Debates of May 5th, 2026

National Defence

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the defence minister told Canadians that he fixed the recruitment crisis, but like everything with these Liberals, it was just another illusion. A leaked military memo tells a very different story. Some recruits were unable to communicate in either official language, and there are damning reports of misogyny and racism. This is more Liberal mismanagement and more of the same. These Liberals did not fix the military; they lowered the bar so low and hoped nobody would actually notice.

When will the minister stop ignoring the facts and admit that his recruitment reforms have failed?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, no matter how hard we try on this side of the House, we could never be nearly as negative as this member.

The truth is that the Canadian Armed Forces recruitment has just hit a 30‑year high. Our soldiers, our sailors and our aviators do important and incredible work, and we need more of them. That is why we have been reinvesting in our people. We have given our forces a well-deserved pay raise. We are getting them the tools, the weapons, the equipment and the housing they need. We are getting them through training faster. With the good help of the women and men in uniform, we are just getting started.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the minister can sit here and spin his numbers all he wants, but he fails to mention that he actually knew that basic training success rates have fallen down to 77%. It is so bad that one platoon graduated only 48% of its recruits. A military that cannot graduate its recruits, cannot integrate its members and cannot maintain basic standards is not a military that is ready to defend our country.

When will the Liberal defence minister stop prioritizing his press releases over the operational effectiveness of the Canadian Armed Forces?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, every single measure brought before this House, every single measure for the improvement of the Canadian Armed Forces, was blocked by that member and his party.

Here is the good news. Recruitment has hit a 30‑year high. These are the facts. In the past year, applications have more than doubled, to over 45,000. The CAF enrolled 7,310 regular force members, surpassing our target, and 70 of the 97 critical roles, as opposed to 18 last year, have now been filled.

As I said a moment ago, we are just getting started.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, ethnic conflicts from various countries have now found their way into the Canadian Armed Forces.

A leaked internal report from the Canadian Armed Forces Leadership and Recruit School confirms that platoons comprising up to 83% of people who are not even Canadian citizens have experienced serious conflicts, allegations of racism and cultural friction. Instructors even report difficulties in enforcing authority, particularly that of female officers, which directly undermines discipline and the chain of command. It is a total mess.

Does the minister understand that these policies aimed at meeting quotas have undermined the cohesion of the Canadian Armed Forces?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, recruitment into the Canadian Armed Forces has just reached its highest level in 30 years.

Our soldiers, sailors and airmen do essential and remarkable work, and we need them. That is why we are reinvesting in our personnel. We have given our forces a pay raise, we are providing them with the tools and equipment they need and we are speeding up their training.

It is a great day, a great week and a great start for Canada, and this is only the beginning.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, that answer is absolutely meaningless.

It is important to understand that, between 2022 and 2025, 192,000 Canadians wanted to enroll but only 15,000 were accepted. Meanwhile, the government recruited permanent residents, non-Canadians and people who do not speak English or French and enrolled them in officer courses. How can we keep our country safe when we rely on people who do not understand our culture, do not understand our language and do not want to listen to orders from women?

Can we get an answer on that?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we have good news for Canada, good news for the Canadian Armed Forces and good news for the member. Recruitment is at a 30-year high. He knows that, and here are the facts. Over the past year, the number of applicants has more than doubled, to over 45,000. We recruited 7,310 regular force members, surpassing our target. In addition, 70 of the 97 critical roles have been filled.

We are just getting started. There is work to be done.

The Economy

[Tim Watchorn, Liberal, Les Pays-d'en-Haut, QC]

Mr. Speaker, young Canadians are facing a rising cost of living, global uncertainty and concerns over their future.

Can the Secretary of State for Children and Youth explain how our spring economic update addresses current economic challenges while building Canada strong for everyone?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Les Pays-d'en-Haut for his question.

Our spring economic update is about taking responsible action today while investing in the future for young people. We are investing $6 billion to recruit, train and hire up to 100,000 skilled trades workers across Canada. This includes thousands of jobs in Quebec, such as in Contrecoeur and the Matawinie region.

We are building the strongest economy in the G7 with our domestic workforce.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said that our immigration system is “under control”. Ordinary Canadians know this is not true. For example, in Canada, we have no idea who is here or not here, because the government has no way of tracking who is leaving the country or when they leave.

When asked about this yesterday, the immigration minister said she wondered the same thing. The Prime Minister appointed this immigration minister. He kept her in her job. He meets with her on a weekly basis. He believes the immigration system is under control. Clearly, she is simply following the Prime Minister's orders.

Can the Prime Minister confirm that this minister is doing a good job implementing his own ideas, or if not, why does he not just fire her?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan that works. Under this minister, the number of asylum seekers has decreased, the number of new temporary residents has decreased, and we are setting records on economic immigration and attracting French-speaking immigrants.

We will continue to deliver results for all Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister just claimed that their plan is working, yet in the last week alone, we found out that the Liberal government issued a special visa to a terrorist so he could enter Canada. It allowed over 21,000 non-citizens who fraudulently came into Canada to claim asylum, and it has no way to track if millions of non-citizens on expired or expiring visas would leave.

The Prime Minister said that this is taking control of the immigration system. If that is his opinion, is that the real reason why he has not fired his minister?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

On the contrary, Mr. Speaker, our plan is working quite well. As we have already stated, no individual associated with the current or former Iranian regime has been admitted into Canada.

No IRGC official attended the congress. I did not authorize the document. There was no decision that was taken on that. I have spoken to officials to ensure that we have a robust system. We will continue to hold the Iranian regime to account and we will protect Canadians. As I said, we are building—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill.

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

Mr. Speaker, when we listen to that answer and then listen to the Prime Minister say that the Liberals have taken back control of the immigration system, it kind of sounds a little delulu. The entire system is rife with abuse. There is no way to track if non-citizens actually leave and they are issuing visitor visas to terrorists.

If this is the Prime Minister's definition of what taking control of the immigration system is, then the dumpster fire is his fault, not hers. Does she agree?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, let me answer this question in the preferred language of the member because she seems to be really confused.

Our government is laying the foundation of a comprehensive exit-tracking system, one that the Conservatives or anybody could have done over 100 or 200 years ago. However, we are doing that. As we said, temporary resident status is temporary. People are expected to leave when they finish.

On this side of the House, we are focused on attracting health care workers and tradespeople to strengthen our rural economies and communities, and we will continue to—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Ottawa West—Nepean.

National Defence

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during committee testimony on Bill C-11, we heard from many survivors about concerns with the transfer of cases from the military system to the civilian court system.

Would the Minister of National Defence tell the House whether he would be supportive if the Senate were to amend Bill C-11 to include the sunset clause as passed at the committee stage?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her passionate work behind the bill. Delivering culture change in the Canadian Armed Forces is not only the right thing to do, but it is critical for the operational needs for national security. That is why we introduced Bill C-11. It is to codify in law key recommendations from two comprehensive external reports. I can confirm that we are open to amendment in the Senate to include the sunset clause that would strengthen the bill.

Public Safety

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Swift Current—Grasslands—Kindersley, SK]

Mr. Speaker, despite the illusions, the Prime Minister is just another Liberal with more taxes, more costs, more debt and more crime. Crime is a major problem everywhere. Mayors and citizens are raising the alarm because almost every RCMP detachment back home and across Saskatchewan is operating at a shortage. Last year, these Liberals promised to hire 1,000 new police officers, yet we see no plan and no new officers to fill the shortages.

With the same old Liberals in power, how could Canadians trust them when all they do is break their promises?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we support the RCMP. We are hiring 1,000 new RCMP personnel to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. They are training and they will be deployed shortly. The safety and security of Canadians is our first and top priority, and we will continue to ensure that our law enforcement sector is assisted. We will ensure that the officers have the right tools to do their job effectively.

The Economy

[Alexandre Boulerice, Independent, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada, the wealthiest 20% of the population owns 66% of the wealth. At the other end of the spectrum, the poorest 40%, almost half of the population, owns only 3%.

After 11 years of the Liberal regime, inequality is rising. Our society is unfair, and people are suffering. According to a survey, the expense that people are most worried about is food. For a Prime Minister who said that he should be judged by the price of groceries, it is a failure.

Instead of giving handouts to web giants and their billionaire friends, when will the Liberals take care of struggling workers?

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

Mr. Speaker, we understand full well what people across the country are going through. That is why we have been there to make life more affordable. We are keenly aware that the first things on people's minds are affordable housing, groceries and gas.

I have great news for my colleague: the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. On June 5, 12 million Canadians will receive federal support. We are happy to do what needs to be done. We will always be there for Canadians. In the economic update, we introduced our plan to grow our economy and to support each and every Canadian.

Indigenous Affairs

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, almost seven years ago, June 3, 2019, the inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and two-spirited plus people was given to the government.

Of the 231 individual calls for justice, can the Prime Minister update us as to how many have been fulfilled?