House of Commons Hansard #124 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.
Corrections and Conditional Release Act First reading of Bill S-205. 200 words.
Opposition Motion—Elimination of the Streaming Tax 47300 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Canada Revenue Agency Act Second reading of Bill S-217. 7600 words, 1 hour.
Department of Citizenship and Immigration—Main Estimates, 2026-27 32400 words, 4 hours.
Foreign InvestmentOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
Members are not supposed to refer to another member's absence from the House.
The hon. member may continue.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was in New York this morning on a trip described by the CBC as just a networking trip.
Let us talk about investments. After 10 years of Liberal governance, Canada is considered to be the most restrictive country in the G7 for foreign investment. According to RBC, $1 trillion in investment has been lost over the past 10 years. The example comes from the top, as 91% of the Prime Minister's own assets are outside Canada.
Does the Prime Minister know something that these people have yet to grasp?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
Mr. Speaker, Canada is currently the top destination for foreign investment in the G7. That is my first point.
My second point, proving that we are currently a prime destination for business, is that 3,000 jobs were announced yesterday. Saab, a Swedish company, decided to partner with Bombardier, a Canadian company of which we are very proud, to enter the military aerospace industry by building a new surveillance aircraft for us as well as for several other countries around the world.
That is how we are going to build a strong country.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I must remind the Liberals that Liberal Canada is driving away investment. Let us remember that, when the Prime Minister was officially the chair of Brookfield, he moved the head office from Toronto to New York. Way to go. Let us do what he says, not what he does.
The fact of the matter is that, according to Statistics Canada, $17 billion in investment went abroad in the first quarter.
When will the Liberals start walking the talk and take meaningful action so that foreign investments are made here in Canada for the benefit of all Canadians?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, what have we learned from the last six questions? We have learned that that we are going to build military aircraft in Canada. We have learned that we are building mines, particularly in Quebec, British Columbia and in the far north, and that we are attracting an incredible amount of investment.
The folks at TD Economics, who are certainly very different from those in the Conservative Party's war room, say that, in 2025, Canada experienced its highest level of foreign investment since 2007.
Canada is clearly attracting investment.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Quebec National Assembly unanimously condemned the Prime Minister for his authoritarian statement that 50% of the votes cast plus one would not be enough in a referendum.
It reaffirmed its support for Quebec's Bill 99, which defines a clear majority as 50% plus one, just like all democratic votes around the world. It declared that no parliament or government may impose constraint on the democratic will of the Quebec people to determine their own future.
Does the Prime Minister understand Quebec's message, and will he respect the foundations of democracy?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Bloc Québécois members get up every morning and want nothing more than to talk about the Clarity Act and referendums.
On this side of the House, we get up every morning wondering how we are going to create opportunities for Quebeckers, build one Canadian economy and protect Canada's sovereignty.
I will give them an example. Yesterday, we stood with Bombardier to announce the acquisition of GlobalEye aircraft to defend our country's sovereignty and create more than 3,000 jobs in Canada. This is in addition to the 150 aircraft that were ordered by Airbus about two weeks ago.
That is what creating opportunities for Quebeckers looks like. Those are the priorities of Quebeckers. Those are our priorities. I will leave the Bloc Québécois to its questions about referendums.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's elected officials have condemned the Prime Minister's drift toward authoritarianism with his Clarity Act.
I would like to draw his attention to a reaction that might inspire him. The leader of the Quebec Liberals said, “We in the Liberal Party of Quebec are both federalists and democrats”. Yes, it is possible to be a federalist, a democrat, and a Liberal all at once. It is possible to hold multiple principles simultaneously. The Prime Minister, on the other hand, is merely a Liberal, in addition to being paternalistic and anti-democratic.
Will the Liberals bring him back down to earth and ask him to repeal the Clarity Act?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, once again, it is clear that the members of the Bloc Québécois are completely out of touch with what the people of Quebec care about.
What Quebeckers care about is affordability, creating good jobs and providing opportunities for our young people. What Quebeckers care about is a workforce training program like the one outlined in the economic update. What Quebeckers care about is major projects like a high-speed rail line connecting Quebec City and Toronto, Nouveau Monde Graphite, the expansion of the port of Montreal in Contrecoeur, and major projects that will build Quebec and provide opportunities for ordinary people. That is what Quebeckers care about, not the questions about the Clarity Act that my colleagues from the Bloc Québécois are raising.
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, no matter what the Liberals may think, the Clarity Act is a tool designed to disregard democracy if the outcome of a vote does not suit the federal government. Its sole purpose is to suppress the will of the people.
It is a law that undermines democracy and the right of peoples to self-determination. It also undermines justice by disregarding the Supreme Court's opinion, which holds that the concept of a clear majority is purely qualitative and not tied to a numerical margin of victory. This is blatant authoritarian overreach.
Are the Liberals not ashamed to promote this?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade
Mr. Speaker, our colleague from the Bloc Québécois talks about respect for democracy. We in the government will start by waiting for Quebeckers to have their say in the upcoming provincial election this fall.
We understand that the members of the Bloc Québécois are engaging in hypotheticals. They are eagerly awaiting the upcoming provincial election. We are not going to judge these issues. We will continue to focus on issues that affect Quebec families, Quebec workers, and workers across Canada. The American tariff threat and how to support our industries are what we are working on.
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of this Liberal government, Canadians are paying more for gas, more for groceries and more for housing. After all of that, they just want to kick back and relax and maybe watch a little Netflix or listen to a bit of Spotify, but even that small delight is now being denied to them at cost. Instead, they are going to have to pay more, because the Liberal-appointed CRTC is tripling the streaming tax from 5% to 15%, which, of course, will be passed directly to the consumer.
In section 7 of the Broadcasting Act, the Liberals actually have the power to reject this levy and stand up for Canadians. Will they commit today to going to bat on behalf of Canadian consumers and making life more affordable for them by scrapping the—
Canadian Identity and CultureOral Questions
The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia
The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture.
David Myles LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and to the Secretary of State (Nature)
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear out of the gate. This is not a tax. This is an imaginary tax.
Since day one, we have been relentlessly focused on affordability. That is why we cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. This is about equity for creators. This is about fair competition, but mostly, it is about supporting Canadian storytellers, Canadian creators and Canadian artists, because we know how important they are to building Canada strong.
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, I will let Canadians be the judge. At the end of the day, Canadians will have to pay 15% more for their online streaming service, and that is a direct result of this government's policy. Most of us would call that a “tax”, but the Liberals like to avoid that term. The point is this. Canadians are going to have to pay a whole lot more for Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify because of policies from this government, but this government has the power to do something about it. It can, in fact, repeal this decision.
After 11 years of making life more expensive for Canadians, will the Liberals finally stand up for the Canadian consumer and axe this tax?
David Myles LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and to the Secretary of State (Nature)
Mr. Speaker, once again with the slogans. Once again with being a little loose on the facts. This is not a new tax.
Since we want to talk about the economy, let us talk about the cultural sector and how much it does for the Canadian economy. It generates billions of dollars across the country and employs hundreds of thousands of people in each of our ridings. It tells us who we are as Canadians. It unites us and helps us build a strong country.
Rachael Thomas Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the strength of our economy, because it is directly reflected in how well a household is doing. Right now, many households in Canada are paying 120% of their income just to cover rent and food. It is not 100%, but 120%. This Liberal government's policies are now going to add another tax to their regular monthly bills.
That is punitive in nature, but this government has the ability to do something about that. Will the Liberals instruct the CRTC to back off and scrap the tax?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, the policy of the government, as my colleague has just laid out, is quite clear. Canadians deserve to have production, creation and their stories told by Canadians for Canadians in Canada, by these global giant platforms.
There is no tax. There is no tax, period. It is imaginary. It is fake. These are the same people who want to defund the CBC, who want to kill our cultural industries, and who want to take Canada out of every single piece of culture that we can—
Canadian Identity and CultureOral Questions
Anna Roberts Conservative King—Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, seniors built this country, yet every Liberal budget dismisses seniors and leaves them further behind. After 11 years of wasteful Liberal spending on luxuries for ministers and higher taxes, seniors are paying more for everything: more taxes, more debt, more on the national credit card and more of the same from the Liberals. The National Institute on Ageing found that one in five Canadians over 50 cannot afford basic needs such as groceries, heating or transportation.
How out of touch does the Prime Minister have to be to ignore seniors who are struggling—
SeniorsOral Questions
Stephanie McLean LiberalSecretary of State (Seniors)
Mr. Speaker, this is very rich coming from the Conservatives, whose plan is to do nothing. Their plan is to absolutely ignore the needs of Canadians, and we see that when they vote against measures such as ensuring that there is old age security for seniors, and when they put forward measures that would ensure that seniors aged 65 to 67 cannot get old age security. When the Conservatives folks talk about seniors, what Canadians should hear is crickets.
Anna Roberts Conservative King—Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that seniors cannot afford the essentials, such as groceries, rent and utilities. They cannot afford the gas or transit needed to even get to programs. The Liberal grocery rebate gimmick was pennies in a bucket. Food bank usage among seniors continues to rise. Over 8% of food bank users are seniors. Statistics tell us that more single seniors are now living below the poverty line.
How much more do seniors have to struggle before the Prime Minister finally delivers real relief for their daily expenses?
John Zerucelli LiberalSecretary of State (Labour)
Mr. Speaker, the member talks about affordability, but when it comes time to support the very measures that benefit the seniors in her riding, she votes against them. In her riding, 31,000 members receive the Canada dental benefit. That is a seniors benefit. How does the member stand here and talk about affordability, when she votes against the measures that are supporting seniors?
Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK
Mr. Speaker, while millions of Canadians struggle to put food on their table, the Liberal Prime Minister's luxury inflight catering costs soared to $195,000 for three trips, at a time when one in three employed Canadians is using debt to pay for their food. In my home province of Saskatchewan, people are talking about whether or not it is okay to steal groceries from grocery stores.
How out of touch does the Prime Minister have to be to cater luxury meals for himself and his buddies while Canadians are struggling to put food on the table?