House of Commons Hansard #121 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was affordability.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Criminal Code Second reading of Bill S-233. The bill proposes making assaults against health care workers and first responders an aggravating sentencing factor. Conservatives emphasize the urgent need for protection against rising violence, criticizing past legislative delays. A Liberal representative welcomes the goals but notes broader government sentencing reforms, while the Bloc Québécois supports the bill while also advocating for increased health transfers to address systemic issues. 8600 words, 1 hour.
Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 2 Jean-Denis Garon (Bloc) invokes Standing Order 69.1 to request a separate vote on division 17 of Bill C-31, arguing that its substantial amendments to the Canada Transportation Act are unrelated to the budget. 500 words.
Bill C-30—Time Allocation Motion Members debate a Liberal motion limiting discussion on Bill C-30. Conservative and Bloc MPs criticize the use of time allocation as a tactic to stifle debate and avoid scrutiny regarding national debt. The government defends the move, insisting that expedited passing is necessary to deliver critical affordability measures and economic support to Canadians before the parliamentary summer break. 5100 words, 30 minutes.
Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act Second reading of Bill C-30. The bill implements provisions from the spring economic update. Liberal members argue the measures provide essential affordability supports and infrastructure investment, framing them as fiscally responsible. Conversely, Conservatives characterize the legislation as a collection of short-term gimmicks that fail to address reckless government spending. Meanwhile, the Bloc Québécois and NDP highlight significant gaps, criticizing a lack of support for regional businesses and arguing the current government is taking progressives for granted. 31100 words, 4 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Premature Disclosure of a Bill and its Elements to a Third Party Xavier Barsalou-Duval raises a question of privilege, alleging the government leaked legislative details concerning Air Canada to an external party before informing the House, an accusation the Liberals and Conservatives reserve comment on. 700 words.
Ministerial Compliance with Order in Council—Speaker's Ruling The Speaker rules that the government’s failure to table reports from the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise does not constitute a breach of privilege, as no law or Standing Order mandates their tabling. 800 words.
Iqra Khalid Liberal Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to a pillar of the Mississauga community, Mrs. Anjum Begum, who recently passed away—
SnowbirdsStatements By Members
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
Excuse me, but I will ask the hon. member to start from the beginning. There is way too much noise.
I do not think I have ever had to interrupt Statements by Members because of so much noise. We need to keep the noise down so that all members can deliver their statements and so that these statements can be heard.
The hon. member for Mississauga—Erin Mills has the floor.
Iqra Khalid Liberal Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to pay tribute to a pillar of the Mississauga community, Mrs. Anjum Begum, who recently passed away.
Hers was a classic immigrant success story. Arriving in the 1990s, she and her life partner, prominent journalist Latafat Ali Siddiqui, built a beautiful life with their four daughters. Together they became the heartbeat of our community, defined by philanthropy and compassion.
Anjum's heart and her kitchen were always open. No one ever left her home without a hearty meal. Her values of hard work and integrity live on through her beloved daughters, Faran, Maleeha, Dania and Leena, whose successes and contributions were one of her proudest joys in life.
The massive outpouring of grief at her service last week was a true testament to who she was and the impact that she made.
I offer my deepest condolences to her family. May she rest in peace.
[Member spoke in Arabic]
[English]
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
Mr. Speaker, the only thing worse than seeing left-wing activists in the media denigrate this country and its heroes is knowing that we Canadians had to foot the bill for it.
The Liberals have heaped $1.5 billion on the CBC, and what is the CBC doing with this money? It is producing a show that lies, deceives and entraps Canadians who dare to disagree with the Liberals and dare to stand up for Sir John A. Macdonald and his legacy.
Also, we have learned that this show, called Northland Tales, more like northland fails, entrapped brave men and women who have served this country in the RCMP, luring them into a CBC studio to berate and shame them for their service to this country.
The CBC has said it is pausing the production, but that is not enough. When is the Liberal government going to turn off this tap on this unpatriotic, garbage propaganda?
Serge Cormier Liberal Acadie—Bathurst, NB
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to some fabulous artists from my riding of Acadie—Bathurst.
First, there is La Famille LeBlanc, a family of extraordinarily talented musicians who just won the Francophone Acadian artist of the year award at the East Coast Music Awards. For years, this family has been generously sharing the traditional Acadian music that brings generations closer together and strikes a chord deep within our communities. Their authenticity, stage presence and love of music make them true ambassadors of our Acadian culture and identity.
Second, I want to applaud JP LeBlanc for winning the blues release of the year award. His exceptional gift and his passion for music are helping to put New Brunswick and Acadia on the musical map.
I want to congratulate Robin, Rébecca, Charlotte, Rosalie and Mélodie LeBlanc, not to mention JP LeBlanc, on their outstanding accomplishments and thank them for shining a spotlight on our beloved Acadia.
Lianne Rood Conservative Middlesex—London, ON
Mr. Speaker, hard-working Canadian families are being financially crushed by the government, and it is no accident. A mountain of reckless inflationary spending and wasteful Liberal policies are what is weighing them down.
The government blew $300 million on the failed PrescribeIT app that never worked and $200 million on a Nova Scotia spaceport that is no more than a concrete pad. It spent over $1 billion a year propping up the CBC productions that, quite frankly, nobody watches or wants to watch. Billions get wasted on foreign aid that promotes ideological agendas, props up corrupt foreign officials or gets diverted to terrorist groups like Hamas. It spent $19 billion on insider consultants and nearly $1 billion on deluxe health benefits for fake refugees. This reckless spending is driving up grocery bills and mortgages.
Conservatives demand an end to this behaviour. Let us cut the waste, balance the budget, keep our tax dollars in Canada and deliver real results for Canadians.
Danielle Martin Liberal University—Rosedale, ON
Mr. Speaker, from local festivals to our country's biggest tourist attractions, the arts play a vital role in enriching the lives of all Canadians.
University—Rosedale houses pillars of the arts like the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Gardiner Museum. Our writers and artists are hard at work: Mother Maggie Helwig won the prestigious Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for her incredible book Encampment; the King of Spain personally presented Margaret Atwood the Joan Margarit prize for her poetry at Victoria University; Clementine Dempsey-Hall has been shortlisted for a youth short story award; Tafelmusik honoured the work of women baroque composers; and the Heliconian Club, a local women's art association, is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its hall.
I am so grateful for the role they and all artists play in our communities.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals like to blame global factors for the price at the pump, but that is an illusion. Over 10 years ago, during the Harper years, there were two wars going on in the Middle East, as well as a war in Ukraine. The price of a barrel of oil was also $100 back then, but the price at the pump was $1.35. That is almost 50¢ less than today.
The difference lies in the Liberals' taxes and the weakness of the Canadian dollar under the Liberal Prime Minister.
Will the Liberals stop blaming global factors and accept that these are Liberal factors?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, I am sure the Leader of the Opposition understands that we are currently facing a global energy crisis. We know that Canadians' top priority is affordability, meaning the cost of housing, food and gas.
The good news is that this is exactly what we have taken action on. We have suspended the federal excise tax on fuel, lowering the cost of gas for Canadians by 10¢.
We on this side are very aware that affordability is the number one issue for Canadians. That is why, together with all my colleagues, we will always be there to help Canadians.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are selling another illusion by trying to blame the war in Iran for the cost of housing. The homes are here, the land is here, the workers are here and the supplies are here. It is here at home that the costs have gone up.
Let us talk about the energy crisis. There was one in 2014, during the Harper years. The global price of oil was even higher than it is today. However, the price at the pump was 50¢ per litre lower.
Will the Liberals finally get rid of the Liberal taxes for the entire year so that Canadians can fill up their tanks?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, the executive director of the International Energy Agency has said that we are currently facing the largest energy crisis in history.
That is why we took action. We did not wait. In other words, we suspended the federal fuel tax. That is because we are acutely aware that we need to give Canadians a helping hand as the summer season approaches.
We will always be there to stand up for the interests of Canadians, and I invite my Conservative colleagues to vote in favour of Bill C-30, which will give Canadians a helping hand this summer.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years of this Liberal government and this Liberal minister, Canadians have spent more on taxes than on food, clothing and shelter combined. They are taxed when they work. They are taxed to fill up their car to drive to and from work. When they get home and they want to have a beer to take the edge off all the tax, will they pay higher Liberal taxes on that too? We found out late last week that if they turn on Netflix and stream their favourite program, the Liberal government wants to triple the Netflix tax to charge them even more for that.
Canadians are already taxed to death. Why will they not follow our lead and get rid of the Netflix tax so that Canadians can stream affordably?
François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Finance and National Revenue
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. Members can take my word on that. At every step of the way, when we put measures around affordability, they voted against them. They should be ashamed.
At a time when Canadians are asking us to act on the cost of living, that is exactly what we have done. We are building more affordable houses, we have taken measures on affordability for food prices, and we have suspended the excise fuel tax on gas. On this side of the House, we know when to act for Canadians. We will continue to support Canadians, and I invite my colleagues on the other side to vote for Bill C-30.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, there is more tax, more cost, more chaos and more of the same. The Prime Minister is just another Liberal.
Take, for example, the threat to the property rights of British Columbians. The Liberal government instructed its lawyers not to defend the property rights of British Columbians in the Cowichan case. In fact, they are forbidden to this day, based on guideline 14, which is still on the government's website, from putting property rights first. That case is coming up for appeal. People who paid for their homes and paid down their mortgages are worried about losing their most treasured asset.
Will they reverse themselves, vote for the Conservative motion and defend property rights in court?
Rebecca Alty LiberalMinister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
Mr. Speaker, at trial, Canada defended the validity of fee simple title granted by the Crown, and we will continue to do so on appeal. That is why, as far back as 2017, Canada argued before the court that private landowners should be notified of the litigation. This is why we supported Montrose's application to present evidence that was not before the court during the trial, which is occurring today. We will continue to pursue this matter where it belongs, in the courts, not on the floor of the House of Commons.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, they are bragging that, back in 2017, they agreed that they would inform British Columbian homeowners that they might lose their property. British Columbians do not want to be informed that they are losing their homes. They want to be informed that their government is fighting to defend their property.
The hon. minister says they will debate it in the courts. They are not debating in the courts. They have a guideline. The Prime Minister has a guideline on the government's website banning federal lawyers from arguing that private property comes before every other claim.
Will the Liberals vote for our motion, reverse those instructions and defend property rights in court?
Sean Fraser LiberalMinister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, the federal government has appealed the decision of the superior court because we believe it was incorrect. In addition to making that appeal, we have been advocating for the court to notify private property owners since 2017.
In addition, we are supporting the application of Montrose, a private property owner in the area, to ensure that the arguments they are making will be heard by the court in full. We believe in private property rights. We believe in reconciliation. We can manage this issue appropriately by continuing forward with the appeal. I look forward to having the opportunity to make that case.
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, that is exactly the problem. There will be an appeal, and we want to ensure that federal lawyers are, this time, able to make the arguments that the Liberal government banned them from making last time, which is that when somebody has fee simple home ownership property, or when a small business owns a patch of land, there is no other claim that can supersede that one.
These are seniors who made down payments and worked for 30 years of their lives paying property taxes, and who toss and turn at night because they do not know if they own their homes.
Will the government reverse its disastrous direction, reverse its Liberal instruction and vote for our motion to protect property?
Rebecca Alty LiberalMinister of Crown-Indigenous Relations
Mr. Speaker, our government will always raise legally viable arguments in court. That is what the law demands and what Canadians deserve. Litigation guideline number 14 does not preclude Canada from relying on any specific defences but requires a principled basis and evidence to support the defence.
Regardless of the directive, the government would never make arguments that do not have a principled basis and evidence to support them. Canada has appealed the Cowichan court ruling, and all viable defences remain on the table.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, Ottawa is currently reviewing the question that the Alberta government will put to its population in a referendum to see if it is appropriate, because Ottawa knows so much better than anyone else what kind of question should be asked. Ottawa knows what is clear and what is unclear to ordinary people. The federal government is so superior, so much better. Good thing the government is here to look after us and to explain things we are capable of understanding.
Does the government realize that the Clarity Act is nothing but a demonstration of contempt for the populace and the provinces?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
Mr. Speaker, what the government understands very well is that, now more than ever, this is the time to work together to counter the U.S. tariff threat in an increasing complex world. That is precisely what the Prime Minister is doing with the Government of Alberta. We are working with Albertans. We are working with all the provinces of Canada to prove that our federation is working well and that we all share Canadians' concerns.
It is a shame that the Bloc Québécois is not participating.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, contempt is when one considers a person, group or thing inferior. It is a feeling of superiority. When the government of a province or Quebec asks its people a question, it is up to the Government of Quebec or that provincial government to decide on the question, and it is up to the people to answer it. Ottawa has no business getting involved. Ottawa is interfering simply because it believes itself to be superior to everyone. There are two options: Either Ottawa respects the democratic process that is under way, or it interferes and confirms its contempt for the people.
What will it do?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
Mr. Speaker, I have been clear about what we are going to do. We will work with our friends in the federation, with the Government of Quebec, the Government of Alberta and the governments of all of the other provinces and territories to address the issues that matter to Canadians across the country.
Our focus is squarely on economic issues. For example, I met with the provincial and territorial industry and trade ministers this morning. Minister Drainville actively participated in the discussion on what we can do to counter the U.S. tariff threat. That is the work that we are doing together.
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, not only does the Clarity Act give the federal government some kind of veto over the wording of the question, as though people are too thick to understand the question, but this undemocratic law also calls into question the principle of majority rule in a democracy.
The Liberals want clarity. That is fine, let us be clear then. First, the government that initiates a referendum determines the question. That government alone. Second, 50% plus one is a clear majority.
Will Ottawa understand these basic democratic principles and repeal its undemocratic Clarity Act?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
Mr. Speaker, perhaps my colleague was not entirely focused on the answers I gave his colleague earlier.
The federal government is absolutely focused on the issues that concern Quebeckers and all Canadians. We are ready to work with our provincial counterparts to counter the U.S. tariff threat and support the industries specifically affected by these tariffs. We are here and we are doing the work.
It is a shame that the Bloc Québécois is not showing up.