Debates of May 8th, 2026

Mother's Day

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

Mr. Speaker, Mother's Day was not invented by Hallmark Cards. In the late 1800s,there was an annual mother's day for peace. It was started by mothers and women who were sick of seeing the ravages of war after the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. They started an annual day to call for an end to war.

In 2026, let us think of the mothers of Ukraine, whose children are being stolen by Putin to erase their culture. Let us think of the mothers of Palestine, whose grief is unending. Let us think of our indigenous mothers, whose daughters are still missing and murdered. Let us think of the mothers of Russia, whose children are being stolen by Putin for an illegal war.

This Mother's Day, whether it is for mothers in Israel or in Sudan, we know that Mother's Day is all about love, but let us take a moment and let Mother's Day be a cry for peace.

Diversity and Inclusion

[Ernie Klassen, Liberal, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in Canada, educators are working to ensure that our schools are places where all students feel safe, respected and able to learn.

Organizations, such as the ARC Foundation, support this effort through initiatives like SOGI 123, which provides educators with age-appropriate tools and resources to foster inclusive and respectful school environments. This helps schools strengthen policies, promote kindness and ensure that students, regardless of background, identity or experience, can thrive.

Research has shown that inclusive school environments can reduce social exclusion, bullying and discrimination, which benefits not only 2SLGBTQIA+ youth but also all other students in feeling safe and supported. It is important to ensure that our schools reflect both inclusion and trust, which allows society to learn and accept the diverse world around them. Every young person in Canada deserves dignity, respect and the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Natural Resources

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, in a recent video, the Prime Minister called Canada's closeness to the United States a weakness. This anti-American attitude, combined with the Liberals' decades-long opposition to pipelines, has caused the Americans to look elsewhere to meet their energy needs.

Last month, the Americans suspended sanctions on oil imports from Russia. That is right, even Vladimir Putin is better at selling natural resources to the United States than the Prime Minister is.

What a shame it is that the Keystone XL pipeline has not been built yet. Western Canadian oil should be flowing through that pipeline right now at $100 per barrel, and the wealth generated should be increasing the standard of living right here in Canada. Instead, the money is going to Russia to pay for its illegal war against Ukraine.

Canadians and the world expect better from the Prime Minister. When will he unlock our resources so Canadians can afford to live?

Retirement Congratulations

[David Myles, Liberal, Fredericton—Oromocto, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate firefighter David Gamble on his retirement from the Oromocto Fire Department after 37 years of service.

Mr. Gamble has always had a reputation for doing things the right way. His uniform was meticulous, his tools were clean, his gear was organized, and 7:30 a.m. meant radio check time, no exceptions.

According to his colleagues, it was largely thanks to his consistency and attention to detail that he was so dependable and trustworthy at work. Mr. Gamble demonstrated an old-fashioned work ethic in everything he did.

His colleagues are not the only ones who have recognized his commitment to the job. In 2010, the Governor General awarded him with a Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal. Now, it is our turn to applaud his exceptional contribution. Please join me in thanking firefighter David Gamble for his dedication and professionalism over the past 37 years.

Veterans

[Alex Ruff, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a plea to the government that we need to do better.

This week, Veterans Affairs hosted the long-delayed national Afghanistan war memorial groundbreaking. This monument will recognize the commitment and sacrifice of the over 40,000 sailors, soldiers, aviators and special forces operators, along with hundreds of Canadian civilians, who served in Canada's longest combat mission, which was from 2011 to 2014. It will serve as an enduring testament to the 158 Canadian Armed Forces personnel and seven Canadian civilians who made the supreme sacrifice. It is on all of us to ensure that they and their families are never forgotten.

Where we, and the government, need to improve is in having the Afghan veterans be front and centre with this project. Unfortunately, on Monday, this symbolic groundbreaking spent more time focused on the monument itself instead of the veterans and their families. I am committed to doing what I can to ensure, when this monument is built and officially unveiled in 2028, that Afghan veterans are the focus. I plea with the Liberal government to do the same.

Lest we forget.

Anniversary Wishes

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an important anniversary in my riding of Beauport—Limoilou.

This year, the Cercle de fermières de Courville is celebrating its 50th anniversary. For half a century, this group has served as much more than a place to pass on textile and craft-related know-how. It is a true pillar of community life, a place of gathering, solidarity and engagement. Over the years, members of the Cercle de fermières de Courville have preserved its precious traditions while allowing them to evolve, by sharing them with new generations and by adapting them to the present day.

I want to thank the founders, current members and the members who will someday take over the reins, and offer them my congratulations on 50 years of history and collective pride.

Flood Emergency Response

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to recognize the communities across Saskatchewan and in my riding of Prince Albert that are facing serious flooding.

This week, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency reported that 34 communities are under local states of emergency, with 20 active flooding incidents. Families are dealing with flooded roads, damaged property and the uncertainty that comes with rapidly changing conditions. With significant road closures and communities under pressure, first responders, volunteers and neighbours are working around the clock to keep people safe, but they should not have to face this alone. I urge all levels of government to act without delay by working together to deliver emergency response, evacuation support and disaster assistance to those affected communities.

To those back home, their bravery, strength and co-operation has helped save people's homes and properties. I thank all those who have stepped up to help their neighbours through these difficult times.

Health Care

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, the Prime Minister and the government understand the real value of our public health care system.

One of the wonderful initiatives we are taking is investing $5 billion over three years to improve the infrastructure of our health care systems. These are things such as improvements to emergency services, hospital capital and other health care facilities, so provinces can prioritize what they believe is important. Personally, I am plugging for the Seven Oaks General Hospital re-establishing its emergency services.

The bottom line is that, as a government, we understand and appreciate the needs of our health care system. As a government, we will continue to support our health care because we believe in Canadians, and Canadians want public health care.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, shoplifting is no longer a petty crime. It is becoming a growing crisis, affecting public safety, affordability and confidence in our justice system.

Across Canada, police have reported that shoplifting has increased by 66% over the past decade, with annual losses at nearly $10 billion. In Richmond, police recorded more than 1,700 shoplifting cases last year. In the first two months of this year, reports surged another 70%. Businesses are spending more on insurance and security instead of spending on growth. Retail workers face intimidation and unsafe conditions. Consumers are paying the price through higher costs.

Canadians feel abandoned by a system where repeat offenders are arrested, released and soon back in the very same stores again. People are left asking how much worse this crisis must become before meaningful action is finally taken by the Liberal government.

La Pointe-de-l'Île Walking Club

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize the Santé-Marche Roussin group in my riding, La Pointe-de-l'Île. It is a walking club for people aged 50 and older, affiliated with the Roussin community centre in Pointe-aux-Trembles.

Rain or shine, for the past 32 years, folks have been getting together every morning, Monday through Friday at 9 a.m., at Pointe-aux-Prairies park to walk as a group, socialize and stay in shape. It can never be said enough: Being healthy means staying active. The healthier people are, the more productive they are and the more they can enjoy life to the fullest.

I would like to thank all the walkers in La Pointe-de-l'Île, the entire team at the Santé-Marche Roussin club, its president, Christiane Mercier, and all the club members for their contributions to active transportation, social engagement and our collective health. They are visiting Parliament Hill and are with us here today in the gallery.

I wish the Santé-Marche Roussin club continued success.

Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day

[Juanita Nathan, Liberal, Pickering—Brooklin, ON]

Mr. Speaker, May 18 is not just a date on a calendar. For Tamil Canadians, it is a wound that has never fully healed. Seventeen years ago, the Sri Lankan civil war ended in a final offensive that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in a matter of weeks. Hundreds of thousands were displaced. The wounds, psychological, familial and cultural, persist to this day.

As someone with Tamil roots, I carry this history. Tamil Canadians across the country carry it, too, in the names of relatives they never got to say goodbye to and in the trauma passed silently between generations.

Tamil Canadians across the country are asking for the truth to be spoken here, in the House, where it matters. We remember on May 18, Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, because memory is resistance and because silence encourages those who would repeat these horrors elsewhere in the world. I call on the the government and all members to stand with Tamil Canadians across the nation this month.

Housing

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in response to the need to build 500,000 homes per year, the Prime Minister promised to build at a speed not seen in a generation. Today, the housing industry projects a nearly 20% decline in construction over the next three years, while Stats Canada reports that home ownership among young people is at the lowest level it has been since just after the Second World War.

Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that housing momentum is vanishing. Housing professionals, and Conservatives I might add, have been warning for years that the greatest threat to building more homes that Canadians can afford is in fact government fees and delays, so what has the Prime Minister done? Well, he spent the last year building the fourth federal housing bureaucracy, an agency that the PBO estimates will only add 26,000 units of the millions we need over the next five years.

Here are my suggestions for the Prime Minister: stop building bureaucracy, cut the government delays, cut the fees, cut the taxes, and get out of the way so builders can build and Canadians can afford a home again.

Safia Parveen

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on April 2, Don Valley West mourned the loss of Safia Parveen, a formidable community leader and advocate for the Thorncliffe Park neighbourhood in my riding.

Recognizing the significant benefit that nature can have on our mental health, a decade ago Safia launched the Thorncliffe Wellness Café Group, connecting newcomers with each other and their natural environment. Having been a newcomer to Canada herself, Safia knew the toll that coming to a new country can take on even the healthiest person.

Safia's commitment to improving the mental and emotional health of newcomer women was remarkable. With endless compassion, she guided countless women, helping them to stay healthy and contribute to our community.

I was proud to honour Safia and other volunteers of the Thorncliffe Wellness Café Group at my annual New Year's levee this past January on their 10th anniversary

To Allah she belongs and to Allah she returns.

Snowbirds

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

Mr. Speaker, for over 50 years, the Snowbirds of the 431 Air Demonstration Squadron have served as an iconic symbol of Canadian identity, a powerful showcase of military excellence and one of the Canadian Armed Forces' most effective recruitment tools. Canadians have felt a surge of pride when watching the Snowbirds fly overhead. Sadly, 2026 may be the final season for the Snowbirds.

In keeping with the Liberal government's tradition of cancelling our national symbols and heritage, the Liberals plan to end the Snowbirds team, without any clear plans for replacement. Liberals claim that this is merely a pause, but if the squadron is disbanded, the culture of excellence and institutional knowledge of the pilots, ground crew and support staff will be lost, and it may be impossible to recover.

The Snowbirds are not a relic of the past. They inspire future generations to step forward, serve their country and believe in what Canadians can accomplish together. This is precisely the right time to let them soar across Canadian skies. It is time to save our Snowbirds.

Community of Orléans

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

Mr. Speaker, Orléans is a community with a vibrant cultural scene. I would like to congratulate the Mouvement d'implication francophone d'Orléans, which has launched its 2026-27 artistic program, featuring shows, comedy, theatre and, new for this year, a youth component, all of which will help promote francophone culture.

Orleans is also home to a vibrant local economy, where we see new small businesses choosing Orleans to thrive. I was pleased to join two owners, Kanwar Hazrah and Chris Lanthier, for the ribbon cutting of their new A&W location on Trim Road. This location is their second in Orleans and the fifth across our national capital region. What was most fun was to meet their iconic mascot, Rooty, or the Great Root Bear, as we celebrated this milestone. I send them my congratulations.

Finance

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Liberals like to claim they are efficient stewards of public funds. However, by 2030, they will have added $1 trillion to the national debt since taking office. Their reckless spending means taxpayers will pay $59 billion servicing that debt this year alone. That is $3,400 for every single Canadian family. This is not sustainable, and it is not something a government that cares about our finances or our future would do. In fact, their so-called savings plan is so low on the priority list that it was barely mentioned in the costly Liberal budget. With this Prime Minister, it is more cost, more debt and more of the same. Seniors who built this nation deserve better. Families just trying to survive deserve better. The future of our nation, our youth, deserves better. Under a Conservative government, Canada can and will get back on the path of prosperity.

First Responders

[Bruce Fanjoy, Liberal, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, life changes in a moment. Sometimes that moment means the difference between life and death. Auston Pierce, a beloved son, brother, partner, friend and member of this parliamentary community, suffered a life-threatening injury last Friday. Auston is healing today, thanks to the swift and heroic action of an off-duty Ottawa firefighter, Jason Murray. I encourage all Canadians to learn first aid, because one day, they may be the person in the right place at the right time to save someone's life as Jason did. On behalf of the House, I express our profound gratitude to Jason for being there for Auston in those critical first moments. I am also thankful to all first responders and health care professionals.

To Auston, I say Godspeed, dear friend.

Employment

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today's unemployment numbers bring more troubling news. It is more job losses, more pain and more of the same, with 112,000 job losses so far this year. Unemployment is up. Youth unemployment is surging. Student unemployment is at a whopping 16%.

Conservatives are putting forward constructive solutions. Liberals are ignoring them.

Are these job numbers finally enough to wake up the Prime Minister?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, being in a trade war means that we are all rightly concerned about jobs in Canada. On this side, we want workers across the country to have good incomes and high-paying careers for generations. That is exactly what Canadians need. Unlike the Conservatives, we do not just wail and scream in the House. We are doing the hard work to support workers. We are investing in recruiting, training and hiring up to 100,000 more skilled trades workers, and we have supported Canada summer jobs, which has increased and has offered 100,000 youth jobs across the country. That is how we build Canada strong. That is how we support workers.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have been putting forward very specific, constructive solutions from the very beginning. The Liberal plan is not working.

The member spoke about skilled trades. The reality is that, in the last month, we lost 15,700 jobs in construction alone and thousands of jobs in natural resources, utilities and manufacturing. We need skilled trades workers, and we need jobs for those skilled trades workers to work in.

Why is the government killing opportunity for skilled trades workers and others with its continuing failures on the economy?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, as usual, Conservatives in the House complain every day but they do not have any plan to support Canada's prosperity. They do not have any plan to support Canadian workers and families, and they vote against every single measure we put forward.

We are making generational investments in this country. Just take the 15 major projects that have been announced. That is going to be $125 billion of new investment and 60,000 jobs. Just take the defence industrial strategy. That is 125,000 jobs. The Canada summer jobs program is 100,000 jobs. Those are all tangible programs and initiatives that—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. member for Brandon—Souris.

[Grant Jackson, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the unemployment numbers are in for April, and Canadians are devastated, particularly young Canadians. After being forced to watch Liberal spending grow month over month, young Canadians continue to see job losses month over month. In April alone, youth unemployment rose to 14.3%, and student unemployment is over 16%. More young Canadians are unemployed now than at any time since 1976. This is a crisis for young people.

Where is the urgency from the Liberal government to deal with this? Is the plan simply to keep young Canadians unemployed, homeless, desperate and reliant on Liberal government programs to stay alive?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, the trade war is definitely threatening Canadian jobs. We are all aware of that. I do not know why it is a sudden realization for the Conservatives. On this side of the House, we take those threats seriously. That is why we are stepping up to help workers with generational investments in housing, infrastructure, defence, innovation and productivity, which are creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying careers for Canadians across Canada, while at the same time we are helping people access those careers by recruiting, training and hiring up to 100,000 new skilled trades workers. That is how we build the country that we all love.

[Grant Jackson, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the numbers speak for themselves. Jobs among young people are down, not up, despite what that member has to say in the House. Young Canadians want a job and a home they can afford, neither of which they can get after 10 years of the same tired Liberals. Youth unemployment is over 14%. Housing starts are down. No new major projects are approved, and more Canadians are investing in the U.S. and the EU than in Canada. No Liberal social program is going to fix that. We need a competitive market so that investors can invest, builders can build and young Canadians can get to work.

When will the Liberals get out of the way so that young Canadians can get to work and build this country?