in responsible investment that delivers results for Canadians, not in reckless spending that drives up inflation and taxes. Families in Oshawa are struggling. They are working hard but making tough choices at the grocery store and at the pump. The Liberal government has not made life more affordable for them.

If the Prime Minister truly believes this level of spending is justified, can he explain to families in Oshawa exactly when they will see lowered prices and relief?

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives pretend to be champions of affordability, but they never get in the fight. Even worse, they vote against every measure to help families. We cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. They are against it. We build affordable homes. They are against it. We introduce the groceries and food essentials that will put $1,900 into the pockets of a family of four. They are against it.

We are fighting for jobs and affordability for Canadians. All the Conservatives do is run down the economy in the middle of a trade war. They should get on board and start building.

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there used to be a political consensus in this country that government, like the rest of us, had to live within its means. This was a shared understanding that money does not grow on trees and that eventually all bills come due.

Liberals shattered that consensus, borrowing more money over the past 10 years than every other government in the history of our country combined. The Prime Minister promised to do things differently. Instead he has somehow managed to spend and borrow even more.

When will the Prime Minister end his costly credit card budgets and stop leaving future generations with the bill?

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

Mr. Speaker, one thing our Prime Minister was elected to do was to build an economy that is the strongest in the G7. We are going to build that at home and abroad. At home we have cut taxes for 22 million Canadians, we launched a groceries and essentials benefit and we just paused the excise federal tax on gas. Abroad our Prime Minister and our trade minister are signing deals worldwide for billions of dollars to create thousands of jobs.

On this side of the House, we are focused on building the strongest, most resilient economy in the G7.

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, more spending and more debt seems to be the Liberals' solution to every problem they create, forever increasing the size of government and using Canada's credit card to foot the bill. However, all this deficit spending comes with an inflationary cost: the worst grocery inflation in all of the G7, the worst household debt in all of the G7 and the worst housing costs.

When will the Prime Minister realize that more spending, more debt and more government is not the solution to Canada's economic problems? The Liberals are the problem.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of building, we are building big. The port of Montreal expansion means over 8,000 construction jobs and over 1,000 permanent jobs. The Darlington nuclear plant means 18,000 good‑paying jobs and clean power for generations in Ontario. LNG Canada in B.C. means tens of thousands of jobs in Canadian energy and reaching a new global market.

That means cranes on the ground, paycheques in pockets and Canada building big.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the federal debt is now over $1.4 trillion. That means that each Canadian is now paying an average of almost $2,000 per year in interest on government debt alone. Liberals call that affordability. I thank central bankers.

These deficits are about wealth transfer, nothing less. The more the Liberal government increases the debt, the higher inflation will rise, and lower spending power will result. Canadians pay more and get less.

When will Liberals understand whom they work for, international bankers or the Canadian taxpayer?

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

Mr. Speaker, here is what the central bankers know: Canada has the strongest economy in the G7. We have the highest debt rating of any country in the world.

The Conservatives should learn how to balance books.

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my colleagues across the way love to talk about how Canada excels. Well, it excels in a few things: the highest housing cost in the G7, the highest food inflation in the G7 and affordability out the window with the Liberal government.

Among G7 countries, we are among the worst as far as our results for Canadians go. A decade of failed Liberal policies has left Canadians falling behind in so many metrics. Fiscal anchors have become optional. Restraint has vanished. The government now is more interested in testing how much it can expand our debt than it is in delivering for Canadians.

When will the Liberals stop overspending and deliver—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. minister.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will help the member opposite understand what we are good at. We are good at building. How about the Taylor to Gordondale pipeline? How about the NexGen uranium mine? How about the Foran copper mine? How about the Voisey's Bay mine? How about the Darlington nuclear reactor? How about the new wind farm in Nova Scotia?

We know how to build. The Conservatives know how to complain.

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake, SK]

Mr. Speaker, well, despite promising to spend less, the Prime Minister has instead continued the Liberal practice of credit card budgeting. He has added $90 billion in new spending above the previous levels. This costly approach has left Canada with the worst grocery inflation, the worst household debt, the worst housing crisis and the second-highest unemployment in the G7. The Prime Minister runs up deficits and Canadians are the ones who pay the price.

Will he end his credit card budgeting so Canadians can actually afford to live?

[Buckley Belanger, Liberal, Secretary of State (Rural Development)]

Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that, again, from Saskatchewan's perspective, it has been 10 long years with 14 members. It has been 10 long years, and there is nothing to show for it. We signed the uranium deal with India. Canola sales are improving and moving to China. We are building mines. We are building opportunity. Saskatchewan is finally here in Ottawa.

[Kelly DeRidder, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, he is right. From the Saskatchewan perspective, it has been a long 10 years. One year ago, this Prime Minister made big promises to Canadians, but the results tell a different story: more spending, more deficit and more pressure on Canadian families just trying to get by. He has more than doubled Trudeau's debt while promising to reduce it at the exact same time.

Why do this Prime Minister's promises never match his results, and when will he rein in this spending?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Secretary of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, it is very odd hearing the Conservatives talk as if somehow we are not talking about Canadians. We are talking about Canadians here. We are talking about their dollars, and we are talking about where they want them invested. We know, loud and clear, that time and time again we have heard from Canadians that they want us to invest in them, and that means things like the groceries and essentials benefit. That means cutting the fuel excise tax. It sounds like they are saying we are putting money into our personal pockets. We are putting money into the pockets of Canadians, and the Conservatives object to that. We really need to make sure they understand how finances work.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I received an email from a resident of Essex who said, “...the Prime Minister stated that life is becoming more affordable.... For many [Essex] residents, it does not feel like affordability has improved.” Instead, this Prime Minister has added $90 billion in new spending, driving up debt, costs and taxes for Canadians. He is just another Liberal.

When will the Prime Minister rein in reckless spending of our taxpayer dollars and take real action to reduce the deficit?

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that member may not know that the International Monetary Fund has actually reaffirmed that Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7. We actually have the second fastest growing economy in the G7. As it relates to the tough decisions government has taken, we have a comprehensive expenditure review that is going to save taxpayers $40 billion over the next five years.

As it relates to spending, part of the large portion of our spending has actually been on the Canadian Armed Forces. I thought the Conservatives used to stand for investing in the men and women of our Canadian Armed Forces. We will stand by them every single day.

Sport

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we know that mental health and physical health are closely connected. Both are equally important for our well-being, especially for athletes competing at the highest levels. Mental health is key to a balanced life and long-term success in sport.

Can the Secretary of State for Sport update the House on what our government is doing to support the mental health of national team athletes and coaches?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Secretary of State (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from Ottawa West—Nepean for always supporting Team Canada. We know that support for our athletes on and off the field is absolutely vital, and that is why we are so proud to be investing $6.2 million with our Olympic team, Paralympic team and sports networks right across the country to ensure that they have all the resources they need to compete at their best. This investment is going to support exciting programs like Game Plan, and it is going to ensure that our athletes have everything they need on and off the field.

We are so proud of our Team Canada athletes. Go, Canada, go.

Health

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the health minister's officials revealed that the Liberals spent $300 million on the PrescribeIT program with nothing to show for it. The Liberals promised that PrescribeIT would replace fax machines for prescription drugs, but now PrescribeIT is being quietly shut down after fewer than 5% of all prescriptions went through the program. No one can tell Canadians where the money went. Conservatives are calling on the Auditor General to investigate PrescribeIT.

Will the Liberals support an investigation or will they continue their $300-million cover-up?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as members know, the previous government launched the prescription drug program in 2017 following consultations with the provinces and territories, but it was not as successful as anticipated. Rather than continuing to invest in a program that is not delivering results, we decided to end it. The opposition member is well aware of that, and we are working closely with the department to get the information regarding PrescribeIT.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals gave $300 million to Canada Health Infoway for PrescribeIT. The taxpayer-funded CEO, Michael Green, testified at committee that the Canada Health Infoway board terminated PrescribeIT, yet the health minister claimed it was the Liberals. Officials also revealed that the Liberals kept shovelling millions into PrescribeIT even after they knew it was failing. This $300-million scandal is not adding up.

If the Liberals have nothing to hide, will they support our motion to call the Auditor General in to investigate PrescribeIT?

[Marjorie Michel, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, PrescribeIT was always intended to become self-funded over time. Rather than putting money toward a program that people were not using, the decision was made to end it. This is how we save taxpayers' money.