Debates of June 4th, 2026

Canadian Identity and Culture

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, at least the Conservatives are honest enough to say they do not care about culture. Now Bloc Québécois members are standing up in the House, one after another, to vote against culture, that is, against the $750 million in the latest budget for Telefilm Canada, the National Film Board of Canada, Radio-Canada, and so on. The height of hypocrisy is that they are voting against $600 million for the cultural industry. It is a massive amount, it is immediate, and it is going to be effective for our content producers.

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister's $600 million is paid for by citizens. The minister is replacing billions of dollars in contributions from platforms like Netflix with $600 million from taxpayers' pockets. Regardless of whether citizens are subscribers or not, they are still going to pay.

However, other countries around the world are demanding significant payments from streaming platforms and they have not seen a significant increase in bills. Quebec had the courage to stand up to the web giants.

When will the federal government show the same courage?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, it is a good thing that the leader of the Bloc Québécois is no longer the president of ADISQ, because yesterday, ADISQ said that this was immediate relief until a permanent solution is found.

Of course, thanks to Bill C‑11, we certainly expect people and web giants to pay their fair share.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, ADISQ later came back to say that this was not a permanent solution.

The entire cultural sector is calling for a long-term solution that involves contributions from digital platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. In the meantime, Ottawa is still exempting them and turning to taxpayers to make up the $600-million shortfall.

We have been talking about this for 25 years. The future of culture depends on the web giants paying their fair share. This decision is clearly yet another capitulation to the digital billionaires at the expense of Quebec culture.

What will it take for the Minister of Culture to defend culture?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is a master at lecturing others, but it has no lessons to teach. When we were negotiating the budget and sought their support, the Bloc Québécois made no requests about culture. When it came time to vote on the budget, which included $750 million for culture, the Bloc Québécois voted against it.

Now that we are announcing $600 million—a decision welcomed by ADISQ and the cultural sector to support our artists, our cultural sector and our cultural sovereignty—the Bloc Québécois is once again opposing it.

The Economy

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the only leader in the entire G20 to force their country into a recession is the Liberal Prime Minister. He forced the same 2.2 million Canadians to pay for his lavish 200,000 dollars' worth of meals on just three flights. In fact, he spent more on salmon on those three flights than what an average family will spend on groceries for the entire year. He is forcing Canadians to sacrifice so that he can stuff his face with crème brûlée.

Will he stand up on his two feet and tell us, is this a technical recession or a full-blown Liberal one?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am happy, because we had a nice exchange this morning at the finance committee on this very issue.

Every time the Prime Minister travels somewhere, he comes back and tells his ministers about the investments and the economic opportunities that are coming back to this country. It keeps us very busy, thanks very much.

For my part, I hope he travels more, because we will be building more infrastructure, we will be building more ports, we will be building more railways, we will be building more bridges, we will be building this country strong and we will be building it well.

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary East, AB]

Mr. Speaker, every time the Prime Minister leaves, he stuffs his face with 200,000 dollars' worth of lavish meals on the taxpayer dime. We see a lot of fake signings of MOUs, a lot of fake handshakes, a lot of nothing and zero dollars in trade deals. That is why Canada has been thrown into a full-blown Liberal recession.

The Liberal government has done nothing for the average Canadian. That is why 2.2 million Canadians are facing food insecurity in this country and why 120,000 lost their jobs in the first three months of this year.

Will he tell us, what is the plan to get out of this full-blown Liberal recession?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am sure Canadians who are watching today are fed up with the Conservatives' talking down the Canadian economy.

Canada is a great country. We have the most educated workforce. We build planes. We build cars. We build ships. We have the critical minerals that the world needs. We have an abundance of energy. We are the only G7 country with free trade with all the other G7 nations.

We are going to build Canada strong. We are going to build it together. We are going to have the second-fastest-growing economy in the G7. That is Canada.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the only things they build are debt, deficit and a Liberal Prime Minister who has made Canada the only G20 country in a recession.

While Canadians are told to make sacrifices, do members know who is not making sacrifices? It is the Prime Minister, as well as his well-connected Liberal insiders. Recently released documents show $200,000 spent on food for just three flights, including $18,000 for salmon for just one flight alone. That is more than the average family will spend in groceries in 2026.

As seniors line up at food banks and families pay the price, will the Prime Minister finally tell us whether we are actually in a technical recession or a recession?

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

Mr. Speaker, we have some news here. We looked up leader expenditures for 2024, and I will be very interested to look at 2025, because we all know what happened there. We had a summer sojourn at Stornoway that was a little iffy. However, in 2024, Mr. Leader of the Opposition spent $8.8 million in the Leader of the Opposition's office, and he does not have to make one single decision. The Liberal leader spent $4.1 million. That is double. That is bad. They have some answering to do.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, next week, we will do the Prime Minister's Office—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Order.

The hon. member for Barry South—Innisfil can start from the beginning, please.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie South—Innisfil, ON]

We will do the whole PCO next week for them, Mr. Speaker, and you will get a kick out of that.

Canada's the only G20 country that is in a recession. While it may be a laughing matter to them, Canadians are missing mortgage payments, bankruptcies are up and nearly 60% have little or no money left over at the end of the month. The Liberal Prime Minister spent money in Rome: $4,213 on crème brûlée, $3,800 on chocolate and $593 on luxury Normandy buttercups, whatever that is. Canadians deserve an honest answer.

Are we in a recession or a technical recession? Tell us the truth.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is $8.8 million. The Leader of the Opposition has been in the House for 22 years. He has never had a job outside of the House, yet he spent $8.8 million. On this side of the House, we are serious about the economy. We are serious about building an economy for all Canadians. Abroad, we are signing trade deals. At home, we are cutting taxes. We are investing in infrastructure. We are investing in housing, in aerospace, in defence and more. We are going to build Canada strong. They can continue with the rhetoric.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G20 country to fall into a recession. Canadians are struggling with food affordability. One in four is now food insecure, yet the Prime Minister racks up $200,000 in airplane catering in three trips. He spent $17,000 on salmon alone, which is more than most families spend on food in an entire year.

If the Prime Minister cannot control his own reckless spending, how can Canadians trust him to get us out of this recession, or is it technically not his problem?

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

Mr. Speaker, at this moment, our government is making important investments in communities throughout Ontario, and these investments are going to create jobs for all Canadians. We know it is time to invest in Ontario. This is why we are investing in the Black Creek sanitary trunk sewer, the Kitchener central transit hub, the downtown connection hub in the city of Barrie, the Scarborough subway, the Hamilton LRT and the Darlington nuclear power plant. All of these are in Ontario, where the member is from. We care about Ontario, and it is time to invest.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, $94,000 was spent on a single flight. Only a member of the Liberal insider class cannot see a problem with that. It is more than five families spend in an entire year on groceries. Canada is the only G20 country in a recession, and Canadians are struggling. If one is in the Prime Minister's entourage, well, one can expect $200,000 in catering. Federal executives get tens of millions of dollars in bonuses despite missing performance targets.

If the Prime Minister thinks sacrifice is necessary, why are he and everyone in his inner circle exempt from it, especially in a recession?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on doing the hard work of building our country and building our economy. Two weeks ago, our government announced $350 million in housing and infrastructure investments in the Yukon to deliver stronger communities in the north. Three weeks ago, we announced $61 million in funding for high-speed Internet projects in northern Manitoba. Four weeks ago, we celebrated station construction being under way at all eight stations along the Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension. We are doing the hard work from coast to coast to coast to build Canada. All they want to do is tear it down.

[David Bexte, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, under the Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. Canadians are being told to tighten their belts while the Prime Minister cannot stop spending. On a single trip, taxpayers were billed more than $17,000 for salmon, which is more than many Canadian families spend on food for an entire year. Meanwhile, the environment minister said it was reasonable to spend half a million dollars on luxury accommodations in Brazil on a junket.

With all the extravagant spending, will the Prime Minister stop dodging and tell Canadians the truth? Are we in a recession or merely a technical recession?

[John Zerucelli, Liberal, Secretary of State (Labour)]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party leader needs to explain the $8.8 million of unaccounted for, unexplained expenses.

The Conservatives know that we are in the middle of a trade war, but we have a plan. We are building. Let me give some examples. There is Canada's first European LNG agreement, with more than $30 billion in investment secured. The Nouveau Monde Graphite mine project will provide thousands of jobs in the skilled trades. The Darlington nuclear project in Ontario will provide thousands of jobs in the skilled trades.

We are building this country. We are fighting for Canadians. I hope the Conservatives join us.

Climate Change

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we were wondering why the Liberals did not have the courage to criticize the Prime Minister's climate record. The Toronto Star explains it. According to Liberal elected officials, the Prime Minister is literally yelling at his MPs when they tell him things he does not want to hear. They are not allowed to question him. They are not allowed to write to him either.

Are the Liberal members throwing in the towel on climate change because they are afraid of the Prime Minister?

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

Mr. Speaker, I am very surprised by my kind colleague's question. I will share my humble experience as Secretary of State for Nature. I was not yelled at. I did not have to make a big scene. We worked, consulted and talked. I have plenty of colleagues here who worked with me, since this is all very new to me.

We are able to work together, debate and move forward, and we are doing this to protect nature and develop our country within a united Canada.

[Patrick Bonin, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as wildfire season approaches, today, 300 mayors are calling the Prime Minister out on his climate record and his shift toward the oil sector. Representatives of half the population are telling the Prime Minister that if he wants to build the country, as he claims, he first has to make sure not to burn it down.

We already know that the Prime Minister wants nothing to do with environmental groups and Parliament. We now know that he yells at his own members.

Will he at least listen to these mayors or will he yell at them too?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, we are working well together as a team. We are working hard to fight climate change and we are already seeing results. The sale of electric vehicles has more than doubled thanks to the EV rebate. We are now making investments in public transit in Quebec. We are making investments in Quebec aluminum to make it greener and create jobs. We are investing in Alto for faster and greener transportation.

They are against all that. We are doing the work and we are doing it together.