House of Commons Hansard #119 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was decision.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Opposition Motion—Protection of Private Property Rights in Canada Members debate a Conservative motion addressing legal uncertainty regarding property rights following the *Cowichan* decision. Conservatives allege failed litigation strategies threaten homeownership. Liberals dismiss these claims as misinformation intended to incite fear, asserting that property rights remain secure through the appeals process. While the Bloc supports the motion in principle to foster greater transparency, the NDP dismisses concerns about threats to property as unfounded, citing established legal precedent for reconciliation. 47900 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Financial Administration Act Report stage of Bill C-230. The bill (C-230) requires the government to establish a public registry disclosing individual corporate debt write-offs of $2 million or more. Proposed by Adam Chambers (Conservative), the legislation aims to increase CRA transparency and accountability regarding uncollected taxes. Having garnered cross-party collaboration, the House passed the bill at third reading, mandating that the Treasury Board publish details of forgiven, waived, or written-off corporate liabilities. 6800 words, 1 hour.
Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, there must be some Conservatives who are itching to cross the floor. They see themselves in a Prime Minister who promotes the monarchy and the oil sands. We now understand the Liberals' vision. Canada's future is based on dirty 19th‑century fossil fuels. Now at least we know where we stand.
My question is simple: Why do the members in that party who still believe in the fight against climate change not just leave? What are they waiting for?
Julie Dabrusin LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that this government is committed to fighting climate change. We are getting the job done and we will stay the course. Just look at our auto strategy. We are going to reduce greenhouse gases while creating jobs and building cars. Just look at what we are doing to protect nature. We have methane regulations, which are going to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 400 megatonnes. We are getting the job done and we will keep going.
Mario Simard Bloc Jonquière, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals passed Bill C-5 to expedite so-called projects of national interest. That allows the government to get around laws that could hinder the construction of pipelines. Now, the government has a new solution: To speed up its pipelines, it is simply going to tear up the regulations. If the regulatory framework is slowing down the construction of oil pipelines, then the government is just going to scrap the regulatory framework.
The Liberals are the ones who set the target of achieving net zero by 2050. Do they realize that it is their own fault that they are going to fail miserably?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, Quebeckers understand that major projects, energy projects, transform economies. Robert Bourassa understood that and so do we, and that is true whether we are talking about nuclear energy, wind energy, solar energy, renewable energy of any kind and yes, even conventional energy.
The government plans to move forward with major projects, but we will not stop there. We are also working on logistics projects, like the Contrecoeur port. I also want to mention that the port of Saguenay is part of that, since it is in my colleague's riding.
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, a shocking new report found that nearly 500,000 young Canadians were unemployed in 2025. That is a 57% increase in three years, and that is worse than the recessions of 1981, 1990 and 2008 for young people. The Liberals ran an over $1‑trillion debt, and they priced Canadians out of the housing market. We have the highest housing costs in the G7. They then loosened the foreign work restrictions and flooded the labour market. It has been a decade of their support, and somehow every single door is closed for young Canadians.
How is the government locking young Canadians out of both the housing market and the labour market at the same time?
John Zerucelli LiberalSecretary of State (Labour)
Mr. Speaker, Canada's new government is fiscally responsible. We have reduced the deficit by $11 billion. We are in the strongest fiscal position in the G7. We are making major infrastructure investments that will transform and connect our economy. Our workers know this. Let us hear from our workers. Let us hear from the UA in the member's riding.
This update would deliver investments to expand training and for a multitude of apprenticeship needs. It would increase youth, indigenous and diverse participation in the trades for upcoming projects of national interest. That is how we build a Canada strong for all.
Melissa Lantsman Conservative Thornhill, ON
Mr. Speaker, despite all of the rhetoric and despite the trillion dollars in Liberal debt, young Canadians now make up over a quarter of all unemployed workers. That is double their share of the workforce. They still cannot afford a home; they still cannot afford groceries, and they still cannot afford to get ahead. The Liberals have record borrowing, with billions on the national credit card, to stimulate the same economy they are cooling with record immigration, and they handed the bill to Canadians for all of it.
At what point does any Liberal take responsibility for an entire generation that is priced out, crowded out and left holding the bag for their incompetence?
John Zerucelli LiberalSecretary of State (Labour)
Mr. Speaker, again, this new government is fiscally responsible. We reduced the deficit by $11 billion and we are in the strongest fiscal position in the G7. The Conservatives cannot stand up and say they support Canadians while voting against all the supports that Canadians rely on, including youth. The Conservatives oppose tax relief. They oppose child care. They oppose dental care and the national school food program. Who could be against that?
The Conservatives cannot oppose all of those programs and then claim they support them. They cannot have it both ways. When will they table a list of inflationary spending items they are going to cut?
Rhonda Kirkland Conservative Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, young Canadians are working hard, getting an education and trying to build a future. However, after 11 years of costly Liberal policies, they are still struggling to find good jobs. The Fraser Institute reports youth unemployment has surged to almost 19%, with young Canadians unemployed longer than at any other point since the records began.
When will the Prime Minister stop being just another costly Liberal and end his credit card budgeting so young people in Oshawa and across Canada can afford to work, eat and get ahead?
Gregor Robertson LiberalMinister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
Mr. Speaker, I had the honour of being at the BCIT, the B.C. Institute of Technology, earlier this week to talk about 100,000 jobs for young Canadians to build homes and infrastructure. The members opposite have an opportunity to support the spring economic update, which would dedicate $6 billion to training young Canadians to be part of our economy and to build the affordable housing that we need to house young Canadians. It is a great opportunity for us to build Canada strong.
Rhonda Kirkland Conservative Oshawa, ON
Mr. Speaker, when will the Liberals realize that they keep having to create these support programs because they created the crisis in the first place? Even with these programs, young people are still worse off than ever before. Clearly, the programs do not work. Under the Prime Minister, Canadians are seeing the same old Liberal agenda we saw under Justin Trudeau, only worse. There are more costs, more taxes, more debt, more on the national credit card and more of the same.
Why are Liberals forcing young Canadians to pay the price for their failure?
Ryan Turnbull LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)
Mr. Speaker, I understand the member opposite's concern for our youth, and I empathize with our youth.
What I cannot understand is this. The member from Oshawa can go visit Ontario Power Generation and see the jobs that are being created in our region with the new nuclear project at Darlington. That is 21,700 jobs and a $2 billion investment through the government's efforts that she voted against. How can that member stand here and lecture us about youth jobs in our region and in our country yet vote against the very supports that are creating good, skilled trades jobs across our region?
Vincent Ho Conservative Richmond Hill South, ON
Mr. Speaker, after a decade of costly Liberal credit card budgeting, young Canadians are facing more costs, more taxes, more debt, more on the national credit card, and more of the same.
The Prime Minister is just another costly Liberal who has surged youth unemployment beyond recessionary levels. Since 2022, youth unemployment has surged from 12.3% to 18.9%, and young Canadians are remaining unemployed longer than at any point since records began in 1976. Liberal labour and immigration policies are driving up the cost of rent, groceries and homes for young Canadians.
When will the Liberal Prime Minister end his costly credit card budgeting, so young Canadians can afford to eat, work and live?
Karim Bardeesy LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, our plan is investing in jobs and is supporting those private sector innovators that are bringing jobs, including to places like York Region in the member's region, where AMD has a major facility and is centralizing its innovation supports in York Region, in Markham, bringing thousands of jobs.
I recently visited the University of Toronto's Master of Science in applied computing program, and every single one of its graduates now has a job in that program. It is because of the work our government is doing in supporting the post-secondary system, and supporting not only the industrial side but the technology side. We are very proud of our record.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, objectively, the Liberals' so-called plan is simply not working. Conditions are extremely difficult in this country for youth and for young families.
The Liberals' trillion dollars of debt means less growth and fewer jobs, especially for people just starting out. Credit card budgeting, high taxes and poor immigration policy have all contributed. We see more costs, more taxes, more debt and more on the national credit card, more of the same. The Prime Minister is just another costly Liberal with no results to show for this waste.
When will Liberals reverse policies that are objectively not working, so young people can get back to work?
Peter Fragiskatos LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, the International Monetary Fund has affirmed, as we know, the sound fiscal framework that the government has embraced. That is also true of the key rating agencies.
My colleagues keep talking about a credit card. Yes, there are Canadians, young Canadians included, who do have credit card debt. Conservatives want to make it worse by forcing Canadians to not receive the Canada child benefit, to not receive support for child care and to not receive support for the school food program. Conservatives want Canadians to pay for these.
In this country, we believe that government has a role in fundamentally making sure that Canadians have a chance. That is exactly what these programs do.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, the government has $1 trillion dollars in credit card debt, and the Liberals keep telling us that everything is fine. Everything is not fine.
In the midst of this environment, Conservatives are offering constructive proposals to support youth and young families that are struggling. In the fall, we announced the Conservative youth jobs plan. Just today, we announced big, new ideas to reform parental leave to make it easier to start and grow a family.
Instead of doubling down on more of the same failure, will the Liberals must listen to and support the big ideas that we are putting forward to help young people and families finally succeed?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, here is a big idea: Do not vote against child care that is saving families in Saskatchewan thousands of dollars a month per child, one of the most effective measures to make sure that young families get ahead, that women can participate in the workforce, that women's productivity and wages grow along with their career and that CPP enhancements are there for women at the end of their career.
Instead of their big ideas, maybe the Conservatives should stop voting against the big ideas that Canadians have fought so hard for.
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, Radio-Canada reports that the Liberals are set to dismantle the entire regulatory framework governing pipelines. They had already passed Bill C-5, which suspends nearly all existing laws, but that was not enough. Now, they are going to limit environmental assessments to a single federal review, which always says yes. Now, they are going to restrict consultations as well. We are saying goodbye to BAPE, Quebec's office of public hearings on the environment, goodbye to citizens, but above all, hello to climate change.
Are there really Quebec liberals who entered politics for this?
Julie Dabrusin LiberalMinister of the Environment
Mr. Speaker, again, our government is actively committed to fighting climate change and protecting the environment.
Internationally, we are a global leader in financing international climate action. Domestically, we are investing in a critical power grid as we move toward a carbon-free future.
We are doing the work while he is complaining. We will continue to fight climate change.
Patrick Bonin Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is ridiculous that the Liberals are using pipelines to fight climate change.
According to Radio-Canada, later this week, the Liberals will be announcing that they intend to scrap the regulatory framework for pipelines. That is good timing, given that Danielle Smith will be in town tomorrow for a far-right convention. Who would have thought that the Liberals would get a standing ovation from a think tank founded by Preston Manning?
Strangely enough, for months now, the Liberals have been trying to cobble together a majority, one floor crosser at a time. Would it not have been easier for them all to just cross over to the Conservative side?
Steven MacKinnon LiberalMinister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, we know that transportation accounts for a large share of our greenhouse gas emissions, at 20%.
However, the government is proposing a high-speed rail project that will cross Quebec. The train will travel 1,000 km in four hours, from Quebec City to Toronto. The Bloc Québécois is opposed to this project. They are opposed to this major environmental project.
Why is the Bloc against one of the best things we can do for the environment and for helping Quebeckers get around? Why is the Bloc Québécois so stubbornly against the environment?
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Mr. Speaker, it is always the same story with the Prime Minister's costly illusion: everything is more expensive. It is higher costs, higher taxes, more debt, and the national credit card is maxed out. It costs the average Canadian family $4,000 net per month just for the right to breathe under Liberal rule. What used to be a decent wage is now barely enough to survive on.
How can people make ends meet with the Prime Minister's costly illusion?
Joël Lightbound LiberalMinister of Government Transformation
Mr. Speaker, what would be more expensive for 19,563 of his constituents is going to the dentist, because he is against the Canadian dental care plan, which helps Canadians who, all too often, have put off a visit to the dentist because they could not afford it.
Do members know what would be more expensive if the member's proposal were adopted? It would be more expensive to raise children because he would deny the Canada child benefit to more than 12,000 families.
That is $70 million a year in his riding to help his constituents. He should reconsider.
Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC
Mr. Speaker, that answer is not worth much. What is worth a lot is gas at $2 a litre, a two-bedroom apartment at $2,000 a month, on top of an annual bill of $17,000 for a family of four's weekly grocery run.
We saw just how distressed Canadians are when a new liquidation store opened in Granby this morning. The police had to direct traffic because a queue of people had turned up as early as 5 a.m. to buy discounted food. The situation is desperate. The credit card is maxed out.
When will the Liberal Prime Minister take the situation seriously?