Debates of June 2nd, 2026

Public Safety

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that minister should ask anyone in Canada, or even the hundred Liberal donors who were in that room last night, if they feel safer today. The answer is no, because what we heard yesterday was hollow. It was reviewing previous reviews and studying studies on a crisis that the government presided over, funded and fuelled. That is not a plan. Nothing he said will stop the bullets from entering the member's own synagogue or the genocidal slogans that are uttered in the streets every single day against Canadians.

Will the Prime Minister finally stand up in the House and meet the moment he so spectacularly failed—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. minister.

[Evan Solomon, Liberal, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, like all Canadians, I was proud to stand with the Prime Minister yesterday as he named the dangerous scourge of anti-Semitism. He took action, and not with divisive rhetoric. We have an anti-hate bill that will protect our places of worship, campuses and community centres. We have put money into protecting synagogues and camps.

Instead of stoking division, and instead of the hollow rhetoric, the opposition should stand with us, protect Jews who are facing unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism and take some action.

The Economy

[Louis Villeneuve, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the Conservatives prefer punchy catchphrases, sometimes to the detriment of the facts.

Here are the facts: The Canadian economy grew by an estimated 1.7% in 2025 and is expected to post the second-fastest growth in the G7 in 2026‑27. That is a fact. Canada has just reached an 18-year high in attracting direct foreign investment.

That is a fact. We will never hear the Conservatives cheer for our economy or cheer for our workers.

Could the Minister of Industry explain why?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Brome—Missisquoi for his important question.

We know that Canada's economy is one of those most closely integrated with the U.S. economy, not to mention that we are also in the midst of a tariff war. Despite that, investments are being made in sectors affected by tariffs.

In fact, last Friday, together with Quebec Premier Christine Fréchette, we inaugurated AP60, Rio Tinto's new plant in Saguenay that will produce the world's greenest aluminum.

We have also invested $100 million in ELYSIS, the latest in carbon-neutral aluminum technology. Simply put, we are capable of creating jobs even in the current tariff environment.

Employment

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the temporary foreign worker program suppresses wages, creates poor working conditions and kills entry-level jobs for our Canadian youth. Now, we have learned that the Liberals spent $1.6 billion over the last five years to administer the TFW program, and they lost $500 million in the process. Instead of issuing 215,000 new foreign work permits this year, the Liberals should immediately abolish the TFW program and replace it with a fair deal for young workers, food‑producing industries and regions with extremely low employment.

When will the Liberal government abolish the expensive, wasteful and destructive temporary foreign worker program?

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

Mr. Speaker, the temporary foreign worker program is administered with three principles. First of all, the program makes sure that any Canadian who wants that job comes first. Second of all, it makes sure that employers that are eligible for temporary foreign workers treat those workers with respect and honour and follow those rules. We have inspectors to make sure that happens. The third principle is to make sure that employers in areas where very tight employment exists can access workers to keep their businesses alive, which is something that many of that member's colleagues have written to me to expand.

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals blew $500 million on the temporary foreign worker program in the last five years. Let us see who spent that money. That $500 million was spent while the current Minister of Justice had the file. That $500 million was spent while the current Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture was in the role. The current immigration minister is on track to spend even more. That is quite the list of captains on the IRCC Titanic.

Will the Prime Minister admit that he has lost control and finally put someone in charge who will stop issuing new foreign work permits and abolish the temporary foreign worker program?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that a couple of years ago the headline was that the Canadian Conservative Party had launched a petition to fast-track students. That was the member for Saskatoon West. He has to come clean regarding the immigration piece. When it comes to the issue for the member, he must clarify whom he is misleading. Is it the voters back in Saskatoon, or the people of Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, in March, the government increased the temporary foreign worker program from 10% to 15% for thousands of work sites in remote and rural communities across Canada. At the same time, Canada lost 112,000 jobs in that same period of time and the youth unemployment rate was at 14.3%.

Through my Order Paper question yesterday, we learned that the program for temporary foreign workers cost $1.6 billion with a net loss of $509 million. What will the government say to the hundreds of thousands of unemployed youth in this country when they are increasing the number of temporary foreign workers this year?

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

Mr. Speaker, that member's numbers are quite incorrect. In fact, temporary foreign worker use has declined, so much so that the large corporations that many of his colleagues continue to advocate for are actually now focused entirely on Canadian talent. That is the way it should be, and that is why we have taken these actions.

It is much harder for employers to hire temporary foreign workers in regions with high unemployment rates and in regions where people are looking for work. In fact, this work is what we are doing despite the advocacy of many of that person's colleagues. Maybe they can get their messaging clearer.

Indigenous Affairs

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, for far too long, first nations leaders and communities in Ontario have called for a child and family services system that reflects their cultures, their priorities and the right to care for their own children. Can the Minister of Indigenous Services update the House on the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal's decision on the Ontario final agreement and how this historic milestone advances first nations‑led child and family services reform?

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

Mr. Speaker, that is an important question.

I want to sincerely congratulate the Chiefs of Ontario, the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Ontario first nations that have worked tirelessly to be the ones making the decisions for their own children. On May 29, we honoured the start of this work, based not only in culture but also in ceremony, to undertake this work. Through this historic investment, $8.5 billion means predictable, stable funding. It will also go to ensuring that prevention efforts are a priority. We are supporting this critical work. We are committed to continuing—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Edmonton Southeast.

The Economy

[Jagsharan Singh Mahal, Conservative, Edmonton Southeast, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only country in the G7 in a recession. There is nothing technical about someone coming home from work and telling their kids that they no longer have a job. Canada's economy has shrunk for two quarters in a row. Business investment is falling. Food bank use is at an all-time high. This is not a technical recession. This is a full-blown Liberal recession. If global factors are to blame, then why is Canada the only G7 country in a recession?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we are creating over 1,000 jobs through Nouveau Monde Graphite, supporting 18,000 construction jobs, and the Darlington nuclear project is supporting 18,000 construction jobs. This is just an example of the types of investments the Government of Canada is putting into the Canadian economy. Just recently, we secured the largest order of Canadian-built aircraft in our history, 150 Airbus A220s built by Canadian workers. At a time when Canada is facing a trade war, we are building, we are investing and we are diversifying.

Marine Transportation

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, ferries are essential highways for coastal communities. Of course we support strong federal funding for ferry services in Atlantic Canada. However, BC Ferries receives only $1.63 per passenger in federal operational support, compared to about $291 per passenger in Atlantic Canada. Temporary relief measures and repayable loans for B.C. cannot replace fair, long-term federal operational support.

When will the Liberal government finally modernize these outdated agreements and provide fair support for British Columbia and BC Ferries?

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, we thank the member for his advocacy for British Columbia. I am aware that the letter he sent to the department has been received. We are looking forward to having conversations about how we can continue to invest in British Columbia and how we can continue to invest in Canada. We were elected with a mandate to build Canada strong, and we will proceed with doing that.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I asked the immigration minister if she would do what France, Ireland, Belgium and Germany had done and evacuate 130 Palestinian students with university acceptance and scholarships with deferred biometrics and grant them emergency travel documents. The minister said, “we have directed officials to accelerate the student visa processing for people in Gaza, and I can confirm the decision will be made now, and in fact all...will be completed in the next 10 days.”

I am now learning that is not true. Either the minister was deliberately misleading, or she is inept and has no clue what is going on. Will the Prime Minister just fire her already?

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, we remain committed to what we have promised. Despite significant challenges, Canadians need to know that over 1,400 Gazans have arrived in Canada. Through our programs, I have directed my department to accelerate decisions on study permits for Palestinian students who have been able to exit. They are being interviewed, and final decisions are being made. We will continue processing applications while upholding the requirements to protect our immigration system and those it serves.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Claude Wiseler, President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I believe the hon. member for Foothills is rising on a point of order.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly understand that during question period there could be some heated moments. However, during the questions from my colleague, the member for Thornhill, who is a Jewish member of Parliament speaking about the very real threats to her community, the member for York South—Weston—Etobicoke called her a liar on a number of occasions. I would ask the hon. member if he would stand in this House, apologize and withdraw those words.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the unparliamentary comment that I made.