Debates of April 30th, 2026

Finance

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am not the one being negative, they are. They are twice as negative as the former Liberal prime minister, Justin Trudeau. They have twice as much debt. Who is being negative? They are; they are in the red.

Meanwhile, they are giving us truly nonsensical answers. I am asking about families who cannot afford food, and they are still boasting about yet another program they have introduced. That program will cost even more and create even more inflation.

I have nothing against sport. I have nothing against investing in sport. The problem is that if we want to be healthy, we need to eat first and foremost.

Why do they not want Canadians to eat?

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of representing some 110,000 people in Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est.

On June 5, 39,500 people will benefit from the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. When it comes to the cost of living, nearly a third of the constituency I represent will be supported by this measure.

The Conservatives voted against the national school food program. In Hochelaga, that program is essential for young people's success.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal governments, it is the same old story: more spending, more debt, higher taxes and a spike in the cost of living. This economic update proves that nothing has changed. The current Liberal Prime Minister is continuing his predecessor's policies and out-of-control deficits. He has even doubled the deficit, contrary to what the Minister of Industry just told us. It makes no sense.

The Globe and Mail is reporting that the Liberals have no intention of arresting our economic decline.

Will the Liberal Prime Minister finally acknowledge that copying Trudeau's costly policies is a recipe for disaster?

[Nathalie Provost, Liberal, Secretary of State (Nature)]

Mr. Speaker, supporting our families, supporting our young people and supporting our seniors is what we are doing. When we increase the deficit, it is not to spend for the sake of spending. We are making investments. The idea is to invest here, today, in our young people, our families, our seniors, but also to invest so that in 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, we will still be a strong nation. That is what it means to build Canada. That is what we are doing.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is what Trudeau was saying 10 years ago. My colleague's comments make it clear that the Liberals are completely out of touch with Canadians' reality.

Families are cutting back on groceries, young people are giving up on the idea of buying their first home and seniors are continuing to work after retirement to be able to survive. Meanwhile, this government continues to spend recklessly and pat itself on the back as if money grows on trees. It is absolutely outrageous.

Will the Prime Minister finally admit that things have not changed in 10 years and that he is at the head of another costly Liberal government?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure who is out of touch with reality.

When we have the best economic position in the G7, when we are in the midst of a tariff crisis and when we are dealing with all the issues around affordability, now is the time to invest in Canadians. It is time to help our young people get good jobs in the future and implement major projects that they can work on.

[Éric Lefebvre, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, by doubling the deficit promised by the former prime minister, the Liberals are wasting money and racking up credit card debt for future generations, including the students from Richmond who are here on the Hill today.

The Cúram scandal rears its ugly head once again in the economic update. The Liberals are adding half a billion dollars in cost overruns to the $5 billion in cost overruns already on the books.

Every dollar squandered today means more debt for future generations. The Liberals have already spent $6.6 billion on a system that does not work.

What is the Liberals' credit card limit?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, they are against everything. They are against Canada's defence and security industry, which generates $14 billion in annual revenue and supports 81,000 full-time jobs and 200,000 indirect jobs—

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The member for York Centre is impeding my ability to understand the minister.

Not from the top, but the minister may continue.

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about jobs. The joint support ship project will create 3,100 jobs. The River-class destroyers project will create 9,000 jobs. The search and rescue aircraft project will create 1,800 jobs. The logistics vehicle modernization project will create 1,600 jobs. The list is long, but we are just getting started.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of South Shore—St. Margarets, small craft harbours are the lifeblood of our community. These harbours drive our economy and are embedded in our culture. The fisheries from the wharves have feed-the-world levels of infrastructure.

Can the Minister of Fisheries tell us in the House how, in our spring economic statement, we are building Canada strong?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her tireless advocacy for our harbours and fisheries.

Small craft harbours are more than infrastructure. They are the foundation of our coastal communities, and they drive thousands of jobs in the fisheries and seafood sector. That is why, in our spring economic update, there is almost $1 billion in new investment to repair and strengthen vital harbours. We are investing in small craft harbours to invest in the people who rely on them.

Finance

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week's costly Liberal budget update confirms what Canadians already feel at the checkout. This costly credit card budget means more debt, more costs, more spending, more taxes and more of the same. Nothing has changed, because the Liberal Prime Minister is just another costly Liberal, and he has doubled Trudeau's deficit.

According to the latest “Canadian Food Sentiment Index” report, Canadians are now choosing food based on price, not nutrition, and they are cutting back just to survive. Nearly 10 million Canadians face food insecurity.

How many more warning lights have to flash before the Liberals stop swiping the national credit card and finally make food more affordable for Canadians?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I think they want more, so let us give them more.

There is 5 Wing Goose Bay, which is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs, with $8 billion; Bay du Nord, with thousands of jobs and $14 billion; Mersey River Wind project, with 200 construction jobs and $500 million; Nova Scotia and New Brunswick intertie, with 600 jobs and $6 billion; Port of Montreal's Contrecoeur project, with 8,000 jobs and $1.2 billion; and Nouveau Monde Graphite, with 1,000 jobs and $1.8 billion.

Mr. Speaker, this is a long list. Instead of obstructing, the members can get on board and help us build Canada.

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that was a Google search of a list of things the Liberals have put on the national credit card. This costly credit card budget means more debt, more cost, more spending and more taxes. It is all more of the same. Nothing has changed.

The Liberal Prime Minister is just another costly Liberal, except that he has managed to double Trudeau's debt deficit. Food bank visits have doubled. One in three Canadians is borrowing just to eat, and families are feeling the pain at the grocery store.

Deficits mean inflation today and taxes tomorrow, which the Liberals keep doubling down on. Why are the Liberals fanning the flames of the fire on costs and higher deficits instead of putting out the fire for Canadians struggling to afford groceries, gas and housing?

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, this is not a Google search. These are real projects with real workers building big things.

There is Darlington's new nuclear project in Bowmanville and its 18,000 jobs; the Port of Montreal expansion and its 8,000 jobs; the copper mine project in Saskatchewan and its 500 jobs; the Grays Bay road and port project, which is enabling 3,000 jobs; and the upcoming LNG Canada phase 2 and its 7,000 jobs.

This is how we build Canada strong.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister, a former banker who should know a thing or two about economics, has doubled Trudeau's deficit. Higher deficits lead to higher debt, higher inflation and ultimately higher taxes for Canadians. He is effectively running up the government's credit card without any plan to tackle the principle.

Families do not run their budgets this way. Liberal policies are just driving up costs, and nowhere is this more clear than a trip to the grocery store. Canadians now have the highest food inflation in the G7.

When will the Liberal Prime Minister end his costly credit card budgeting so Canadians can afford to eat?

[Corey Hogan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, $4 billion in Cold Lake will be a nice start in helping develop the kind of overall community benefits that we are talking about. I have to say we have heard a lot of the same questions from across the way. We get the point. I think they like to talk about the fact that there are prices and deficits.

Let us talk about the reality that we face right now. Let us just take a little look here. What is our fiscal position in the G7? It is the best. What are we looking at in terms of the investments we are making? We are looking at affordability, groceries and essentials, pausing the gas excise tax and reducing CPP contributions. If the Conservatives want to tell us what they want to cut—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, here is a news flash: Families and parents want to feed their own kids. They do not want to have to rely on government just to be able to get by. I know it is hard for the Liberals to understand that, but that is what parents say every single day.

My question is simple. Will the Liberals finally drop all of their deficit spending and bring things in budget? How many more reports have to come out before the Liberals stop this costly credit card spending and make food more affordable for families?

[Corey Hogan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, I would love a direct question. Are we talking deficit spending, such as the school lunch program? Are we talking deficit spending, such as the groceries and essentials benefit? Are we talking deficit spending, such as the gas excise tax?

I would love to know what deficit spending the Conservatives are worried about, because on this side, we are focused on affordability. We are going to make sure we are there for Canadians.

[Grant Jackson, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister unveiled another Liberal credit card budget, the 11th in a row, and doubled the last Trudeau deficit.

This year, Canadians will spend $60 billion just to pay the interest on the debt that Canada already owes, and that number is only going up. That is $60 billion that is not going into health care, critical infrastructure, national defence or affordability measures to help Canadians put food on the table or a roof over their head.

I have a simple question. What happened to last year's Liberal slogan to spend less, invest more? Was that just a tagline to win an election? Are these guys actually incapable of reducing government spending?

[Rebecca Chartrand, Liberal, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know who that Manitoba MP is talking to, but when you look at what we are doing here, we have up to 100,000 new Red Seal workers, the Port of Churchill plus project is moving forward, and there are critical mineral jobs in Thompson and stronger trade corridors for Manitoba.

What exactly is the member opposite against? Are you against good jobs, stronger supply chains—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I will ask the member to speak through the Chair, please.

The member may continue.