Debates of June 12th, 2026

The Economy

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has been in power for 11 years and it is still coming up with plans and conducting analyses. Meanwhile, Canadians are desperate.

While 2.2 million Canadians are being forced to turn to food banks, 38% are experiencing food insecurity and families are spending more than 120% of their income on housing and groceries, the Liberals are continuing with their inflationary spending.

Why is the Prime Minister refusing to admit that his policies created this cost of living crisis?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is well aware that the national food security strategy will lower the cost of groceries.

More specifically, we will invest $1 billion to boost food processing here in Canada. Right now, we are sending our agricultural products abroad for processing. Now, we will invest in this sector. That will give Canadians more choice, put more Canadian foods on grocery stores shelves and make groceries a lot more affordable for Canadian families.

Seniors

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program are threatening hundreds of community projects.

Organizations have barely a month to register as a business, obtain a registration number and then submit their projects. Otherwise, they will be disqualified. Yesterday, the Secretary of State for Seniors responded to this concern by telling them to figure it out themselves, that there is still plenty of time. For these volunteers who have no resources, July 14 may as well be tomorrow.

Will the government delay its changes instead of treating our community organizations with contempt?

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

Mr. Speaker, we announced these changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program almost a month before the applications opened up, and we made these changes, requiring the CRA business number, to ensure the integrity of the program.

Here is what CanAge has to say about these changes. It has said that it is pleased to see this important step to ensure the integrity of the program. It believes that the simplified grant format, ease of reporting requirements and significant supports available for community-based organizations ensure that this program remains accessible and inclusive.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, anyone who has ever dealt with the Canada Revenue Agency or Service Canada knows that it is never that straightforward.

We are talking about volunteers who take care of seniors, not experts on red tape. All the minister is being asked to do is to postpone her reform until the organizations that are eligible to register have a chance to do so, with enough time to ensure that the smallest local organizations that cannot register are not unfairly disqualified.

Is it too much to ask that a little empathy be shown for our volunteers?

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

Mr. Speaker, these changes are important to ensure the integrity of the program, but we also want to make sure that all of the wonderful senior-servicing organizations across Canada have the support they need. That is why Service Canada has provided additional resources to ensure that signing up for the business number is easy.

There is a 15- to 30-minute process to make sure that this happens online, but there are also supports available to help seniors over the phone. More than that, there are supports through their local MPs' offices. If the member had attended our sessions, he would know that.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this government is showing a lack of empathy for seniors and community organizations with its hasty reform of the New Horizons for Seniors program. Its attitude is jeopardizing hundreds of projects that break seniors' isolation and encourage them to have an active social life. The federal government should be thanking the volunteers who dedicate their time and effort to these projects, not treating them like potential fraudsters. All these organizations want is for the government to delay its reform to ensure that seniors are not left behind.

Will the government delay the reform?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have heard from seniors organizations across this country applauding the changes we have made to the New Horizons for Seniors program, which are ensuring that we have doubled the amount available to senior-servicing organizations but also ensuring the integrity of the program for years to come. This was one of the very few grants left in the Government of Canada that did not have these requirements, and this will ensure for years to come that this program is something seniors can rely on.

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

Mr. Speaker, CTV reported that seniors in Richmond Centre—Marpole are sleeping in Tim Hortons because they cannot afford a place to live, while the Prime Minister spends nearly $1 million on luxury catering in his taxpayer-funded aircraft. Canada is the only G20 country in recession. Canadians cannot afford food, rent or housing.

Why does the Prime Minister refuse to accept the fact that his policies are failing Canadians?

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

Mr. Speaker, seniors across this country know that they can rely on this Liberal government to support them and have their backs. While it is heartbreaking to read about what is happening to some of these seniors, including in Richmond, that party over there would do nothing for them. It would walk away from the problem and say, “Pull yourselves up by your bootstraps.”

What we are doing is providing a social safety net, including old age security, the groceries and essentials benefit and the newly announced food security strategy. More than that, we are building over 500,000 homes a year.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada is seeing a growing homeless senior population. Emergency shelters are overflowing, and seniors are saying that they do not feel safe staying in them. After working their entire lives, seniors surviving on a pension should not be sleeping in restaurants or searching for a safe place to spend the night. Canadians deserve better than this Liberal-made affordability crisis.

Will the Prime Minister reverse his costly policies that created this crisis, so Canadians can afford to live again?

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

Mr. Speaker, maybe that member of Parliament wants to look at the voting record of his party. In fact, the Conservatives have fought against seniors. They have fought against increases to OAS, and they have fought against increases to GIS, very important supplements to seniors' income. Every step of the way, as we have given seniors the support and the dignity they need, the Conservatives have voted against those measures. It is shameful to hear them get up in this House and talk about supporting seniors when they could very easily lend their hand to the work.

The Economy

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

Mr. Speaker, of all the countries in the G20, Canada is the only one in a recession, and it is no mystery why. The Liberals' inflationary spending, red tape and antidevelopment policies created this recession and cost of living crisis. It is not global forces; it is Liberal choices.

Why can the Prime Minister not understand that Canadians cannot afford to make ends meet, that his costly policies are driving the G20's only recession and that his policies are failing Canadians?

[Buckley Belanger, Liberal, Secretary of State (Rural Development)]

Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from the members opposite on how to grow the economy. They have been here collectively 51,000 days. That is how long the Conservatives from Saskatchewan have sat here and done absolutely nothing to help Saskatchewan or our Canadian economy.

We are grappling with tariffs, trade uncertainty and conflicts, but the work will continue. Since September, we have created over 164 new jobs in this Canadian economy.

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

Mr. Speaker, as usual, the Liberal member from Saskatchewan does not know what he is talking about. I have been here for a lot less than 10 years, and before I was elected, a Liberal MP represented my riding. During that time, the Liberals gave us the carbon tax, the “no more pipelines” bill and the west coast tanker ban, which led to thousands of job losses in the Saskatchewan oil patch.

On the rare occasion when this member does attend a cabinet meeting, will he tell the Prime Minister to reverse his costly policies so that Canadians can afford to live again?

[Buckley Belanger, Liberal, Secretary of State (Rural Development)]

As a correction, Mr. Speaker, we have created 164,000 new jobs since September.

The member from Regina mentioned a great leader from Saskatchewan. I will compare Ralph Goodale's record to the entire Conservative caucus from Saskatchewan any day of the week. I want to point out that he did more in his time as an MP than the entire Conservative caucus. I want to repeat that—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. member for Yellowhead has the floor.

[William Stevenson, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G20 country with a prime minister to take the nation into recession. Full-time workers are living in RVs and trailers because they cannot afford homes. Families are spending more on food and rent than they are earning. People are making impossible choices just to survive. At the same time, every single day we learn about another instance of wasteful spending by the Prime Minister that exceeds even Justin Trudeau's record.

Will the Prime Minister finally reverse the costly Liberal policies that caused the recession?

[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, we have seen the Canadian economy prove to be much more resilient than anticipated. We had $11.5 billion less of a deficit. The economy, in the last job numbers, added 88,000 jobs, 800%, exceeding expectations, recovering 80% of job losses due to the trade war with the United States. That is good news for our country, but it is not the only good news. We also had a 1.5% increase in consumer spending. We have wages outpacing inflation in every month this government has been in power. That is good news for Canada.

[William Stevenson, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister is the only G20 leader to take his nation into recession, and Canadians are paying the price. The average family now works 160 days a year just to pay taxes. It means people will work until this week just to pay the government before they can actually start earning for themselves. At a time when families are struggling, the Liberals keep spending, borrowing and wasting more taxpayer dollars.

Why do the Liberals refuse to admit that their costly policies have driven Canada into recession and are failing Canadians?

[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, if Conservatives are so concerned with supporting Canadians' affordability and the economy and wanting to keep people employed and supported, why did they spend 25 hours this week filibustering a bill that would support workers across Canada? That bill has tax deductions, the labour mobility tax deduction, which would support workers who travel for work, and would put $6,000 more in those workers' pockets every single year moving forward.

We see job numbers going up, especially in the skilled trades in this country, due to our government—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The hon. member for Langley Township—Fraser Heights.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley Township—Fraser Heights, BC]

Mr. Speaker, while the high-flying Prime Minister is racking up a $1-million debt for luxury inflight catering, many Canadians are struggling just to put food on the table. There were 2.2 million Canadians who went to a food bank in one month last year alone, but the Prime Minister is living the high life, even though he is leading the only G20 country into a recession.

Will the Prime Minister reverse his failed policies that are causing this food affordability crisis so that Canadians can afford to live again?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I did not think they would have the guts to ask a question on that basis, given that we just found out the leader of the Conservative Party squandered over $8 million on Stornoway. If we want to talk about accountability in terms of leaders' expenses, I think those on the other side should look in the mirror, where they will witness a massive abuse of tax dollars by the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Climate Change

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, 70 scientists from 17 countries updated the climate change data from the IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The Paris Agreement's global warming target is no longer achievable. Sea levels continue to rise at twice the previous rate, and the number of days with extreme marine heat has tripled. What is to blame? Well, it is fossil fuels. What is the government doing? It is building a new pipeline and new gas pipelines without conducting an environmental assessment.

How can the Liberals follow the Prime Minister in this madness?