Debates of May 26th, 2026

Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, two reports of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

The first is the 10th report, entitled “Youth Employment in Canada”. The second is the 11th report, entitled “Main Estimates 2026-27”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the 10th report, “Youth Employment in Canada”.

Veterans Affairs

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, entitled “Main Estimates 2026-27”.

Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, entitled “Main Estimates 2026-27: Vote 1 under Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying, Vote 1 under Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, Vote 1 under Office of the Senate Ethics Officer, Votes 1 and 5 under Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners of Canada”.

Industry and Technology

[Ben Carr, Liberal, Winnipeg South Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, entitled “Main Estimates 2026-27”.

Rights and Freedoms

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting two petitions.

I am honoured to table e-petition 7222, put forward by my constituents in Winnipeg Centre, condemning the Liberal government's unconstitutional and undemocratic Bill C-9, the so-called combatting hate act. The petitioners note correctly that through Bill C-9, the Liberals have contravened the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Bill of Rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

I stand by my constituents calling on the Liberal government to uphold democratic and civil rights rather than criminalizing protests, and calling on the House to respect the charter and repeal the unconstitutional Bill C-9.

Condominiums

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take the opportunity to table e-petition 6709, put forward by condominium owners across the country, calling on the government to recognize that aging condo buildings throughout Canada are experiencing deterioration, while the high cost of construction has made it difficult for many condo residents, families and individuals alike to afford these repairs. We are experiencing a housing crisis in Canada, and the government must provide financial support for housing that works for all types of communities.

I echo the petitioners' calls on the government to ensure that federal housing programs reflect the diversity of housing models in Canada, including condominiums.

Corporate Accountability

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton, QC]

Mr. Speaker, many serious allegations have been made regarding the behaviour and actions of Canadian companies abroad. I have heard accounts from abroad regarding cases of violence against local populations, water pollution and contaminated air. Simply put, the Trudeau government, which is still in office under another name, supposedly created the position of Canadian ombudsperson for responsible enterprise to address this problem.

Unfortunately, this is a shell of an organization that receives complaints but cannot conduct its own investigations. It also lacks independence and the power to compel testimony and order the production of documents.

That is why I am tabling this petition, which also calls on the government to appoint a new ombudsperson since the position has been vacant for a year. That makes the situation all the more unacceptable. The petition also calls on the government to give the ombudsman real authority to act.

Adoption Laws

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present a petition on behalf of over 600 Canadians.

In the postwar years, over 300,000 unmarried young women had their babies forcibly removed after giving birth. In 2018, the Senate released the report “The Shame is Ours”, calling on the government to implement four recommendations to right these historic wrongs. These women and children, because of outdated adoption laws, have not been able to find each other and have not been able to get closure.

On behalf of the hundreds of these women in Canada still alive today, and their children, petitioners are calling upon the government to implement the recommendations of the Senate report and to make amends for this historic wrong.

Clearview Township Farmland

[Terry Dowdall, Conservative, Simcoe—Grey, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise on behalf of the people of Simcoe—Grey, and more specifically those in Clearview Township.

The Department of National Defence has purchased one farm of roughly 780 acres, to install an over-the-horizon radar system in a phase one. In order to really complete the system, it is going to need phase two. All the residents are extremely concerned. The department needs another up to 3,000 acres to complete it.

Clearview Township and municipalities around it are all opposed to the site's location. We think the department needs to find another spot for it. This is going to change the lives of residents. People are stressed. They do not know if their land is going to be expropriated, and, quite frankly, the public meetings have not been very fruitful.

Petitioners are asking to stop the building of the over-the-horizon radar site on the already purchased property, prevent future acquisition of prime farmland in building an over-the-horizon site and register the previously purchased property with the Ontario Farmland Trust to preserve its agricultural status.

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

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

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise on behalf of the people of Richmond Hill South.

Petitioners are concerned that, given that traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture are regulated health professions providing essential care and pain management in chronic disease, their exclusion from the 2025 federal primary care compendium undermines national health strategies and workforce modernization. They are concerned that the current exclusion from federal planning creates a fragmented health care system that fails to utilize the full scope of available health care providers.

Therefore, the petitioners call on the Government of Canada to, number one, formally recognize traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture as a unique health profession as defined within the national occupational classification; number two, restructure the natural health product cost recovery model to exempt traditional herbal products, ensuring that small practices and importers remain viable; number three, formally acknowledge the integral role of these professions to ensure fair treatment and integration within all federally supported health workforce and modernization strategies; and number four, restore NOC 32200 to the express entry health care occupations category to provide skilled TCM and acupuncture professionals with equitable access to Canada's immigration system.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

[For text of questions and responses, see Written Questions website]

Opposition Motion—Cancellation of Federal Taxes on Gas and Diesel and the Clean Fuel Standard

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

moved:

That, given that,

(i) gas prices are 13% higher in Canada than in the United States, equating to 22 cents more on average per litre,

(ii) gas now costs 50 cents more per litre today than when global oil prices were at the same level in 2014,

(iii) the Minister of Finance and National Revenue told Canadians on May 19, “We have already acted”

(iv) Canadian families are still paying more to live due to a decade of Liberal credit card budgets, waste and mismanagement

the House call on the government to offer Canadians immediate relief by ending all federal taxes on gas and diesel for the rest of the year, including the GST, and permanently scrap the Clean Fuel Standard.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to note that I will be sharing my time with the member for Cloverdale—Langley City.

I am very pleased to rise in the House today to begin debate on a Conservative proposal to help Canadians. Our proposal is simple and clear: Immediately cancel all federal taxes on gas and diesel for the rest of 2026. We have been calling on the Liberals to do so since the beginning of the energy crisis in the Middle East. Given the global instability, a responsible government should have created a fiscal shield to protect its economy and its people. Unfortunately, the government chose to implement half measures.

Our proposal will provide relief in the context of the current energy crisis and cost of living crisis. Every Canadian family, every farmer, every trucker and every small business is directly impacted by energy costs and the cost of living.

Energy and affordability are the lifeblood of our country's economy. Let us consider the facts. The numbers do not lie. Gas prices are now 13% higher in Canada than in the United States, equating to 22¢ more on average per litre for Canadians. Why such a big difference compared to our neighbours to the south? What is even more alarming is that gas costs 50¢ more per litre today than when global oil prices were at the same level in 2014.

What is the government's response to this dire situation? The Minister of Finance and National Revenue had the nerve to tell Canadians on May 19, “We have already acted”. Telling a family who can no longer fill their tank to get to work that the government has already acted is an insult to their daily realities.

The truth is that the Liberals' current plan is nothing more than a half measure. They offered to cut only a third of the taxes for a third of the year. The Prime Minister says he understands that affordability is an issue, but his plan provides only limited, short-term relief that will not significantly cut costs for people. It would be a mistake to believe that these promises will be kept when all the government does is suspend a tiny portion of the excise tax just from April 20 until Labour Day. Canadians do not need a tax holiday that ends right when the school year begins and they will have new costs to cover. They need permanent relief.

That is why we Conservatives are renewing our call for a zero-tax policy on gas. Our strategy is clear and comprehensive. We are formally calling on the government to, first, cancel the excise tax on fuel for the rest of 2026; second, cancel the GST on gas and diesel for the rest of 2026; and third, scrap the clean fuel standard. We are particularly calling for the complete elimination of the clean fuel standard, which is essentially a permanent hidden tax on every litre used.

If our plan were fully implemented today, it would result in real, massive and immediate relief—a reduction of up to 25¢ per litre at the pump. For a family of four, that means savings of $20 or more every time they fill up. That is $1,200 in annual savings. That is real money. That is money going directly back into our constituents' pockets to pay for groceries and rent. Our plan saves 15¢ more per litre than the current Liberal plan. It is irrefutable proof that we are the only ones in the House proposing a solution that is up to the challenge posed by the crisis.

We cannot ignore what is happening on the international stage. Canada is becoming an unfortunate and isolated fiscal exception. Leading industrialized nations facing the same global pressures, such as Australia, Spain, Ireland, Italy, Germany and Austria, have already taken concrete steps to slash fuel taxes or offer direct relief at the pump. They have grasped the urgency of the situation. Meanwhile, here, despite the brief partial suspension of excise duties, Canadians continue to pay about 14.7% more than Americans. This injustice drags on because of federal taxes that remain stubbornly high, too high. Should we really be surprised by the Liberals' inaction in the face of this crisis?

After a decade of Liberal waste and mismanagement, Canadians are the ones paying the price. We are talking about massive cost overruns, handsomely paid consultants, not to mention a bloated federal bureaucracy. When will this government stop lining its own pockets and finally give that money back to our communities? The Minister of Finance seems to find this amusing, but I can assure him that, on the ground right now, Canadians and Quebeckers find nothing amusing about the current cost of living.

Let us not forget that every wasted dollar gets charged directly to Canada's credit card. It also gets charged to our children's and grandchildren's credit cards, and I want the Minister of Finance to be aware of that. I will have the privilege of becoming a grandfather on November 15, and I hope the Liberal government will demonstrate some fiscal discipline to help future generations and stop charging things to our children's and grandchildren's credit cards. Clearly, Canadians can no longer afford this Liberal government.

There is a direct connection between the price of diesel and the price of bread on store shelves. Statistics Canada recently reported that Canada has the worst food inflation in the G7. The Prime Minister took office a year ago on a solemn promise to make food more affordable. He failed. Now, a year later, families are paying the price.

Thanks to high energy prices, the government is raking in a massive surplus that could be as much as $9 billion. We believe the government has a basic obligation to give that excess revenue back to Canadians in this time of crisis. Our plan would put $5 billion back into the pockets of Canadian families while retaining $4 billion to ensure fiscal flexibility. The Liberals' decision to hoard the money speaks volumes. After 10 years of this government, who knows where that money will end up?

The Conservatives want a different country. We want a compassionate country, where parents never have to feel the pain of choosing between a full grocery basket or a full gas tank to get to work. The House must send a clear signal. It must demand that this government stop settling for half measures, temporary reprieves and optics. The time for a few tweaks here and there is over. We are calling for the outright cancellation of all federal taxes on gas and diesel for the remainder of the year, including the GST, along with the permanent elimination of the clean fuel standard.

Now is the time to move from words to action. Now is the time to offer immediate, substantial and measurable relief. Now is the time to put $1,200 back in the pockets of Canadian families, where it will do the most good. The people of this country are not asking for handouts or for more bureaucratic programs. They simply want the government to stop making their financial situation worse. They want less money for the Liberal bureaucracy and more money in their pockets, in their communities.

The Conservatives are standing up for affordability. We are standing up to bring relief to every Canadian family and every farmer, and today we are demanding a zero tax on gas.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the member opposite tries to imply, the Government of Canada understands the issue of affordability. That is why we see relief, in terms of the excise tax on gasoline.

I have a question for the member opposite. Why does the Conservative Party not support the groceries and essentials program that the Government of Canada has brought forward, which is providing significant relief to millions of Canadians?

The Conservative Party says it does not want to support that one. On the one hand, the Conservatives want us to do a little bit more. On the other hand, they vote against it when we do it in the form of the grocery program.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member who asked me that question is the same member who denied that there were any seniors not receiving what the Liberal government owes them. His party whip had to call him to order. The measures the Liberal government has put in place are partial measures. They apply for only a third of the year.

We are calling for a permanent measure for the entire year of 2026.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette—Manawan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as we have seen, the reduction in the federal excise tax has been offset by the increase in refining costs, which means that the price at the pump has not gone down.

I would like my colleague to tell me the following: How many billions of dollars will all the measures in the federal government's budget cost? How do the Conservatives plan to pay for that? Will they further increase the already sky-high deficit? If their plan is to make cuts, what would they cut? Which taxpayers would pay more in taxes?

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

Mr. Speaker, our plan is clear. We want to cut the Liberal red tape. We want to cut spending on consultants, which amounts to several billion dollars. We want to reduce the size of government so we can put money back into taxpayers' pockets. That is the Conservative plan.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member asked a question around groceries and why we do not support, basically, subsidies for Canadians. The Liberal government is already taking the money away from them.

I wonder if the hon. member could explain the whole value chain and how much the clean fuel standard costs our entire supply chain when it comes to food.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is not complicated. It is about the supply chain. Naturally, if we can lower processing and transportation costs, that will have a direct impact on grocery prices for Canadians. What Canadians need right now is some breathing room.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to hear from my colleague this morning, but I am a little surprised by his comments. The people in his riding are capable of keeping things in perspective.

First, I want to congratulate him on becoming a grandfather. He will be happy to know that we are going to build the strongest economy in the G7 for his grandson or granddaughter.

We know people are watching us at home, and I am sure my colleague will record today's proceedings. How will he explain to the people in his riding why he and his party voted against the affordability measures? Is he going to vote against the measure to ensure that, on June 5, people in his riding will receive the Canada groceries and essentials benefit? This is a measure that will help 12 million Canadians, including people in his riding. Can he tell them today on camera whether he will vote in favour of this measure, which will help people in his riding?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to start by saluting the people of Richmond—Arthabaska, who placed their trust in a Conservative MP. That is the choice the people of Richmond—Arthabaska made in the last election. They made that choice because they are sick and tired of watching the Liberals spend so recklessly. After a decade of Liberal government management, the country's debt grew from $700 billion to $1.4 trillion, and the Liberals are still racking up charges on our children's and future grandchildren's credit card. The people of Richmond—Arthabaska know this has to stop.

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in the 1970s, during Britain's energy crisis, there was a saying that the government treats taxpayers like lemons; that every time it needs more money, it just squeezes harder. That is exactly how Canadians feel today every time they pull up to the gas pump. Whether someone is a mom driving their kids to hockey in Cloverdale, a tradesman in Langley filling up his truck before work or a senior cutting back on groceries because of gas prices, they all watch the numbers spin higher and higher while government quietly takes a bigger cut every second that dial moves.

If government revenue rises every time gas prices rise, what incentives do the Liberals actually have to bring that cost down? That is the uncomfortable truth at the centre of this debate. Every time families pull up to the pump and watch those numbers climb higher, Ottawa is standing right there with its hand out. There is the GST, the industrial carbon tax and the clean fuel standard, all stacked one on top of the other on every litre we buy. As Canadians watch those numbers click frighteningly higher, government revenues rise automatically.

After months of soaring prices and dogged pressure by the Conservatives, the Liberals finally arrived with a tiny, temporary tax break. They presented it as though they performed some great act of economic heroism. In reality, their plan delivers barely one-third of the relief for barely one-third of the year, compared to what Conservatives had proposed. The Liberals want Canadians to believe that the cupboard is bare, that this is the absolute limit of what government can do, when in fact they can remove all federal taxes on gas and diesel tomorrow morning and give some real and actual relief to Canadians.

However, that would require government to give up revenue and modern Liberals have become far too comfortable spending other people's money. Instead of real relief, Canadians are handed a carefully staged announcement designed to generate headlines, applause in Ottawa and just enough temporary relief to dull public anger while families continue struggling under the weight of higher energy costs. Meanwhile, the single mother driving to work, the tradesman filling up his truck, and the senior choosing between groceries and fuel are expected to celebrate crumbs while government continues feasting on the loaf.

That is why Conservatives brought forward this motion to remove all federal taxes on gas and diesel for the rest of the year and permanently scrap the costly clean fuel standard so Canadians can finally get some relief.

Milton Friedman once joked that if government were put in charge of the Sahara Desert, there would be a shortage of sand within five years. We laugh because we understand the deeper truth behind it, which is that governments interfere too heavily in markets, pile on taxes, add layers of bureaucracy and try to centrally plan the economy from Ottawa boardrooms. The people who can least afford it will eventually pay the price. That is exactly what has happened in Canada.

Let us think about it. Back in 2014, oil prices were sitting at roughly the same level they are today, around $100 a barrel, yet Canadians were paying about $1.37 a litre. Today, that same litre costs closer to $1.87. That is roughly 50¢ more per litre, even though the global oil price is essentially the same. What has changed? Liberal taxes have changed, of course.

Over the last decade, Canadians have been buried under a growing pile of federal costs layered onto energy. This includes the industrial carbon tax, the clean fuel standard and the GST charge on top of the entire inflated amount. We have tax upon tax upon tax, all justified by politicians who never seem to notice that working people still have to drive to work, farmers still have to harvest their crops and families still have to get their kids to school.

Here is the part Canadians are beginning to understand very clearly: Every time gas prices rise, government revenues rise as well. Ottawa profits from expensive energy, while ordinary Canadians are punished by it. That is why the finance minister's comments were astonishingly tone-deaf when he claimed that the Liberals had acted faster and more comprehensively than peer countries.

Canadians are not looking for a trophy in international political theatre. They are looking at their bank accounts, they are looking at their grocery bills, they are looking at the cost of filling up the family vehicle and wondering how much further they can stretch a paycheque that already feels exhausted before it even arrives. Meanwhile, countries around the world cut fuel taxes to help their citizens weather rising costs.

Conservatives proposed removing all federal taxes on gas and diesel for the rest of the year to save families roughly 25¢ a litre, or about $1,200 for a family of four. The Liberals' response was to offer barely one-third of the relief for barely one-third of the year, and then they presented it as though they had moved mountains on behalf of struggling Canadians.

Margaret Thatcher understood something modern Liberals never seem to grasp: When governments make energy expensive, they make everything expensive. Energy is not a luxury item. Energy moves food across the country. Energy powers tractors, delivery trucks, ambulances, factories, school buses and construction equipment. When energy costs rise, the cost of absolutely everything rises with it.

Canadians are already at the breaking point. Nearly three-quarters of Canadians say that rising food and gas prices are straining their finances. More than four in 10 Canadians are less than $200 away from not being able to pay their bills. Members can think about that. The cost of one unexpected repair bill, one extra grocery trip or one tank of gas is how close to the edge millions of Canadians are living after a decade of Liberal credit card budgets, inflationary deficits and economic mismanagement. While ordinary Canadians cut back, governments keep spending like there is no tomorrow.

The truckers delivering groceries pay more for fuel. The farmers harvesting crops pay more for fuel. The manufacturers shipping goods pay more for fuel. Every added cost lands on the kitchen tables of ordinary Canadian families. That is the real-world consequence of expensive energy. This is not a theoretical economics discussion over a catered lunch in Ottawa. These are real families making painful decisions every single day.

The government acts as though lowering fuel taxes would somehow break the economy. When Conservatives are calling for these tax breaks, we were not proposing another complicated subsidy program with more paperwork, more bureaucracy and more consultants billing taxpayers by the hour. We are simply saying that the government should stop taking so much money from Canadians in the first place and let them keep more of what they earn. That is the simplest form of relief possible.

The government's job is not to stand at the gas pump with its hand out every time Canadians try to get to work. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said that the Liberals' temporary plan would only save the average household about $124 total. Canadians cannot run a family budget on symbolic gestures. Conservatives are proposing relief that would actually have impact. The Liberals simply do not want to give up the revenue.

At the heart of this debate lies a very simple question: Who should keep that money? Should it remain in the pockets of the men and women who rise early, work long hours, drive trucks, build the homes, harvest the crops and keep this country moving, or should more of it flow to Ottawa, where the government has developed an endless appetite for spending but remarkably little interest in restraint?

Conservatives believe Canadians have already paid enough. After a decade of Liberal deficits and taxes, families are not asking for luxuries. They are asking for breathing room. They want to drive to work without feeling punished every time they fill their tanks. They want to walk through the grocery store without calculating what necessities must be left at the checkout counter. Whenever Canadians raise these concerns, they are told by the Liberals that they have already acted, that the economy is doing great and that it is one of the best economies in the G7. Somehow the answer to rising costs is always more bureaucracy, more intervention and more taxes collected from the people who are already struggling to stay afloat.

The House has a choice to make. We can continue down the Liberal path, where expensive energy is treated as a political virtue, where taxes quietly rise every time families fill their tanks and where government grows larger while ordinary Canadians grow poorer, or we can return to the simple principle that built strong economies in the first place, which is that working people are better stewards of their own money than government will ever be.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here to listen to the remarks of my colleague. If she wants to talk about affordability, I am sure she knows that the three things that concern Canadians are the price of rent, the price of food and the price of gas.

I am sure she will go back to her constituents to say that Canada has taken the lead in helping Canadians with more affordable homes. I am sure she is going to talk to her constituents on June 5, when 12 million Canadians will get the boost they need to cope with the inflation we have seen in the price of food. I am sure she will say that the federal government removed the federal excise tax on gas.

The question I have for the member is this: Is she asking the provinces to remove the taxes they have put on fuel across the nation? That is an interesting question. I would like the member to explain to the House what she is asking of the provinces.