Debates of June 10th, 2026

The Economy

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the $8‑billion investment in 5 Wing Goose Bay in Labrador, in my province. I will also take the opportunity to talk about the almost $1 billion in small craft harbours and the funding available to help our young people train in Red Seal industries. We are building this country, we are investing in Canadians, and we are protecting Canadians. I invite the member to stop the nonsense and join us.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, with respect, the small craft harbours do not conquer the food poverty that children across this country are experiencing, especially those in my riding of Lethbridge.

With all due respect, I would ask the folks across the way what they will do for Canadians, because they are struggling. They are struggling. Sixty per cent of them are unable to sleep at night because they are not sure how they are going to make ends meet. Forty per cent of Canadians are struggling because of food insecurity. That is the reality. The government can turn a blind eye and pretend that is not its reality, but at the end of the day, Canadians tell the truth, always, because it is their lived experience. To tell them otherwise is blasphemy from the government.

What are you going to do about it?

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

First of all, I would remind the member, who knows this, to go through the Chair, please.

The hon. Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has the floor.

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand here today and share with Canadians that 12 million Canadians will benefit from the groceries and essentials benefit. I am proud to talk about the benefits associated with $10‑a‑day child care, which allows families to be able to go into the workplace and know their kids are well cared for. I am proud to stand here and talk about the Canada child benefit. I am proud to stand here and talk about the benefits of the school nutrition program. I will talk about the housing initiative, affordable housing for people who need it the most, and on and on it goes. This is where—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Mirabel.

Rail Transportation

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, hundreds of farmers from Mirabel braved the rain today on Parliament Hill. They came to tell the Liberals that they are not happy with Alto's high‑speed train project in its current form. It is too bad that the minister did not come out to meet with them. He could have answered all the questions that Alto has been refusing to answer since January.

If the Liberals think they are going to be able to forcibly expropriate land in Mirabel yet again, our farmers proved today that they have another think coming.

Will the government finally respect our farmers, meet with them and answer their questions?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure the member that I do not need his help to meet with farmers. I come from a farming family myself. I visit farmers often. I talk to farmers all the time.

It is out of this respect for the agricultural community that we will carry out this project with the highest regard for the concerns of farmers. It is unfortunate that the Bloc Québécois is now breaking its promise to support this project.

I do not know what the Bloc members were thinking. Did they think these trains would fly? Trains run on tracks that have to be on the ground.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this proves that the debate on high‑speed rail is not over; in fact, it has only just begun. We had set out four conditions: social licence, an independent financial assessment, no infringement of people's rights in the event of expropriation, and genuine consultations. They have scored zero out of four.

It is no wonder that farmers are protesting. Alto is already on their land, carrying out tests, and when the landowners say no, Alto wants to send in drones.

I am offering to drive the minister to Mirabel so that he can come and answer their questions. He can even choose what music we listen to in the car.

When do we leave?

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to reassure the member that we have freedom of movement in Canada. I can get from my riding of Gatineau, in the Outaouais region, to his riding pretty quickly. I do not need him to introduce me to farmers.

I have great respect for them, I listen to them carefully and I am fully considering their views while implementing this wonderful, major project, which will link the four largest cities in Quebec, as well as Trois-Rivières, among other destinations.

This project will be carried out with the utmost respect for everyone's views.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, hundreds of people gathered on Parliament Hill today to make their voices heard about the Alto train, which is threatening the survival of our communities. These people included many farmers facing the prospect of not being able to cross their land because of the Liberal government's threat to split it in two.

I have not met a single farmer who wants a high‑speed train cutting across their land.

Will the Prime Minister listen to the farmers and stop work on this project, which is totally off track?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, we have the utmost respect for farmers, and we want to work with them to find a middle ground on this project.

What saddens me is seeing the Conservatives try to keep us decades behind the times at every turn and with each project. In Europe, especially in France, Spain and the United Kingdom, high‑speed trains exist alongside agricultural activities and cross through fields.

I think that we, in Canada, are just as capable of doing things well and building infrastructure that will revolutionize and transform this country.

It would be nice if the Conservatives could get on board.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the minister believes that this project is sound, he should go and meet with farmers himself to explain the expropriations.

Experts are unanimous: This ideologically motivated project is completely irresponsible when it comes to our public finances. There is no evidence that it will be cost-effective. The Liberals want to leave us with a white elephant that runs purely on subsidies.

With $90 million, we could refurbish nearly all of our infrastructure in Canada and become a global agricultural powerhouse.

When are the Liberals going to invest in projects that will actually create wealth in Canada?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are the party that wants to create wealth in Canada. In this tariff war, we must control what we can at home, given that we are in a world where we cannot control what lies beyond our borders.

What we can control is how we build. High‑speed rail will allow us to create 51,000 jobs.

We will be able to connect Quebec's biggest cities, including Montreal, Quebec City, Laval, Gatineau and Trois‑Rivières. We will also be able to connect to Ontario, to Toronto. In short, we will be able to do what the major countries and industrial powers of the world are doing.

We are capable of building at home, and that is what we are doing.

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

Mr. Speaker, a United Way report released today reveals that Canadians are increasingly concerned about their financial situations. According to the report, 60% of Canadians are anxious about their finances, and 38% of Canadians are experiencing food insecurity. While families are struggling to build a future for themselves, the government wants them to foot the bill for a high-speed rail project that could cost more than $100 billion. Just this morning, the Liberals admitted that they have no idea how much it is going to cost.

If Canadians can no longer afford to put food on the table, why do the Liberals think they can afford to spend over $100 billion on a train?

[Nathalie Provost, Liberal, Secretary of State (Nature)]

Mr. Speaker, an extremely interesting question is being raised today. This means of public transportation will allow everyone to travel more easily between our provinces. It is an important structural element of our economy that will boost trade and economic exchanges between Quebec and Ontario. What is more, it will be sustainable transportation and represents a positive step towards achieving net zero.

This project will have a major positive impact on several fronts. We are taking a collective approach. We can get it right. It would be great if we could work together.

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

Mr. Speaker, I think the Secretary of State for Nature did not understand what I said in my first question. Sixty per cent of Canadians are feeling anxious, and 38% of Canadians are experiencing food insecurity. The government wants to embark on a high-speed rail project costing over $100 billion while people are going hungry.

How can anyone think that these people can afford a ticket to ride the high-speed train when they cannot even afford groceries? Can she answer that?

[Nathalie Provost, Liberal, Secretary of State (Nature)]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the challenges Canadians are currently facing, the Canada groceries and essentials benefit payments were sent out on Friday. We are fully aware of the current situation.

However, if we really want to turn things around, we need to invest and give ourselves a way to do things differently, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are helping Canadians put food on the table, and they are seeing the results, but we are also helping Canadians in the long term.

The Economy

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague said, a United Way survey confirms that this government is a disaster, as 60% of Canadians are feeling financial anxiety and 22% of Canadians have personally experienced poverty, compared to 19% last year. Under this Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession, and it is because of this government's mismanagement. We have said it before and we will say it again.

When will the Prime Minister finally reverse his costly policies so Canadians can finally get ahead financially?

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where you were last Friday, but I was at the Cercle de fermières Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve. I wish everyone could share that experience. In fact, what I heard the most about was the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. The Cercle de fermières Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve is made up of dozens and dozens of women, including many seniors, most of whom are in a somewhat more vulnerable situation. They told me that it was a real help. That is what Canadians expect right now. These are concrete measures.

Indigenous Affairs

[Lori Idlout, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I was raised in a system designed to eradicate my identity as an Inuk. While I have had my struggles, as many Inuit and indigenous peoples have, we continue to show our strength and practise our traditions. We still speak our indigenous languages, use our practices and celebrate our successes.

[Member spoke in Inuktitut and provided the following text:]

lnnatuqait, nunaliit ammalu nagligijakka qujalivakka.

[Member provided the following translation:]

I thank my elders, communities and loved ones.

[English]

Could the minister share how Canadians can join in recognizing National Indigenous History Month and how we all can work to advance reconciliation?

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for that important question. As an Eeyou iskwew from the community of Waswanipi, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary today, I know we are taking moments this month to honour who we are as part of National Indigenous History Month. We are here to celebrate our strength, resilience and culture.

I am proud to work with my colleagues who are first nations, Inuit and Métis, demonstrating the fierce resistance representing every part of this country.

[Member spoke in Cree and provided the following translation:]

I want to acknowledge all first nations, Inuit and Métis people and I honour them.

Natural Resources

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession, and the business leaders who actually create the jobs and attract the investment are raising the alarm. The CEO of one of Canada's largest energy companies said the Liberals' industrial carbon tax and antidevelopment laws make investing in new projects “unfinanceable”. That is interesting, because a year ago the Prime Minister promised Canadians we would “build, baby, build”, but “build, baby, build” is now another Liberal broken promise.

Will the Prime Minister just admit that his vision for Canada's energy sector is to tax it, regulate it and eventually kill it?

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

Mr. Speaker, we do not need any lessons from them about building.

We are building transmission lines in New Brunswick. We are building wind farms in Nova Scotia. We are building new nuclear in Ontario. We are building pipelines in British Columbia. We are building pipelines in Alberta. We do not need any lessons from them on how to build.

The Economy

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear they are not taking any lessons from the business leaders in this industry. The CEO of Cenovus was crystal clear that building a new pipeline and expanding oil production to fill it is “unfinanceable”. That means the Liberals' anti-energy policies and carbon tax make investing in nation-building projects impossible, but the Liberals supporting these anti-energy policies should not be a surprise. When he was Trudeau's fiscal adviser, the Prime Minister endorsed those policies and implemented the carbon tax.

Why does the Prime Minister still support these policies that have plunged Canada into a recession?

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

Mr. Speaker, maybe instead of reading headlines, he would actually talk to people like the CEO of Shell, who just invested $20 billion in this country and is about to invest another $40 billion in LNG Canada, too.

Why do they not actually try to help build?