Debates of June 15th, 2026

The Economy

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate and unpleasant, but we are in a recession, and people are feeling the pinch. Some families have to spend more than 120% of their income just on housing and food. It has reached the point where people are having to borrow money just to put food on the table. The reality is that the Liberals' policies are not working, and the more power the Liberals have, the more it costs Canadians.

Now the Prime Minister is about to attend the G7 summit as the only leader to have led his country into recession. Does he plan to continue dodging the issue by making more grand, inspiring speeches abroad while leaving families in Canada to pay the price?

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

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, June 5, Canadians received the first instalment of the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. Millions of Canadians have received help with their grocery bills. We are very aware of the challenges Canadians are facing. Canadians are courageous, and they will work with us to rebuild our self-sustaining, strong and responsible economy.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the programs.

In Quebec, the average salary is $67,000. However, I received a photo of a Canada groceries and essentials benefit payment from a worker who earns exactly $67,000. He received $11.98 to help pay for groceries. Families can no longer afford groceries, rent and gas. The Liberals have plunged the country into a recession.

I urge the Prime Minister to use his time at the G7 to heed the advice of all the other countries that are not in a recession.

I think that could be beneficial to us.

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

Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question gives me the opportunity to discuss an announcement made last week.

We are going to invest $1 billion in food infrastructure to make food terminals and hubs more accessible to Canadians. We are also going to improve competition. We are going to do this because it matters.

Canadians need support. We are providing that support, and they support us because they, too, want to rebuild our country in a self-sustaining and responsible manner.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today, the Prime Minister arrives at the G7 summit as the one and only leader who has led his country into a recession. This is what that looks like: Two in five Canadians struggle to be able to afford to feed themselves; full-time workers are living in RVs or a Tim Hortons; and food bank use has hit an all-time high. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister spends $1 million on luxury inflight catering, which includes things like Normandy butter cups, fine wines and braised beef.

My question is very simple: When will the Prime Minister acknowledge the reality so many Canadians face and reverse his policy so they 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, that member of Parliament has risen before to ask questions like this, but I would ask her a question: Why does she keep voting against the very people in Alberta who are asking for a hand up? In fact, the national school food program in Alberta feeds 58,000 children, and parents are saving up to $13,700 a year per child. These are all things that member has voted against.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I think what that member meant to highlight was the fact that under the Liberal government, child poverty rates have increased year after year after year for the last three. This dramatically impacts the people of my riding in Lethbridge, Alberta. It means that seniors in this country are living at Tim Hortons. It means that full-time workers are living out of their RVs.

Why does the government turn a blind eye to the reality of Canadians while it is living high on the horse? Why does it not reverse its policy so Canadians can finally 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, if we check Hansard, we will find that member on record saying that parents do not want help. In fact, what I hear from Canadians, including Albertans, who write to me as the minister of jobs and families, is that we should stand up for each other, that we should make sure not one kid goes hungry, no matter if their parent is out of work, no matter if their family is struggling, because circumstances are unfortunate for families. What is most Canadian is the value of helping each other.

[Tamara Kronis, Conservative, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I will remind that member that today the Prime Minister is at the G7 summit as the only leader in the G20 who has caused a recession in his own country, technical or otherwise. He says the data can be uneven. What is not uneven is the pain. Food bank use is at record levels, while two in five Canadians struggle to eat and full-time workers live in people's driveways because a paycheque no longer buys a home. This is all while the Prime Minister's inflight catering bill for just 14 trips could feed a family for 55 years.

When will this Prime Minister reverse his costly policies and make good on his announcements so Canadians can afford to live again?

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I just want to remind members that even if certain things are in the news, we should not mention the presence or absence of members.

The hon. Minister of Veterans Affairs.

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is attending the G7 summit today—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I am trying very hard to apply the rules, but the members are making it very difficult. We do not need to talk about location.

The hon. minister, please.

[Jill McKnight, Liberal, Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is represented at the G7 summit today as a country that has hit its 2% NATO target this year, as a country that has attracted foreign direct investment at twice the rate of our nearest G7 countries, and as a country that has secured 20 economic and defence agreements over four continents. British Columbians like to see this growth. This is Canada.

Climate Change

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Natural Resources warned on Thursday that wildfire activity will increase throughout the summer. With hot temperatures expected, 300 mayors are calling on the federal government to abandon its plans for new pipelines, stating in their declaration that more communities are likely to burn to the ground this summer as we double down on fossil fuel expansion.

As another wildfire season approaches, will the Liberals finally drop their obsession with oil?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, I will say it again: Our government continues to fight climate change, and we are getting the job done. We have strengthened methane regulations, and we are a global leader in this effort. People are looking to us and asking how they can do the same. When we talk about what we are doing when it comes to climate change and international financing, again, we are a leader.

However, every time we make these changes and do this work, the Bloc Québécois does not support us.

If the Bloc members want to do the work, they should help us with electricity and our efforts.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Natural Resources announced on Thursday that we are facing another bad summer for wildfires. However, that is not apparent from listening to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources. Two days earlier, he was at an energy trade show in Calgary, calling the oil sands one of the great industrial achievements in Canadian history.

He was boasting about speeding up oil and gas exports at the very same time as his own department was warning that our regions are going to burn.

Do the Liberals not think that the safety of forested regions should come before oil sands profits?

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

Mr. Speaker, climate change is a reality. We are fully cognizant of that, and we are working on it. With Canada's 2030 nature strategy, we plan to protect 30% of our lands and waters, which will help us fight climate change.

My colleague mentioned strengthening methane regulations and all the things we are going to do for renewable electricity, renewable energy. These things will help us fight climate change. That is how we will make progress and become economically self-sufficient.

Seniors

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, community organizations are warning that the rush changes to the New Horizons for Seniors program are putting hundreds of projects at risk. Many volunteers are seniors who already struggle with technology. With only weeks to register for a CRA business number and navigate a complex online portal, these changes are overwhelming and many fear they will be disqualified.

Will the Liberals fix these unnecessary barriers or will they have to create another program to help seniors apply for a current one?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, we are incredibly proud of this program. Last year alone, it supported over 2,600 projects right across Canada, helping seniors stay active and engaged and fight isolation. This year, we are increasing the value of the grants and we are making some changes to strengthen the integrity of the program.

Service Canada is there to assist any organization with questions on how to apply and we are going to make sure that this program remains accessible for seniors and organizations, and meets the standards of integrity that Canadians expect.

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the secretary of state claims that registering for a CRA business number and using the online portal is simple, but senior organizations are telling a different story. In my community of King—Vaughan, where 18 senior groups have been supporting over 6,000 senior volunteers, organizations have been frantically calling my office, scared of missing out on critical funding. These changes will leave the most vulnerable organizations behind.

Why are the Liberals trying to bury seniors in even more red tape?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, it is quite the opposite. We have worked hand in hand with organizations to ensure that these changes to this program are welcomed. We know that this program delivers important services for seniors in every single riding of every member in this House. That is something that we are going to continue.

We will take no lessons from the Conservatives in our support for seniors, while they continue to vote against programs like the dental care plan and the groceries and essentials benefit that benefit single seniors right across the country.

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

Mr. Speaker, as we mark World Elder Abuse Awareness Day today, the Liberal government is standing in the way of organizations that support seniors.

The new rules for the New Horizons for Seniors program are forcing volunteer groups to get a business number from the Canada Revenue Agency. This process can take months and also requires them to navigate an online application system. These organizations want to help seniors, not fight Ottawa's bureaucracy.

Is the government going to back down on these bureaucratic reforms? Yes, we know the people in our ridings.

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to ensuring that the New Horizons for Seniors program reaches community organizations led by seniors who are improving Canadians' quality of life. These changes are important to keep the program accessible while also complying with the standards of integrity that Canadians expect.

We are working with the Canada Revenue Agency and with the department to help organizations that need assistance managing this number. The forms are ready. The deadline is July 14, and the department is ready to help anyone who needs help.

Access to Information

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are totally out of touch, but I want to raise a different topic. Last week, the President of the Treasury Board was unable to answer a simple question from my colleague. That embarrassed his government and, according to La Presse, angered his fellow Liberal MPs. He has had all weekend to recover and find the right page in his briefing book.

Does he believe he still has the Prime Minister's confidence? I will give him a few seconds to find the answer in his briefing book.

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know what the question was, but as the President of the Treasury Board—