Debates of June 18th, 2026

Questions on the Order Paper

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

[For text of questions and responses, see Written Questions website]

The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-30, An Act to implement certain provisions of the spring economic update tabled in Parliament on April 28, 2026, as reported (with amendments) from the committee.

Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Pursuant to order made on Monday, June 15, Bill C‑30, an act to implement certain provisions of the spring economic update tabled in Parliament on April 28, 2026, is deemed concurred in at report stage, as amended.

(Bill concurred in at report stage)

Pursuant to order made on Monday, June 15, the House will now proceed to the third reading stage of this bill.

[Eleanor Olszewski, Liberal, Edmonton Centre, AB]

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

[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, before I get started, I will just let you know that I will be sharing my time with the member for Beauport—Limoilou.

I am pleased to rise today to debate Bill C-30, which is an act to implement certain provisions of the spring economic update tabled in Parliament on April 28. It gives me pleasure to rise to speak to this bill. It has a number of very important economic measures that would help workers, Canadian families and industries get through what we know is a bit of a challenging time for our country.

Before I get into a lot of the measures here, I find it necessary to point out that, in the finance committee last week, the Conservatives unfortunately expended 25 hours of parliamentary resources filibustering the bill. We saw them move subamendment after subamendment on the one amendment they had provided. They were not translated, which means that this was used as a stall tactic to hold up the bill. The bill, as I have said, has a number of economic measures that are important for Canadians. We also heard Conservatives in that filibuster talk about everything from elephants and Spider-Man to FIFA security and trees falling in the forest. There were many irrelevant points, and I had to call many points of order to keep us on track.

As such, when members opposite stand up to complain about not having enough time to debate important bills and legislation, as they did yesterday, maybe they should prioritize committee time, which is designed specifically to study those bills and get into those debates, not to waste those parliamentary resources and then complain about it afterward. We found out at the end of that filibuster that, in fact, the stall tactics they had used were not actually about Bill C-30.

All of it was under the cover of wanting to debate clauses and provide subamendments, but we found out, on the record, when one of the Conservative members finally stated it, that this was actually about holding our committee hostage to extract and force out of the government concessions on another bill, Bill C-22, which is related to lawful access. Lawful access is obviously something that we all, on this side of the House, want to provide to law enforcement so it can do the important investigative work to crack down on organized crime in this country.

Bill C-30 has measures that are important for us to get through before the House rises. It includes suspending the excise tax on fuel and extending that to aviation fuel. It includes a cap on the excise tax for alcohol, wine, spirits and beer. Craft brewers have been asking for this. Obviously, it would be capped at 2% of the escalator on the excise tax on alcohol.

We would also extend the grace period for repayment of RRSP withdrawals for Canadians who access their RRSPs to purchase their first home. We would be making permanent the capital gains exemption for employee ownership trusts and workers' co-operatives for businesses that are owned and operated by individuals who want to sell to their employees. This is a really great measure, something I have advocated for strongly.

We would also be lowering CPP contributions by 40 basis points, which members opposite had time to talk about in committee. I could speak at length to that. It is a small but important measure to help workers to lower those contributions in a way that would not compromise the Canada Pension Plan in any way, shape or form, so that would be good.

The labour mobility tax deduction would also be enhanced through the bill. It would move from $4,000 per year to $10,000 a year. Skilled trades workers who travel for work would be able to write off expenses of up to $10,000 in a single year, so that is significant support at $6,000 more per year. Basically, they would have more of those hard-earned dollars to spend how they choose.

We would also extend EI support for seasonal workers. We have offered immediate expensing for greenhouses. If colleagues remember, immediate expensing was a feature of budget 2025. It is very important, I would suggest, because it would allow businesses, in a time of great uncertainty, to invest and make capital investments in improving their businesses at a time when there is a lot of uncertainty, which would not happen otherwise.

We have moved forward with a number of immediate expensing measures, which include research and development, IP protection, new IT technology and other forms of energy efficiency measures that businesses can implement. It includes new equipment and machinery as well. We have also extended it to greenhouses. Obviously, this would help. It is integrated into our national food security strategy as well as a measure to help growers and producers in Canada to build more greenhouses and then be able to write that off as a business expense in year one.

The immediate expensing measures have already had an effect in the economy. We see business investment in two categories rising at a pretty steep rate, over 10%, both in new machinery and equipment and in IP protection. Those two categories are specifically covered under the immediate expensing measures that we are now enhancing for greenhouses.

We have also made some changes to the Bank Act and the Canada Transportation Act. Both of these measures are small but significant. Under the Canada Transportation Act, the minister would be able to request information from airports and allow better policy development.

This is a list, at a high-level overview, of the measures in Bill C-30 that I think would be very meaningful for workers, families and Canadians. They are part of our plan to get the Canadian economy through a challenging period while we step up to support in multiple ways.

Obviously, the world order is a bit fractured right now. There is lots of uncertainty, but our government is grounded in trying to support greater self-sufficiency, domestic resilience and strengthening the economy. We can handle the upheaval that is happening around the world and get the Canadian economy through a challenging time. Bill C-30 is a part of that plan, and I will mention, in a little more detail, some of the measures that are in it.

One of the measures I mentioned in Bill C-30 is the temporary suspension of the federal fuel excise tax to effectively zero cents per litre on gasoline and diesel fuel nationwide. This would provide a savings of 10¢ per litre on gasoline and four cents per litre on diesel from April 20, 2026, through to Labour Day. The bill would also extend the suspension of the excise tax to aviation fuel over the same period to help mitigate the very high costs of jet fuel.

I will take a minute here before my time runs out to speak to the labour mobility tax deduction. Again, this is a key measure for our skilled trades workers.

We see the Canadian economy being more resilient than was anticipated by anyone who did projections. We saw 88,000 new jobs in the last labour market survey that was done. That is good news for Canadians. Of those jobs, 27,000 were in the construction industry, which is great news for the Canadian economy, especially when the construction season is under way and we want to build Canada up. There is a lot of work in developing the infrastructure, housing, defence capabilities, etc. that the country needs.

Having a labour mobility tax deduction is good news for many of those workers who may need or want to travel to contribute to Build Canada Strong. As we build that infrastructure, there will be more jobs for Canadians, and we will see those jobs increase, I am sure, in the months ahead. It is good news to be able to write off another $6,000 of travel and living expenses due to having to travel for work. It is a great measure that would keep more money in their pockets.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his speech and actually admitting in his words that we are in “a bit of a challenging time for our country.” His terminology for this may be a little bit off when we have seniors having to live in their vehicles because they cannot afford rent. We have record numbers of working people and young families relying on food banks just so that they can survive because of the ever-increasing cost of living over the last 10-plus years.

I would like to ask the member if he would like to clarify for this House, and for Canadians, which government has been in power for the last 10, now almost 11 years, I guess, and is responsible for this challenging time, as he put it.

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where the member opposite lives exactly or what world he is living in, but to say that global shocks to the Canadian economy that put challenges on Canadian families are the government's fault is just lunacy, since he asked me.

I think Canadians out there know the reality is that the world is going through a number of global shocks. Every single country that I have talked to at the OECD is going through exactly the same things. Our government is stepping up to help Canadians, to meet them where they are at, to offer affordability measures and supports while we boost the Canadian economy with new investment within our fiscal capacity, which is the responsible thing to do.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. parliamentary secretary is a friend, so when I say a friend, it is not just rhetoric, but I am disappointed. When Bill C-30 was first tabled, I asked the hon. parliamentary secretary for finance if it would not be wise to remove division 8 from an omnibus budget bill, so that the pesticide provisions would not just be studied by the finance committee, but go to the appropriate committee of environment or health. At the time, he said he would get back to me. I do not blame him that he did not have time and, certainly, I know those decisions are not necessarily made by the parliamentary secretary for finance at all.

However, does he now not regret, having heard how significant the concerns are from across this country that this bill was not properly studied, that division 8 received no expert review at all?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I definitely sympathize with the member's predicament. The motion that was used to program our time at the finance committee came from the Conservatives. We agreed to a programming motion.

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

No, Mr. Speaker, what I am saying is the truth, which is that the motion that we agreed to to program our time at the finance committee to study Bill C-30 was proposed by the Conservatives.

The committee came to consensus on how many hours it was going to spend on how much witness testimony, what ministers were going to come. That is exactly what we followed through with.

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent speech. We spent many hours together at the Standing Committee on Finance. I would like to hear his opinion, because things move very quickly here and sometimes we do not have time to discuss things.

I would like to know how he felt during all those hours when we were unable to move the bill forward, when we could not make any progress because of the opposition's filibusters. We know what families and seniors are going through right now, and that is why we want to move forward. That is why people elected us.

What was my colleague feeling during all that time?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, to be honest, I felt sort of embarrassed for the Conservatives because they were on camera in public meetings, embarrassing themselves as they were filibustering a bill and wasting parliamentary resources. They then stood up in this House and claimed they needed more time for debate as those bills had not been studied.

Again, the programming motion was from the Conservatives. We agreed to the time frame and the process of how we were going to study Bill C-30, and then they wasted 25 hours of time to block Bill C-30 in times—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

The member for Vancouver East, we have time for a very brief question.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Indian Residential School Survivors Society has provided support to indigenous peoples harmed by Canada's colonial systems. They were promised by Indigenous Services Canada that they would receive confirmation for their two-year funding by mid-May. Today there has been no action and their funding ends on July 1.

Can the parliamentary secretary explain why?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would have to get back to the member opposite on that particular question, but I know our minister has spoken to this in question period and answered the member's questions.

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as this is the last time I will be speaking in the House before the summer, I would like to take a moment to pay tribute to those we typically see less of, and without whom our work here would quite simply be impossible.

Every day, behind each of our speeches, debates, votes and committee proceedings, there are hundreds of dedicated professionals who ensure that this institution runs smoothly. I am thinking of the clerks, analysts, interpreters, translators, pages, security personnel, technicians, IT staff, administrative support teams and employees in catering, maintenance, transport and communications, as well as all the staff of the House of Commons Administration.

I am also thinking of all the civil servants and employees in the various departments and agencies who work diligently, with professionalism and impartiality in the service of the Canadian people. Their work is often behind the scenes, but it has an immense impact. Thanks to their expertise, patience and commitment, we are able to fulfill our mandate of representing our citizens and making progress on the issues that matter to Canadians. On behalf of all MPs, I would like to express our deep gratitude. Their dedication contributes to the vitality of our democracy and the strength of our institutions every single day.

I would also like to highlight the exceptional work of our constituency and parliamentary office employees. They are the ones who answer calls, greet constituents, help people navigate their dealings with government departments, organize our meetings, prepare our files and enable us to be present both in our ridings and in Ottawa. They are often the first to hear constituents' concerns and the last to leave the office when an urgent matter needs to be resolved. Their dedication, compassion and professionalism improve the lives of thousands of Canadians in very real ways.

Although our debates sometimes pit us against one another, we all share the good fortune of being supported by competent and committed people who work behind the scenes to move things forward. I would like to sincerely thank all of the women and men who serve our democracy with discretion, integrity and dedication. In particular, I want to thank Nancy, Souraya, Nicholas, Aboubacar and Myriam. I am proud to work with them.

I rise today to speak to the economic update from a perspective that hits home for me, especially as a father and grandfather, and that issue is youth. Current and future generations are the ones building our country's future amid an uncertain, unprecedented and constantly changing environment. Young Canadians embody what is best about Canada: its openness, vibrancy, curiosity, diversity and ambition. They have ideas, opinions and talents and are unafraid of challenges. They want to contribute, build, create and innovate. They want a country that gives them a real chance at success. More than anything, they want to contribute and do their part. Well, this spring, the government reaffirmed the need to invest in them and to ensure that no young person in this country feels abandoned by the government when it comes to rising to the challenges of current, potential or future issues. This is exactly what this economic update is proposing through a host of important measures.

First, let us talk about the team Canada strong initiative, an ambitious plan to recruit, train and hire up to 100,000 young skilled tradespeople by 2030. One of the best ways to support the younger generation while ensuring Canada's prosperity and resilience today and for years to come is to invest in jobs. Team Canada strong provides Canadian workers with paid work placements that lead directly to essential jobs building homes, modernizing infrastructure and strengthening our security. With paid internships, up to $10,000 in grants per apprentice and a $5,000 bonus upon Red Seal certification, we are equipping young people to specialize in an exciting trade while building the Canada of tomorrow.

Then there is education. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Canada has the most educated population in the world. That is an immense asset, but it is meaningless if even one young person is left behind. No one in Canada should go without an education because they cannot afford it. That is why we are extending the increase in scholarships and interest-free student loans. More than 570,000 students will receive increased support, and more than 420,000 will have access to subsidized loans. That is a direct investment in young people, allowing them to reach their full potential and contribute to our country's growth and economic development.

I am also thinking of young families who have been facing significant increases in the cost of living in recent years due to international upheaval and conflicts beyond our control. The economic update accelerates the construction of rental housing and reduces construction costs. It also includes a national school food program that will provide 400,000 children with access to healthy meals and save parents nearly $800 a year. In addition, it provides for an increase in the Canada child benefit and the Canadian dental care plan, as well as a reduction in child care costs.

This economic update is not just a financial plan. It is a commitment to Canada's youth and a message of hope, confidence and responsibility. We cannot predict Canada's future. We must build it with our young people. Earlier, I spoke about the Red Seal. The Red Seal represents Canadian excellence in many trades. It certifies that a worker has met the highest standards of skill recognized across the country. Whether they are an electrician, welder, industrial mechanic, carpenter or work in one of the many other eligible trades, Red Seal holders can practise their profession from coast to coast to coast, knowing that their qualifications are recognized everywhere. This certification allows workers to seize opportunities wherever they arise and gives employers access to recognized expertise, no matter where in the country they are located.

The Red Seal is more than just a certification. It is a symbol. It serves as a reminder that excellence is not limited to boardrooms and research labs. It can also be found in our workshops, on our construction sites and in our factories. In my riding, Beauport—Limoilou, and throughout Quebec and Canada, many business owners are talking about how hard it is to recruit skilled workers, who are essential to our economy. They are essential to our ability to build faster, produce more and innovate. That is why we continue to promote skilled trades among young people, individuals in the process of changing careers and newcomers who want to contribute to our economy.

Lastly, Canada has what the world wants. We are a true energy superpower, in both clean energy and conventional energy. We also have immense reserves of the critical minerals that are essential to the global energy transition and the technologies of tomorrow. We enjoy privileged access to international markets through free trade agreements with countries that represent more than 1.5 billion consumers. We are already beginning to see the results.

In just 12 months, Canada has developed more than 20 new economic and defence partnerships with international partners. These efforts have helped to bring in nearly $97 billion in foreign investment to our economy. This is just the beginning. In September, our government will be hosting the first-ever Canada investment summit. This event will bring together investors, businesses, institutional partners and decision-makers to showcase the unique opportunities that Canada has to offer.

We have the resources, the talent, the institutions and the economic and political stability that investors around the world are looking for. Now, we also have a clear plan to turn this advantage into growth, into well-paying jobs and into lasting prosperity for future generations.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the people from Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola.

Before I begin, I want to recognize the life of Ping Beaton. She was a devoted wife and mother. I give my deepest condolences to her husband, Lawrence, who taught me in high school, and her daughter, Geralyn. May perpetual light shine upon her.

With the greatest of respect to my colleague, I have to say that sounded like a speech that was provided by a bureaucrat. He talked about the Canada investment summit. Can he tell us where that is taking place, please?

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, the Canada investment summit will be held in Canada. I talked about the $97-billion investments earlier. Those are investments that Canada already has. Every week, billions of dollars continue to be added because of our economic and political stability.

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would love to have the opportunity to live in la-la land like my colleague opposite, but I think the reality is somewhat different from what he described in his speech. Let us get back to the matter at hand. Bill C-30 suggests that the government would open the door to the privatization of certain airports, and that it even intends to go ahead with this plan.

I would like to know what my colleague thinks about that. For example, if a decision were made to privatize the Quebec City airport, would he be okay with that?

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will start with the first part of his question.

He mentioned la-la land. What I find funny is that I get the impression he was talking to himself. Here is what I took from the Bloc Québécois after watching them during the debate on Bill C-30: They spent all their time complaining, but made no proposals. The Bloc Québécois did not table any amendments during consideration of Bill C-30. It did not table any amendments, yet spent all its time voting against the measures. It voted in favour of some measures and against others, but it voted against the final outcome. It did not put forward any proposals.

We, on the other hand, are in the real world. We have put forward proposals. We have even tabled amendments which the opposition voted for.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to pick up on my friend's comment that we live in the real world. The real world is looking pretty good in terms of where Canada has been since the last federal election. We have a Prime Minister who has been out and about, attracting literally billions of dollars in commitments of investment. We have 20 trade and defence agreements. We have passed trade bills. We have passed all sorts of substantive legislation, not only to be able to deal with building a strong economic Canada but also to deal with other aspects of building a stronger Canada.

I am wondering if there has been, over the last years, anything the member would like to highlight from his perspective.

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, when I entered into politics, I wanted to do the same thing I did in the private sector. I wanted the money to be spent here at home. I am from Quebec City. Beauport—Limoilou is in Quebec City. The important thing is that the spending happens here.

Now I work at the federal level. The money needs to come back here and be spent here. I am pleased to see the government investing here, in our infrastructure, for the future of our children.

We need to plan for short-, medium-, and long-term investments. That is what we are doing. There are announcements regarding the long term. There are announcements regarding the medium term. There are announcements regarding the shorter term.

I am thinking of the Quebec City tramway. That is $2.75 billion invested right here at home, which will also lead to billions of dollars in housing investment. In fact, $2 billion have already been earmarked. Government investments attract private investment, and that is how we build Canada.

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

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-30 contains proposed new provisions under the Privacy Act and the Canada Transportation Act to assess the full value of our publicly owned airports. Rumours in British Columbia dictate that part of the new security agreement with China would allow Chinese companies to buy airports in Canada.

Can the member confirm or deny this?

[Steeve Lavoie, Liberal, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I suggest that my colleague look at the final vote on Bill C-30 to see how many of the Conservatives' amendments were adopted. The answer is a big fat zero. Not a single amendment proposed by the Conservatives was adopted.

Their amendments were designed for the sole purpose of obstructing the process. In fact, when it came time to vote, the Conservatives withdrew them all.