Debates of June 18th, 2026

Taxation

[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, it is good to be here in the very last moments before the House rises for the summer.

I know that there are a large number of farms in the member opposite's riding. There are farm succession plans all across this country, and farmers do struggle with succession, so I understand the issue the member is speaking about.

We have done some things recently, in the spring economic update implementation act, on this front with capital gains exemption. It applies only to employee ownership trusts and worker co-operatives, but I think it highlights where the government is open to looking at options for succession to make it easier to hand down businesses. In this case, the one I am referencing is employee ownership trusts, which is a model I have advocated for.

Worker-owned co-operatives will get the same tax treatment. It is a measure I have supported from day one because it offers owners of businesses that are small- to medium-sized, or they could be larger, the opportunity, when they want to sell the business, to protect those businesses and also to hand them down to workers. This creates wealth-building opportunities for frontline workers in a grocery chain, for example.

There are many examples in the U.K. For example, Waitrose is a company run by John Lewis Partnership. It is a good example of how employee ownership trusts can create a shared equity model where frontline workers get to participate in the proceeds of the company. I think it is similar to a model that could be applied to farms in this country, although I do not know of any workup of the details on that at this point.

I thank the member for bringing this up. I think it is an important consideration.

[Jacob Mantle, Conservative, York—Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to hearing what the government proposes in the fall.

In the last minute I have, I would like to comment on the Speaker's ruling from yesterday. I appreciated the Speaker's ruling but I was deeply disappointed by it.

First, on a factual basis, the Speaker indicated in the ruling that there was only supposition that certain members of the government may have had privileged information about the timing of amendments. I would suggest to the Speaker that the fact that they submitted amendments is evidence enough that they had that information.

Second, the Speaker made this point:

“Both the minority and the majority have rights; however, primacy cannot be given to both.”

That was the quote the Speaker used. That was not the issue. The issue was the level playing field and primacy being given by the Speaker's ruling to the majority. I am troubled by the precedent that the Speaker's ruling may have set for giving the government the ability to deny members of the House, of any party, their participatory rights in the submission of amendments.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I would refer the hon. member to Standing Order 10.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance has the floor.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would just say that it has become apparent in the House, through question period and many of the proceedings, that the Conservatives claim that they are about protecting and supporting vulnerable people, but in fact, they just seem to use those people's hardship for political gain. They see them as a political opportunity, whether it is young people, seniors or other vulnerable people.

We have seen them not support measures such as the groceries and essentials benefit. They mocked the Canada summer jobs program, which offers 100,000 jobs. They just voted, again, against Bill C-30, which is offering skilled trades apprenticeship supports of $31,000 in total for each apprentice.

We have cut taxes in a number of areas, including income tax and the consumer carbon tax. We have suspended the excise tax on fuel. We have cut the tax on first home purchases. We have offered enhanced tax deductions for businesses in research and development and for buying new machinery and equipment.

If the hon. member really is for tax cuts, why did he just vote against seven new tax measures that will help with affordability for Canadians? It does not make sense to me. That includes Bill C-30, this afternoon at third reading, which the member voted against.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, pursuant to order made earlier today, the House stands adjourned until Monday, September 21, at 11 a.m. pursuant to Standing Orders 24(1) and 28(2).

(The House adjourned at 3:37 p.m.)