Debates of April 28th, 2026

Canadian Space Launch Act

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Clarke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to clarify something. The member earlier said that there are definitions in the bill for “launch”, “launch vehicle” and “re-entry vehicle”. The reality is that there is a transitional definition, and the minister can now call a “launch vehicle” anything. He could call it an orange if he wanted to. There is no real, permanent definition, in contrast to what he says.

I would go forward to things that are absolutely not in there, which are the certification and operation of a launch re-entry vehicle, safety requirements and anything on national security. If the Liberals do not want to put it in the legislation, will they at least publish the draft regulations?

[Karim Bardeesy, Liberal, Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague for Northumberland—Clarke is familiar with how legislation and regulations work. We bring legislation forward, and then regulations are developed under that.

I know there is a strong commitment to safety in this kind of work. The people and the professionals who are involved in this work take the safety pieces extremely seriously. It is part of a broader ecosystem of companies, in fact, that are working on this. The sovereign capabilities that we would be building through this act would take care of that situation.

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his impassioned speech about this important piece of legislation and about our future in space. Presently, Canada has to rely on other countries to launch our military satellites into space, to launch our communication satellites into space and to launch some of the finest trained astronauts in the world, our Canadian astronauts, into space.

I wonder if my hon. colleague can speak to the importance of Canada finally taking the future of space exploration into our own hands and giving us the capacity to do so.

[Karim Bardeesy, Liberal, Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome my colleague's question and his work. He represents an economic region where the aerospace and aviation sectors are very important and where we can train the students who are the future of these sectors.

In exactly the way the hon. member described, in a continental context with our peers and with our partners that we do this essential work with, we have all the ingredients, except we lack the sovereign launch capability. This sovereign launch capability that we would be building through our sectors and through this legislation would attract yet more investment, yet more expertise and yet more excitement, and it is all part of the work we need to do to have sovereign launch.

[Ned Kuruc, Conservative, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to touch a little on theory and reality. We heard my colleague across the way talk about launch capability and how it is going to create jobs and all this good stuff, but then we actually have reality.

The reality is that Maritime Launch Services leased to Canada for $20 million a year a concrete pad, which is being leased for $13,000 a year. Our Canadian taxpayers are on the hook for $20 million a year. It is a dirt road with a concrete pad. The other reality is that Telesat, which got over $2 billion from Canadian taxpayers, is now running from creditors.

I would like to hear comments from the member on this huge mismanagement of Canadian taxpayer dollars.

[Karim Bardeesy, Liberal, Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question, but I would advise that the demand for this kind of capability is exactly why we are responding with this legislation.

Here is what Kepler had to say: “It is essential that Canada's sovereign launch capability is globally competitive so it can meet domestic Department of National Defence requirements while also serving global launch demands.”

Eutelsat also relied on American firms and facilities to launch 20 satellites. It said that it “always welcomes the prospect of new entrants into the launcher market to increase the options for access to space.”

It is the building up of supply that we are doing, in part through the legislation we are enabling here today, that enables the sovereign launch capability we have and also attracts new investment.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member from Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park for sharing his time with me today.

I am surprised the Liberals have chosen to bring up space exploration today, given the fact that over the last week, we have seen the concrete pad out in Nova Scotia. I am sure we have all seen the picture by now. I want to thank Marie Lumsden from the Hamilton Examiner for the great article that has given me the information for this speech here today.

The Liberals are true to form. We have seen over and over again where they have worked very hard to enrich their friends. We have seen the clam scam. We have seen the ArriveCan app. We have seen the WE Charity scandal. We have seen the Chuck Rifici and the marijuana “pump and dump” schemes. We have seen the Brookfield stock go up over time. We have seen the green slush fund. We have seen the Randy Boissonnault scandal. We have seen this over and over again.

In the fallout of the news being reported around this gravel driveway and a concrete pad out in Nova Scotia, and a government contract for $200 million, the government decides this is the week we should be talking about space exploration, or participation in space. I am excited that Canada participates in space. I remember growing up being super proud of the Canadarm. Does everyone remember the Canadarm? I remember being excited about that, going to the Edmonton Space and Science Centre, watching the spacewalk on the IMAX and things like that, and also about the International Space Station and our participation in that.

The Liberals want us to talk about that today, about our Canadian participation, how we should be so proud that Canada participates in space and that we should have our own Cape Canaveral. What we saw in the news last week is no Cape Canaveral. It is a concrete pad.

Now, I poured a bit of concrete last summer, and I can say that concrete is pretty expensive by the cubic metre. It was about $300 a cubic metre back home. I can imagine that is a pretty expensive place, and the company is paying $13,500 a year to lease the land that this pad is on. We know that. I would give them a generous amount. I have paid a few contractors in my time for concrete as well, so I will be generous with it. Let us say some Caterpillar work was done there and some gravel trucks came and brought some gravel. It cost maybe $1 million. I think that is a pretty generous amount. Everybody made some good money building that pad.

The Canadian government could have done that. The Canadian government could have leased the land from the Nova Scotia government, spent $1 million and built the concrete pad. I think that would be an acceptable thing for us to have done, given that the Canadian government owns most of the airports in Canada. I do not know if everyone knows this, but most of the airports in Canada are owned by the Canadian government. Then private companies, generally not-for-profits, operate these places, and they pay the Canadian government for the operations.

Members can imagine being flabbergasted that this has been brought up here, that we are paying for the privilege of being able to maybe one day use this concrete pad to launch a rocket somewhere. We are paying $20 million a year for the privilege of maybe being able to use that concrete pad. That is not all. The Liberals really know how to make their friends happy: by backdating this contract a whole year and paying them back an entire year. Marie Lumsden looked into some of the people involved. Lo and behold, a Liberal premier is on the board of directors of this company. Wow, look at that, Liberals feeding their friends. Members may think that is kind of interesting. There is a partnership. All of this was brought up by the partnership from—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Colleagues, we have not yet gotten to the point of listening to the spring economic statement. The hon. member for Peace River—Westlock is still delivering his speech, so out of respect for our colleague, let us keep the sound level down.

The member has the floor.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I was just talking about the launch corruption into the stratosphere pad out in Nova Scotia. We then discovered, through the work of Marie Lumsden, about some of the directors of the company—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Peace River—Westlock will have about five minutes left when the topic returns to the House for debate.

It being 4 o'clock, pursuant to order made Tuesday, April 21, 2026, I now invite the hon. Minister of Finance and National Revenue to make a statement.

Notice of Motion

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), I would like to table, in both official languages, the spring economic update documents for 2026, including the notice of ways and means motion. The details of the measures are contained in these documents.

Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), I am requesting that an order of the day be designated for consideration of these motions.

Spring Economic Update 2026

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

Mr. Speaker, honourable members, fellow Canadians, when I rose in this House to deliver budget 2025, I presented an ambitious plan to navigate current challenges and harness Canada's many strengths to position our country for success for decades to come.

The changes we are witnessing are sudden and unprecedented. From geopolitical shifts to supply chain disruptions to rapid technological breakthroughs, including in artificial intelligence, the world is changing quickly and Canada must adapt to thrive.

That is why the Prime Minister called on Canadians to seize the opportunity and build at a speed and scale not seen in generations, to build Canada strong, to build sustainably and responsibly and to build a Canada for all, because we believe in Canada.

In budget 2025, we made generational investments to build communities, to empower Canadians and to protect our country. Now the journey must continue. We do this by drawing on Canada's unique strengths and capabilities. We have the most educated workforce, something we should all be proud of.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Yes, Mr. Speaker, we should applaud all the strong people we have in Canada.

We have a very strong industrial base that builds ships, cars and planes. We have critical minerals to power the economy of the 21st century. We are an energy superpower in renewables and in conventional and nuclear energy. We are the only G7 country with a free trade agreement with all other G7 nations, giving us preferential market access to 1.5 billion people around the world.

This is a Canada we can be proud of, a country that is strong, a country that is ambitious, a country that is confident. Above all, as the Prime Minister said, let us lead with the strength of our values and the value of our strengths. Canada is resilient. Canada is resourceful. Canadians are resourceful people. Together, we can chart a path forward through the fog of uncertainty, because Canada has what the world wants and increasingly needs.

We have the right plan. We are building big. We are moving fast, and the good news is that we are just getting started. I know that, in their hearts, my Conservative colleagues also feel the same. I can see that across the aisle. These are serious times, and Canadians expect us to be good stewards of our economy and manage our public finances with thoughtful fiscal discipline.

Over the past six months, we have supported Canadians with concrete measures to make everyday life more affordable while strengthening our economy. We have built the second-fastest growing economy in the G7 while reducing our projected deficit for 2025-26 by more than $11 billion.

This is the essence of being strong fiscal managers, to make sure that we make the right decisions to ensure benefits not only today but for future generations. Our economy is resilient, driven by GDP growth, rising incomes and obviously more jobs.

Let me be clear: This is good news for Canadians. It reflects a stronger, more productive economy. We have made this happen through pragmatic and targeted investments to make Canada the most competitive jurisdiction in the G7 for investment, including through the productivity superdeduction and through our trade diversification strategy. We have ensured that as revenues have grown by two-thirds, two-thirds of this increase over the past year has been directed toward affordability measures that make a real difference in the lives of Canadians. This is the true essence of being Canadian.

Guided by our commitment to spend less so we can invest more, and building on the comprehensive expenditure review, our government continues to reduce spending, improve efficiency and deliver better value for Canadians. As a result, projected deficits are lower over the fiscal horizon. We also remain firmly on track to balance day-to-day operating spending with revenues by 2028-29 and to keep the deficit-to-GDP ratio on a steady downward path.

This country is growing at an unprecedented speed. Just to put that in perspective, Canada has the second-fastest growing economy in the G7. We are growing almost twice as much as Germany, almost twice as much as Japan and almost three times more than Italy. This is because Canadians are resourceful. This is because we have the right plan. This is because, as Canadians, there is nothing that is beyond the limit for us.

Canadians understand that by spending less, we can invest more. Our fiscal position is strong and allows us to build a Canada that is strong and fair.

This is a Canada that is not just for some, most of the time, but for all, all the time. Our ambitious plan to build the strongest economy in the G7 is on track. We are delivering on our plan through the work led by the Major Projects Office to supercharge 15 projects that are projected to create over 60,000 jobs and drive $126 billion in new investment. We are delivering on our plan through a defence industrial strategy that will increase our defence exports by 50% and support 125,000 high-paying careers, with an anticipated $125-billion downstream economic benefit by 2035. We are delivering on our plan through an automotive strategy that will protect a cornerstone of our economy while growing an industry that supports 500,000 jobs. We are delivering on our plan because we believe in Canada.

This is a moment for Canadians to lead, for our nation to be ambitious. We are building fast. We are building Canadian. We are building sustainably. From the copper and gold mine expansions in British Columbia to the Darlington new nuclear project in Ontario, we are powering the next generation of prosperity. In the north, we are proud to support an Inuit-owned renewable energy project in Iqaluit, breaking the Arctic's reliance on diesel and returning energy sovereignty to our people.

I can see smiles across the aisle.

There is more good news. We are also expanding this model of economic reconciliation through the indigenous loan guarantee program, supporting first nation equity in major projects like the Chatham to Lakeshore transmission line. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the Bay du Nord project advanced significantly under our new government and positions Canada to be a supplier of choice at a time when energy security is top of mind.

These projects and others like them across the country are creating thousands of high-paying careers for Canadians and strengthening communities from coast to coast to coast.

Advancing economic prosperity also means building a more sustainable future. That includes concrete climate policies that support growth, lower costs, and strengthen Canada's competitiveness. We are well on our way to conserve 30% of Canada's lands and waters by 2030.

I am pleased to report to this House that the dream of Canada is alive and well. Young people, increasingly, see themselves in building Canada strong, and we will be there with them.

Our vision is clear: a Canada strong at home and a Canada strategic abroad. Canada is seen on the global stage as moving with pragmatism and purpose. Over the past year, we have shown that Canada is a top destination for foreign direct investment. We attracted nearly $100 billion in investments, the highest level in almost two decades, and secured around 20 new economic and defence partnerships across four continents.

We are just getting started. Every member of the House will be happy to learn that in September we will host the first-ever Canada investment summit in Toronto to unlock even more opportunities, building on our trade diversification strategy that we outlined in 2025.

Canada is seen as a trusted partner to deliver the energy and the food security the world needs, both now and for decades to come. In a volatile environment, investors choose Canada for a reason: We offer unparalleled stability, predictability and opportunity. We will continue by making Canada strong. People want to invest in this country, and we will be there with them.

That said, we know that affordability is the single most pressing issue for many Canadians.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I think they might want to listen.

We are relentlessly focused on what we can control: delivering targeted support where it matters most while our economic plan takes hold, a boost today and a bridge to tomorrow to ease the cost of living for Canadians.

On June 5, more than 12 million Canadians will receive additional support through the new Canada groceries and essentials benefit. Millions more are already benefiting from our middle-class tax cut and automatic federal benefits, ensuring they receive the support they need. The suspended federal fuel excise tax on gas and diesel across Canada aims to reduce Canadians' bills by up to 10¢ per litre on regular gasoline and four cents per litre on diesel. That relief is already being felt by consumers.

Four hundred thousand children have access to healthy meals, while their parents are saving $800 a year on groceries, because we worked with the Prime Minister to make the national school food program permanent. First-time home buyers are saving up to $50,000 since we eliminated the goods and services tax on homes priced at $1 million or under, and over nine million Canadians can now access affordable dental care through the Canadian dental care plan.

From the beginning, we have placed people and affordability at the centre of our economic plan because we know that these pressures are real and demand immediate action, because we believe in a Canada for all indeed. This brings me to the spring economic update that Canada's new government is tabling today.

Our objective is clear: to build a stronger, more independent, more resilient economy. That work begins by investing in our future and by giving Canadians the opportunity to take part in building it.

Through our flagship Canada Strong fund, we are creating Canada's first national sovereign wealth fund, something Canadians should all be proud of under the current government. This is a historic moment. Generations will look back at the Prime Minister, the government and the current Parliament and say that we were there for them. We are building long-term wealth and growth.

[Some hon members]

Oh, oh!

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues across the aisle are excited, because I can hear them shouting.

A sovereign fund, and I will make this real for people watching at home, is essentially a national savings and investment account designed to grow wealth for future generations. It is about taking action today for future generations. The fund will invest in key strategic Canadian projects and companies. It will create jobs. It will support innovation. It will make Canada more competitive. Canadians themselves will be able to take part directly by investing in the fund, sharing in our growth and contributing to the country we are building together, because we are all in for Canada.

Investing in our future also means investing in the people who are building it. That is why this update is focused on helping workers and young people gain the skills, experience and support they need to succeed, as well as ensuring they take advantage of opportunities available to them.

We are creating new opportunities for young Canadians to give back to their country, by launching team Canada strong as part of a nationwide effort to recruit, train and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new skilled trades workers. This is a step change in how we approach that. We are going to have the people to build this country together across our nation. This means real pathways into skilled trades, with paid training and hands-on experience. It means more opportunities for employers to hire and train young workers. It means a $5,000 bonus when a person completes their Red Seal certification. Most importantly, it means being part of building a stronger Canada. It is going to inspire a new generation of young people in our country.

At the same time, we are making education more affordable by extending the increase to Canada student grants and the interest-free Canada student loans, which will benefit thousands of students across our nation. My colleagues and I, as well as the Prime Minister, have been across this nation and have listened to young people. They asked us to give them a hand now to make sure they can study and be part of this, and we have answered. We are glad to do our part for our young people.

We are doing much more, because growth depends on giving people the tools to succeed. That is at the core of a Canada for all.

It is thanks to this new generation of builders that we will be able to build enough homes here in Canada. This brings me to one of the most pressing challenges facing Canadians today: housing. Housing is a key pillar of affordability and we have made significant and tangible progress to build more affordable housing across the country.

Since their peak, home prices are down 20%, and rents are down 9% nationally. For many families, this is starting to translate into real relief, but all members of the House would agree that more work needs to be done. This update continues the work of Build Canada Homes, with a plan to increase supply, lower costs and help more Canadians find a safe and affordable home. We are cutting red tape to build homes faster, supporting innovation in construction, unlocking over $7 billion in low-cost financing, boosting housing supply and protecting construction jobs across the country in partnership with provinces and territories.

We are helping the people most in need by extending support for people experiencing homelessness across our nation and by ensuring that survivors of gender-based violence have access to a safe place, because we believe in a Canada for all.

Let me speak about defence.

Security starts at home but it also extends beyond it. We embarked on an important mission to rebuild, rearm and reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces. In the last year, we have invested over $63 billion into our defence and security. This marks a historic shift in support for our military, one that is already delivering real results.

In March, NATO confirmed that Canada has achieved its 2% defence expenditure target, half a decade ahead of the original schedule.

If there was one part I thought the opposition would applaud, it was this one. There is only so much one can ask.

We will continue to strengthen our defence capabilities, equip our forces with modern, Canadian-made equipment, and invest in our workers and our defence industry. Because national security begins with those who serve, we announced the largest pay increase for the Canadian Armed Forces in a generation, with recruitment now at a 30-year high.

That is because we are all in for Canada.

Let me talk about stronger and safer communities. Strong communities are also safe communities and communities that bring people together. That is why this update will invest in the things that make communities stronger, safer and more connected across our great country.

We are moving forward with a financial crimes agency and a national anti-fraud strategy to help protect Canadians, our seniors in particular, and to strengthen trust in our financial system. We are also taking steps to make communities safer, with strong tools to address crime and better protect public access.

We have listened to communities across the country. We have listened to people, and we understand that they need safety in their place of worship. We are there for them.

We are investing in the vitality of our communities, and in the programs and people that support them. That includes the most significant investment in our sport system in 20 years.

I would have thought that clapping for sports was Canadian, in a way.

I got a bit carried away, but I am going to say it again because I think it is worth saying. It is the most significant investment in our sport system in 20 years.

I gave them a second chance to clap.

It will expand access for youth and better support high-performance athletes with additional funding of $755 million. Canadians understand the power of sport—how it pushes us to do better and brings us together in our communities. We saw this last year during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and we see it every day on our rinks, in our sports centres, and in our school yards. A Canada for all must also be a Canada where sport is accessible for everyone.

Our strategy from the playground to the podium will make a real difference. It will unite our country and inspire a generation of young Canadians in a very true Canadian way. This is Canada at its best, and we are going to support our young people and young athletes.

Along our coast, the same spirit of hard work and community lives in our small craft harbours. Maybe we can get a smile for small craft harbours. I am looking. Small craft harbours are more than infrastructure. They are a foundation for coastal communities, supporting more than five million Canadians, sustaining indigenous traditions and powering thousands of jobs in the fish and seafood industry. This is why we are investing almost a billion dollars to repair and strengthen these vital harbours.

Regardless of which side of the aisle someone sits on, they know that when we in the House invest, we invest in the people who depend on these investments. These are not isolated measures. We made these investments with a purpose. Let me make it real for my colleagues, the members of the House. In budget 2025, we made generational investments in infrastructure to build stronger communities, delivering tangible benefits across the country.

Now team Canada strong will empower a new generation of workers from those same communities, to help build the local infrastructure the government is investing in. Whether that means homes, sports facilities or transit systems, these projects will be built by workers in our communities, for our communities, because when communities are strong, safe and connected, Canadians thrive together because we are all in for Canada.

There is so much more to talk about, but I know that Canadians understand that we are building Canadian strong.

In conclusion, this spring economic update reflects the progress we have made and the important work that remains: building a strong Canada while ensuring that progress and economic growth are felt by Canadians across the country.

It is about stepping up for our businesses, farmers, entrepreneurs, workers and fishers, Canadians from all walks of life. It is about making sure the projects that build our nation move forward and that people have the support they need to get ahead, especially those affected by unjust tariffs. We are all thinking about them, and we can tell them that we have their backs. Every single member here has their backs. We are thinking about them.

It is about building Canada strong for all.

When we build Canada strong together, there is no limit to what we can achieve. As Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen showed us on his recent journey to the moon, the sky is no longer the limit for us.

Let us seize the moment, be ambitious and build Canada strong together.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is just another Liberal. He said he would spend less, and then he doubled Justin Trudeau's deficit—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Order.

The member may start over.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is just another expensive Liberal. He said he would spend less, and then he doubled Justin Trudeau's deficit. The Liberals liberalled, and they doubled the national debt. Every single year, debt-servicing costs are going to go up, and they are going to be more than what the provinces get in health care transfers or what is collected in GST revenue. In fact, debt servicing costs are going to go up by 50% by 2031, all on the backs of hard-working Canadians. This is all while the Liberals have given Canadians the worst housing debt, the most housing costs, the highest food inflation and the second-highest unemployment in the entire G7.

This economic update is more debt, more costs, more taxes and more spending, all from the same old Liberals. In what world is it fair that the Liberal Prime Minister is giving more money to his banker and bondholder buddies than what goes to doctors and nurses in health care transfers?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let me help my colleague. I know it is Tuesday, and it is likely that he will need to update his QP card. The deficit is lower and growth is up. Let me help him. The deficit is down and growth is up.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Mr. Speaker, they can shout as much as they want. I come from Shawinigan; I can handle these guys.

It is amazing to me that they will not take the time to talk about support to build a stronger nation together. They will not talk about small craft harbours. They will not talk about the things that will build Canada strong.

On this side of the aisle, we will support young people, workers and industry. We will build Canada strong together.