Debates of June 17th, 2026

The Economy

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, we hear the Conservatives talk against the economy. On this side of the House, we are proud.

We are proud to have the most skilled workers in the world. We are proud to have an auto industry, a maritime industry, and an aerospace industry. We are proud to have critical minerals for the 21st century. We are proud to have abundant energy, renewable energy and nuclear energy. We are proud to be the only G7 country to have a free trade agreement with all the other G7 countries.

On this side of the House, we will continue to support our entrepreneurs and our workers. We will continue to be proud of the Canadian economy.

[Michael Guglielmin, Conservative, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that affordability is the best it has been in a decade, but full-time workers are living in RVs and trailers because they cannot afford a home. Families are spending over 120% of their income on rent and food alone. People are even skipping surgeries and other major life events just to survive.

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. When will the Prime Minister reverse his costly policies that caused 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, the real question is this: When will the Conservatives stop voting against the very constituents they claim to stand up for and support? Here in Ontario, for example, a family can be saving up to $13,000 per child per year in early learning and child care fees, which is something that helps people ensure they can get to work and keep those good-paying jobs that these guys keep talking about, but they obviously do not understand how an economy works.

On this side, we are doing everything we can to make sure that families, workers, people who are struggling and people who are entering the workforce have the supports to build this economy strong. Maybe the Conservatives should get on board.

[Michael Guglielmin, Conservative, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we cannot make this up. The Prime Minister says affordability is the best it has been in a decade. Then ministers in the House rise and take credit for programs they implemented to address all the damage they caused. Their promised surveillance pricing legislation to lower grocery costs will not even take effect before 2028. While millions of Canadians cannot afford to eat, the Prime Minister spent nearly $1 million on inflight catering, and all of that on the taxpayers' dime.

When will this Prime Minister stop making Canadians pay for a crisis he built, a recession he caused and dinner that he put on their tab?

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

Mr. Speaker, while I know the member across does not want to help us build Canada, let us talk about who does want to help us build Canada. Today, we announced $5 billion in new investment from Japan, Italy, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Portugal. They want to help us build.

Why do the Conservatives not try and help build?

Democratic Institutions

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are confusing their parliamentary majority with the right to do what they want, when they want. The time allocations never seem to stop, which is especially odd considering that their bills are certain to pass.

Yesterday, it was Bill C‑30, which authorizes the government to approve the use of previously banned pesticides. Today, it is Bill C‑22, which authorizes the invasive surveillance of Canadians. That comes on top of lots of other legislation, like the legislation arising from Bill C‑5, under which the Prime Minister is giving himself the power to circumvent laws.

Are the Liberals so quick to resort to time allocations because they want to keep the public in the dark about the scope of their abuse of power?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Finance and National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, what Quebeckers and Canadians see is that we have a lot to get done.

I am pleased to speak to Bill C‑30, a bill that is going to help families and workers, and that contains important measures for advancing Canada's economy. I am sure that our Bloc Québécois colleagues want to contribute to building a more prosperous Quebec.

On this side of the House, we will always stand up, we will always be ready to work, and together, we are going to drive the economy of this country and the economy of Quebec forward.

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

Mr. Speaker, our Prime Minister has nothing but contempt for the work of Parliament. He is ramming through draconian laws using closure. He is concentrating all powers in hands of cabinet. He is using those powers to deregulate industry for the benefit of primarily American companies or to suspend certain laws.

On the international stage, he says that he wants to form an alliance of middle powers against Donald Trump, but in real life, he is making concession after concession to the U.S. President.

The Liberals promised Quebeckers a green banker. They promised a strongman who would stand up to Washington. How have we ended up with neither?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, when we listen to the Bloc Québécois, we have no trouble understanding why Quebeckers made the wise choice to send 44 Quebec members to this side of the House.

Our members are firmly focused on building our economy while protecting our environment. They are idealists and pragmatists who know how to build one Canadian economy, as we are doing in Contrecoeur, at the port of Quebec and with the high-speed rail project between Quebec City and Toronto.

We know the members of the Bloc Québécois and their political masters in Quebec City would set us back 30 years. They think an independent Quebec would not need to be connected to its main economic partner, Ontario. In the words of one PQ intellectual, it is disheartening to—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon.

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

Mr. Speaker, this government is subverting democracy by shutting down the debate on Bill C-22. Even though it has a majority, integrity demands proper scrutiny before we pass a bill that allows the surveillance of all citizens, the seizure of data without authorization and the tracking of phones. To add insult to injury, the closure motion also imposes a retroactive deadline for the submission of amendments. What a coincidence: The deadline was precisely when the Liberal members proposed their amendments. This is an utterly reprehensible case of parliamentary insider trading.

Will they stop this shift toward authoritarianism?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois should know that Quebeckers are just as concerned about crime, especially crimes involving coercion and child pornography. For a long time now, law enforcement agencies, police officers and municipal police forces in Quebec have been asking us to provide them with the tools they need to apprehend criminals and prevent this type of crime.

The Bloc Québécois opposes these measures, but the government is determined. We will fight crime both in Quebec and everywhere else.

Small Business

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we are incredibly worried. Statistics Canada reported on May 29 that “business capital investment fell 0.7% in the first quarter of 2026, the fifth consecutive quarterly decline”.

After years of policies that have left small business owners struggling, will these Liberals reverse their policies so businesses can get ahead?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Finance is not the only person with good news. The Prime Minister today announced $5 billion of new investment in this country from Japan, Italy, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Portugal.

We are focused on bringing capital to this country and investment into this country to create jobs. They are focused on talking down Canada.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member for Eglinton—Lawrence badgered the CFIB as to why his own government's policies were not reaching Canadian small businesses. The CFIB says three in four entrepreneurs do not feel supported by the government, and many would not start a business today.

Why will the government not lower costs and give small businesses a real chance to compete, so we do not continue losing capital to other countries?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, small business investment is up by 10%. The first thing our government did in terms of action was to bring down federal trade barriers across provinces and territories so small business goods could flow across the country. We are also diversifying trade, making sure that we are able to secure investment. We heard many references today. Do colleagues know who is going to benefit from that? It will be small and medium-sized enterprises. Through our buy Canadian policy, federal procurement opportunities are going to be opened up so that small and medium-sized enterprises can take advantage of this.

We have invested $60 million for a small and medium-sized business export readiness program that will help ensure that we can secure—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Beauce.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, or CFIB, Canadian SMEs and entrepreneurs are still being overlooked by the Liberal government. Businesses in Beauce do not need empty promises. They need a government that stands up for them. Liberal policies have been dragging us down for 10 years. Canada cannot have a strong economy if our SMEs are not investing here.

Does the government realize that it is the main obstacle to investment in Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, the research chair in taxation and public finance said today that Canada is still resilient in spite of everything. It is true that Quebec has been deeply affected by the trade war with the United States, but we have managed to pivot. We have succeeded in redirecting exports that used to go to the United States towards European countries, and the same is true for Quebec. Our businesses have taken matters into their own hands; they have seized the opportunities we have given them and they are growing. That is good news.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, according to the CFIB, four in 10 businesses say that economic uncertainty, and especially political uncertainty, is discouraging investment in our country. In Beauce, we are fortunate to have extraordinary companies such as Beauce Atlas and Bois Hamel creating jobs, investing in our communities, and creating wealth in our regions. However, over the past 10 years under the Liberals, with all the colossal deficits, instability, and lack of leadership in particular, investment in Canada has stalled.

Do the Liberals realize that they are part of the problem facing Canadian businesses?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of a lack of leadership, Canadians have been looking for the Conservative Party's economic plan for at least two years. No one has found it yet, because it does not exist.

I would invite my colleague to look at the superdeduction in budget 2025, for example. Accelerated depreciation will encourage businesses to invest and increase their productivity. That is exactly what our government's strategy is, but that is not all; it also includes diversifying our markets.

Today, the numbers speak for themselves, as my colleague said. We have increased our exports to the European Union by 23% and to the United Kingdom by 62%, and we are investing in our infrastructure, at the ports of Quebec and Montreal, for instance, in order to boost productivity across the country.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, despite big promises from the Prime Minister to bring generational economic change and move at speeds never before seen, our small businesses, the backbone of the Canadian economy, are struggling under this high-tax, big-deficit-spending Liberal government. Over half of small businesses in this country have said they would not recommend starting a business in Canada today. This is devastating news. After a decade of Liberals, Canada has become an unwelcome place to do business, and under the Prime Minister, it is not getting any better.

When will the Liberals reverse their harmful policies so that businesses can get ahead?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, despite the fact that we are experiencing global headwinds in this country, Canada is functioning from a position of strength. Our economy continues to outperform many different G7 countries, from Germany to Japan and Italy. We have secured 20 new economic partnerships. We have already heard today, thanks to the Prime Minister, that we have 13 new economic partnerships. This is going to strengthen small businesses and supply chains and support SMEs to get the opportunities they need to make sure to pivot away from the U.S. tariffs.

We are going to continue to be there for small businesses and provide support when they need it.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, “from a position of strength”, she said. According to Statistics Canada, business capital investment has declined for five quarters in a row. Entrepreneurship is at a 25-year low and we are now in a recession. These are the devastating results under the Liberal Prime Minister. This is his record, and Canadians are the ones having to suffer the consequences.

When are they going to realize that it is Liberal economic policies that are sending people to food banks, causing job losses and driving this country into a recession? That is on them.

[Karim Bardeesy, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, we know that small businesses do well when consumer spending is up, and that is why we have made investments like the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. Wages are increasing faster than inflation, and we have cut taxes through measures like the superproductivity deduction to make it easier for businesses to invest.

We are taking the right approaches during this time of tariffs, which we never hear about on the other side. We are making investments in small businesses and the people who spend money with small businesses.