Debates of June 11th, 2026

Canadian Identity and Culture

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the word in French is not “programme”. The correct word is “émission” or “série”. While our media outlets continue to lose millions of dollars in revenue, the Prime Minister tried to placate Donald Trump by ending a decade-long campaign by the cultural sector to ensure that the tech giants pay their fair share. In response, Donald Trump has issued additional threats regarding CUSMA.

I would like to read a quote from a Quebec filmmaker, a certain Mr. Falardeau. I do not think the Prime Minister knows him. Mr. Falardeau said, “If you lie down, they will stomp on you. If you remain standing and resist, they will hate you, but they will call you ‘sir’.”

Is the Prime Minister not the least bit tempted to take that advice so he might actually be called “sir”?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the member opposite for the quality of his French. I would also like to point out that Mr. Falardeau was funded by the National Film Board of Canada.

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, the NSICOP Act mandates that it must be reviewed before October 6, 2022.

Unlike in his response on January 29, could the House leader please provide the date the government intends to initiate the long-overdue review of the act? Further, will the Liberals support my motion, which would establish a joint committee to ensure that Parliament abides by this law?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, let me thank my colleague for the work he has been doing as part of NSICOP. As we are aware, it is a body of Parliament that ensures review of our security practices, and we look forward to the review that we will undertake starting this year.

Aerospace Industry

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, $200 million is what Liberals gave a near-bankrupt company of well-connected Liberal insiders and family members for now three failed launches from a concrete slab spaceport. While Canadians pay for the most expensive science fair project in history, the only successful thing taking off is the bank accounts of Liberal insiders such as Sasha Jacob, who turned worthless shares of the company into a $1.8-million personal windfall after Liberals lit the fuse.

Will the Prime Minister just admit that this was all about greasing the palms of well-connected Liberal insiders?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, our investments in Canada's space capabilities, the member will know, will translate into new jobs, stronger supply chains, greater industrial capacity and a more resilient Canadian economy. We are taking decisive action to strengthen our security and sovereignty, and to reinforce the resilience and long-term strength of the country. We are strengthening Atlantic Canada's industrial capacity, growing Nova Scotia's role in Canada's defence industry and giving Canada the capability it needs to respond to evolving global security challenges, while supporting long-term economic growth.

Agriculture and Agri-Food

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, well, that is no answer from the minister. We have 30 more of those. I sure hope they upped their game with the answers.

The CEO of Farm Credit Canada last year, Justine Hendricks, spent more than $213,000 just on travel. She spent another $53,000 on hospitality, including one meal for more than $6,500. This is more than a third of what a family of four spends on groceries for an entire year.

Can the minister tell me how much more out-of-control spending he is going to approve this year?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, FCC is an independent Crown corporation and operates at arm's length.

With that said, what I can say is that farmers and agriculture stakeholders around the country appreciate the good work that is done by FCC. We are working hard to grow the agriculture sector and the strongest economy in the G7, and FCC is an important part of our effort.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals themselves are warning that public investment in ag research and development has fallen by 15%. Private sector R and D outsourced to universities is down 77%. The number of firms conducting research in Canada has dropped by 30%. However, the Liberal agriculture minister is slashing $115 million in agriculture research. Science took the hit for 75% of the cuts in his department.

Did the agriculture minister personally approve these cuts, yes or no?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, we are spending less to invest more, and we are making—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

We will start from the top.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Claude Guay, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are spending less to invest more. We are maintaining our presence in every single province and remain the largest agricultural researcher in the country. By streamlining research and development, we can build a strong, collaborative science system that supports producer-strengthened competitiveness and positions Canadian agriculture for long-term success. That is what we are doing.

The Economy

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that was not even close to an answer.

New documents reveal that the Prime Minister has spent $1 million on inflight catering since taking office last year. That is enough money to feed a Canadian family for 55 years. Let us look at the list: luxury butter cups, crème brûlée, Scottish salmon and smoked Gouda.

With millions of people lined up at the food banks, would the Liberals agree to stop their luxurious inflight catering bills?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives fail to recognize that when times are tough, what Canadians really want is a government that will stand up for them. In fact, that is exactly what we have done time and again, by cutting taxes for 22 million people, by making sure that people can have access to quality child care for a fraction of the price, by making sure people can access training programs and by making sure the social safety nets are there for when people are facing job loss.

These are all things, by the way, that Conservatives vote against. If they really want to help Canadians, why do they not stop voting against them?

Fisheries and Oceans

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, again that was an answer that was not even close to the question.

All parties acknowledge that the salmon allocation policy must be aligned with the Ahousaht decision. However, while all Canadians have the right to fish, the minister keeps the public's lives and livelihood on hold, waiting for her to decide whether the public's current priority allocation for chinook and coho, before non-indigenous commercial, will be retained.

Will she confirm, today, that this priority will remain?

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the opportunity for me to once again say that I have met with stakeholders in B.C., across all perspectives. We are working on the decision. There is space for recreational fishing and commercial, and the need for indigenous harvesting. We will balance the decision.

Northern Affairs

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, northern indigenous communities paid the Liberal carbon tax when they bought their fuel in bulk. The tax has now been repealed, yet a year later these communities are still waiting for their refund.

On what date will these communities receive their money? I would like just the date, please.

[Rebecca Chartrand, Liberal, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency]

Mr. Speaker, we are working with northerners on solving all the issues in the north, including affordability, and we will continue to do so. I am happy to work with the member opposite on finding some solutions.

Seniors

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the reform of the New Horizons program is putting community projects for seniors at risk. Our organizations have one month to submit their projects. In the meantime, Ottawa now requires them to register as a business, which can take up to 10 months. In addition, the criteria exclude small groups like some local FADOQs and Cercles de fermières; their parent organizations are registered, but they are not. Ottawa needs to give organizations time to meet the requirements and ensure that none of them are disqualified due to the new criteria.

Will the government postpone its reform?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Secretary of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, in April, we introduced changes to the new horizons for seniors program, including requiring a CRA business number. For most seniors organizations, this change delivers clearer, fairer standards that increase the program's integrity. For organizations that do not have this number, Service Canada is available to assist all applicants. Members of Parliament are also available to assist applicants. That is why we provided a session to all members of Parliament, so that they could ask their questions, a session that, unfortunately, the hon. member did not attend.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, July 14 is just around the corner. No one asked for this New Horizons reform. This is a complete nightmare for volunteers working to improve the well-being of seniors. Community organizations that still do not have a business number will not have time to register by July 14, and that is not to mention the hundreds of others at the local level who simply cannot register because of their structure. That is something else we learned at the briefing. This reform is not designed to address the reality facing Quebec organizations and seniors.

Will the government extend the deadline so that the new criteria do not adversely affect seniors' projects?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Secretary of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, prior to these changes, the new horizons for seniors program was the only grant within the Government of Canada that was not subject to these integrity measures. We are putting this program in line with all other grants and contributions across the Government of Canada. By looking at the clock, I can see that it is June 11. There is lots of time for organizations, and we are there to help them. We will make sure they have what they need to apply for these programs because we want nothing more than to ensure that seniors have access to the important programs that prevent social isolation.

Rail Transportation

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

Mr. Speaker, the Alto train is not a gift. It places a perpetual burden on the backs of future generations. Yesterday, the Minister of Transport opened the door to the possibility of cost overruns, so the minister is prepared for it to cost far more than $90 billion and far exceed its budget.

Is the Liberal transport minister prepared to pour money down a bottomless pit?

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

Mr. Speaker, the answer is no, and it will always be no.