Debates of May 26th, 2026

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I do not think the Liberals understand ho w profoundly unfair the system is right now, to everybody. The Liberals brought too many non-citizens into Canada too fast for health care to keep up, and millions of Canadians are waiting for basic medical services.

Today, the PBO showed that there are 74,000 failed asylum seekers, people who have bogus asylum claims, who are getting benefits like vision care. This is costing hundreds of millions of dollars. Premium health benefits should be going to Canadians, not to failed asylum claimants who should be removed from Canada. Why are they not?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, let us do this one more time. This is what we are actually doing. The interim federal health program covers limited temporary health coverage to vulnerable people who are not yet eligible for provincial coverage. It covers essential services. It is not for luxury items, and the cost is tied to volumes. As I have said, over and over again, we have reduced that volume by 60% from 2024. We will keep reducing that pressure.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister just said that the program is temporary. That is what it was designed to be, but the PBO said today that failed asylum claimants, people who are supposed to be removed from the country, are getting benefits like vision care and physiotherapy for years. That is why the cost is mushrooming year after year. A billion dollars could build a hospital. Instead, it is going to failed asylum claimants. That is not fair.

Why will she not cancel these luxury benefits?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, this is what the PBO actually said today. The PBO said that within three years we will see substantial savings from changes to the supplemental coverage of $200‑plus million. We will also see another $200‑plus million in annual savings from the asylum reform measures that we took in Bill C-12. I thank the member for finally agreeing to put that law into action.

Public Safety

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, when Canadians go through airport security, they submit to invasive screening. Medical implants are flagged. Personal items are confiscated. They are even emptying their baby bottles, yet a worker at Pearson says someone could bring a cruise missile through without detection.

Canadians have already been detained abroad because of security failures here at home. Will the part-time Minister of Transport admit that these failures put Canadians at risk and apologize to those whose lives and reputations have already been harmed by his inaction?

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Again, we have to use proper titles.

We will go to the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, the RCMP has investigated this matter and arrested six individuals in this case. It is a serious offence to change luggage tags. The RCMP officers are working with airport authorities and with other international partners. We are going to continue putting investments into the RCMP by increasing it by 1,000 new members so that we can continue doing the work that is needed to crack down on organized crime.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, who is minding business at Pearson right now? That answer of 1,000 members someday is not going to work. If these gaps exist at Pearson, our largest airport, why would Canadians believe they do not exist somewhere else?

Will the Liberal government commit, yes or no, to conducting the same security audits at every major airport in Canada and tabling those findings here in Parliament for all Canadians to see? If they will not, is it because this part-time Minister of Transport has no idea how bad it is, or does he just have no idea of what to do?

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Again, I warned the member already. We must call members by their proper titles.

We will go to the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime.

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, we are determined to crack down on organized crime. That is why we have invested $1.3 billion into our borders. That includes our airports. This is the most substantial investment ever made by a government to beef up our security at our borders. It includes new technology. It includes new personnel for the RCMP so that we can catch the organized crime members who are committing these offences.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in the fall of 2024, a senior in Prince George returned home to find his house being ransacked and robbed. When he tried to stop the perpetrators, they ran over him, dragged him down the road and left him for dead. They were caught later that day and released just hours later. The victim's family has just been informed that the charges against the perpetrators have been dropped. They left him for dead, and they got off scot-free.

When will the Liberal Prime Minister finally put victims before criminals?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, from the first conversation I had with the Prime Minister, he has asked us to strengthen Canada's criminal laws so we can protect communities and build a safer Canada.

We have advanced Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act, which represents some of the strongest measures in the Criminal Code in generations. People who commit serious crimes and threaten public safety should be incarcerated. I hope that we can have the collaboration of all members of the House to advance these laws to protect communities and ensure every Canadian can go to bed safe at night.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the victim was run over, dragged down a road and left for dead, and the perpetrators are off scot-free. The victim now lives in fear that they are going to finish the job. He suffered broken ribs, flail chest and brain damage. He needed facial reconstruction surgery, and the perpetrators are free to do this again.

Under the Liberals, criminals face zero accountability. Canadians are fed up, and that is the government's legacy.

Will the Prime Minister stand up today to commit to calling this senior, who is afraid for his life, and explain to him and his family why the perpetrators are off scot-free?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, let me condemn, in the harshest possible terms, acts of violence committed against innocent Canadians.

I have good news for the member opposite. There is something he can do to help. He can add his voice in support of the various pieces of criminal legislation that have come before the House for which we will be seeking royal assent very soon. The legislation that we have put forward has been informed by municipal governments, provincial governments and law enforcement officials in every corner of this country. It has the support of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the Police Association of Ontario and, in fact, the provincial government of his home province.

I would ask that all the members of the House get on with the business of making Canada safer.

Women and Gender Equality

[Sima Acan, Liberal, Oakville West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when women and gender-diverse Canadians face barriers to entering the workforce, accessing leadership opportunities or living free from violence, it does not just impact individuals; it holds back the entire economy and our communities. Organizations across Canada are working every day to support survivors, expand opportunities and build safer, more inclusive communities, but they need stable and timely support. After obstruction from the Conservatives, our budget is now delivering support for these organizations.

Can the Minister of Women and Gender Equality update the House on how these investments will strengthen support across Canada?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, building the strongest economy in the G7 means full and equal participation of women and gender-diverse Canadians.

This is why I announced $77 million in funding to extend projects to nearly 400 organizations for women and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities across Canada. These are organizations on the front lines, such as Victim Services of Peel, that are helping women thrive in the workforce and supporting victims of gender-based violence. They are building more inclusive communities across the country, and that is how we are going to build Canada strong.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, economists and business voices across the country are warning that, when people no longer trust the rules around property ownership, investment disappears, housing slows down and affordability gets worse. We are now seeing stalled projects, bankrupt developers and fewer homes being built while young Canadians lose hope of ownership, but the Liberal government calls that fearmongering. Instead of admitting there is a huge problem, they keep acting like everything is just okey-dokey.

Did the Liberals vote down our Conservative motion to protect property rights yesterday because they are completely blind to this very real problem?

[Rebecca Alty, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, the motion that was presented yesterday was full of false information, including when they talked about the Musqueam agreement.

The Musqueam agreement is available online, but I know the Conservatives have not read it. I will feel free to read section 5.1: “This Agreement does not constitute a treaty or lands claims agreements”. I will also read section 5.2: “This Agreement does not create, amend, define, establish, abrogate or derogate from Musqueam's Rights and Title.”

The whole agreement is available online, and I encourage the Conservatives to read it.

[Ellis Ross, Conservative, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government calls concerns about private property rights fearmongering, yet the Liberals, as the number one defendant, are appealing the Cowichan decision. The Liberal government is depending entirely on Montrose Properties, a private business, to defend private property on behalf of Canadians. On top of this, the Liberals voted against a Conservative motion that would protect private property rights.

Canadian homeowners deserve certainty and clarity. Will the Liberal Prime Minister secure the private property rights of Canadians and provide economic certainty while creating respectful partnerships with first nations?

[Rebecca Alty, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government, the province, the City of Richmond, Musqueam, Tsawwassen and Cowichan are all appealing the Cowichan decision.

There is also another court case. It is in New Brunswick. The Court of Appeal reached a very different conclusion than what was reached in Cowichan. We now have two courts in Canada taking very different approaches. This divergence is exactly why clarity from the courts is required, and that is the clarity we are seeking in the Cowichan case. The Cowichan case is in active litigation, including today. We will defend private property.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal housing minister accused Conservatives of fearmongering over the Cowichan ruling, but the impact is already real and immediate. According to expert reports in March, Richmond property value could fall by 40% because of uncertainty created by the government. Families, homeowners and businesses are worried, yet the Liberals remain in denial, denying the impact and denying that their litigation directive was a mistake.

When will the government wake up and restore certainty for homeowners?

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, our government knows that the path of reconciliation with first nations is how Canada moves forward as a country. Negotiated agreements, like that with Tsawwassen in my riding of Delta, are one solution. With Cowichan, negotiations failed, and the case went to the courts. We disagree with the B.C. Supreme Court decision and have filed our appeal. Our government has always defended and will always defend private property ownership.

Natural Resources

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during the last election, we committed to connecting Canada's electricity grids from east to west rather than from north to south.

Can the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources share with the House how we are going to build those interconnections, grow Canada's clean electricity capacity and ensure families and businesses can decarbonize affordably and reliably?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his leadership on this issue.

If we want to build one strong Canadian economy, strengthen our energy security and seize the economic opportunities of electrification, we need a more connected grid from east to west. This is why our national electricity strategy will refer the development of a new comprehensive transmission interconnect investment strategy to the Major Projects Office. This strategy will help grow our electricity grid and help us become more climate competitive.

We have now launched a consultation period to hear from Canadians, and we look forward to working together to build the clean electricity backbone Canada needs for our future.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, Brett Cox, a fisherman from English Harbour West, reached out to me yesterday and said, “We need the tariff gone on sea cucumber or that fishery is done.” He is referring to the 25% Chinese tariff, which still applies to all Canadian seafood except lobster and crab products. China is the second largest market for our seafood.

If the Liberal Prime Minister's new relationship with China is beneficial to Canada, why are these crippling tariffs still in place?