Debates of June 3rd, 2026

The Economy

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the question is for the Prime Minister about the real human cost of Canada being the only country in the G7, and in the G20, that is in a recession. Brad from Ontario wrote me to say that his family hung on during the Trudeau years, but since the Liberal Prime Minister took over, he is at risk of losing everything. He sold his home and had to get rid of all of the savings he had accumulated for his retirement.

Will the Prime Minister have the decency to stand up, look Brad in the eye and tell Brad if we are in a technical recession or a real recession?

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

Mr. Speaker, I speak to a lot of people like Brad in my own riding of Gatineau. What they ask me is why there is such apparent glee on the part of the Leader of the Opposition and his troops when they march in here. Canada faces some economic headwinds from an unprovoked trade war, and they blame Canada. Canada faces economic headwinds from a war in the Middle East, and they blame Canada.

People cannot help but notice that the Leader of the Opposition and his entire bench walk in here with glee when Canada faces—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, when there is only one country in the G20 facing a recession, while all the other countries face the same wars and tariffs, then we know it is appropriate to blame the Liberal government. The member talks about glee. Jacqueline has no glee. She actually had to put her dog down because she cannot afford the veterinary bills along with the inflation in her food, her rent and her gas.

If the Prime Minister actually cares about Jacqueline, will he stand up and answer the question? Are we in a recession or a technical recession? Which is it?

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

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians do not need at this time is these slogans, these clips and this empty rhetoric from that side of the House. Jacqueline knows, and she should know, that every step of the way, the Leader of the Opposition has voted against every affordability measure in the House. Jacqueline knows it, and we know it. Canadians know it.

When it comes to affordability, we are going to stand with families. We are going to stand with workers. We are going to support our industries. We are going to build Canada strong together.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Colleagues, it is too loud in the House. I will not point any fingers, but it is too loud.

The hon. Leader of the Opposition has the floor.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the question was for the Prime Minister. If he actually cared about the people who wrote these letters, he would stand up and answer the questions himself instead of having a member get up to condemn slogans and then list five of them in a row.

Here is another letter, which is from Thomas in Sarnia. He runs a painting business, but is now stuck in a bind. The cost of his paints are too high to keep his prices low, and if his prices are too high, nobody can afford to hire him. He is worried he is going to lose his business. This is the human cost of being the only country in the G20 that is in a recession.

Will the Prime Minister tell Thomas if this just a technical recession? Is he technically on the verge of bankruptcy?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, it is important that we recognize the critical investments we are making in Canada's economy right now to help these same people the opposition mentions. Yesterday, we announced investments in Quebec in infrastructure, including $2.5 billion in community centres, infrastructure to build more housing and to scale up our affordable housing across the country, $1 billion to be invested to upgrade our hospitals and emergency rooms, and over $6 billion to invest in public transit to help people get around affordably and to create the jobs that make this country prosperous.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is the same pattern with the Prime Minister every time. He gets a fancy title, and he turns it into an absolute disaster. A tiny group of insiders get fabulously rich making everyone else poor, and when it comes time to be accountable, he goes into hiding, not even able to respond to the Canadians who wrote letters about their economic desperation, with Canada being the only G20 country in recession. Nathan from Ontario lost his job and is not sure how he is going to cover expenses for his type 1 diabetes, as severance money is now running out.

Will the Prime Minister have the decency and the courage to look Nathan in the eye and tell him—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are facing the impacts of change and global uncertainty driven by U.S. tariffs. That is why our government has a clear plan. We are diversifying trade, creating good jobs in this country, building faster and investing in workers while making life more affordable. This plan is working.

Canada is projected to have the fastest growing economy in the G7. We are going to take care of Canadians. In fact, when it comes to affordability, an average family of four will save up to $20,000 this year, and that will help them with the average cost they are experiencing each and every day. We are going to protect Canadians while building Canada strong.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it has now been almost a week after Stats Canada reported that Canada had the only recession in the G20. The Prime Minister has been in hiding ever since. He has the worst attendance record in question period. While Canadians are losing their jobs, he will not even show up to do his job.

I ask questions on behalf of Zahra, Jacqueline, Brad, Kevin, Nathan and countless others who do not know how they are going to pay their bills.

Will the Liberals stand up for once, own up for once and tell us, are we in a technical recession or a real recession? Which is it?

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not take that leader—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

We are going to start over.

The hon. secretary of state.

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Kennebecasis, NB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not take that party seriously at all. We have the former failed leader doing bizarre social media videos and screaming at fences. We have the current failed leader doing empty parking lot press conferences with no substance: gimmicks, props and slogans.

On this side of the House, we are investing in major projects, housing and trade diversification. They are not serious about the economy. Canadians see it. Canadians know it. Canadians made a choice to stand behind a world-class statesman and a world-class business and economic leader who is going to build our country—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Joliette—Manawan.

Indigenous Affairs

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette—Manawan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Amnesty International has denounced the inhumane housing crisis that the Atikamekw nation of Manawan is experiencing.

In Manawan, as many as 23 people may be crammed into housing that is often unsanitary. These conditions contribute to the spread of respiratory illnesses. They hinder children's development, their academic success, and even their basic needs. They exacerbate domestic violence. In short, these are unacceptable living conditions that would never be tolerated anywhere else.

Why does the government continue to allow the underfunding of indigenous housing to leave communities in these conditions?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear a question on such an important issue, which is a first. We know that housing is a top priority in indigenous communities. That is why I am proud to be working with my colleagues to launch the program to build Canada strong and build homes in indigenous communities. We will build these homes together with them, to meet their needs. I am proud to be doing this work with them, and we will stay the course.

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the indigenous housing crisis has been denounced for decades by every community. It is not just a matter of housing. It is also a matter of human rights, education, health, safety and dignity.

It has been five years since the government took on an obligation under international law to address this crisis. The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador has already calculated that there is a shortage of 10,000 housing units in Quebec alone, not to mention the fact that 8,000 housing units need to be renovated and 4,000 others need to be decontaminated.

The federal government promised that this would be fixed by 2030. When will they work with communities to come up with a predictable and achievable plan?

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

Mr. Speaker, for decades, there was underfunding and discrimination in this file. I am proud to work with the only government that has decided to take a stand and add funding to this file to meet the needs of indigenous nations in Quebec and across Canada.

I am proud to be doing this work. I am very pleased to note that, under urban and rural programs, in big cities and in the north, we are doing this work together, not only with the nations, but also with people in urban centres. That is very important.

The Economy

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the government's excuses for the Liberal recession kept changing. First, they said it was world factors. Then we pointed out that none of the other G20 countries are in a recession. Mexico, which shares a border with the U.S. and is fully integrated with the U.S. economy, is not in a recession. Only this country, under this Liberal Prime Minister, is in a recession.

His explanation yesterday was, “We see some weakness, in part because of clear decisions by the government.” That at least is fair.

He claims that we are not bringing enough immigration. If that is the case, why is it that Canada has the lowest per capita GDP growth of any G7 country?

[Claude Guay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, we are in a trade war, something the Leader of the Opposition conveniently forgets or does not forget, depending on how it serves him.

That is why today, with the lumber tariffs remaining unjustified and unfair to workers, businesses and communities, we have announced enhanced BDC loans, two new direct lending facilities, $400 million to regional development agencies and billions of dollars to support our forestry projects across Canada.

We are going to continue to work with provinces and territories—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot even get up and defend his economic record as it is so bad. Instead, he has one of his backbenchers explain that the Liberals are spending billions and billions of dollars on new bureaucracies they have set up. That is exactly why the economy is in a recession. It is because he has continued on with the same Liberal policies of the last 10 years: the same anti-development laws, the same expansion of bureaucracy, the same corporate welfare, 12 new government agencies, and Canadians paying the bill with higher and higher prices.

We all know that Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. Can he explain why Canada has the lowest per capita GDP growth in the G7?