Debates of June 4th, 2026

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Health

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Madam Speaker, my question is simple. Why are the Liberal MPs blocking the health minister from testifying at the health committee on the $300-million PrescribeIT scandal?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Madam Speaker, I am very glad to have the opportunity to respond this evening.

While the member opposite and many of his Conservative colleagues have drawn up elaborate theories about PrescribeIT and Canada Health Infoway, their position does not make any sense. The member opposite has been making absurd claims about a program launched by the previous government, but here are the facts. Our government ended funding for the program because it was not sustainable. Not only that, but the CEO of the organization that launched the program was fired.

On top of that, in the House yesterday during question period, the Minister of Health said that she is reviewing funding for the organization in question, Canada Health Infoway. She is looking at its mandate and said that it is not getting any money unless we are sure that its work aligns with its mandate. It does not get more clear-cut than that, except the Conservatives have decided to spread misinformation about the program, all in the name of social media clicks.

It is hard to take the outrage on this seriously, especially when we see the Conservatives' behaviour at the health committee, where they have been filibustering since May 7. For the last four meetings, they have used every tool at their disposal to stop the health committee from even voting on a study of the HIV crisis. Every so often they have asked who could possibly be asking for such a study, calling it useless.

I think most Canadians in the House would agree that, particularly in Pride Month of all months, that is an untenable and unfathomable position.

Does the House know who cares about doing this study? It is some of Canada's leading activists and organizations working in the field of HIV and AIDS who are calling for it. Who else cares about this study? It is the tens of thousands of Canadians living with HIV, not to mention their families and loved ones.

When the Conservatives pretend to care about health care in this country, let us look at their actions: spreading false narratives about health care projects and preventing important health care studies from taking place.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals did not answer my question.

My question was simple. Why are the Liberal MPs blocking the health minister from testifying at the health committee on the $300-million PrescribeIT scandal?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Speaker, once again, let us focus on the facts.

The minister has been very forthcoming in terms of her presence on this matter and before committee.

The previous government helped launch PrescribeIT. Our government announced it was ending.

We have already seen that Quebec has signed a contract to launch PrescribeIT in that province.

The Conservatives would rather play parliamentary games than focus on issues that matter to Canadians. As we are seeing at the health committee, that means blocking studies on important health topics like HIV.

Our government will always focus on what matters to Canadians. It would be very nice if the Conservatives would do the same.

Employment

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, we face serious economic problems now as a country. We are the only G20 nation in a recession. One in four Canadians is living food-insecure. We have seen a doubling of food bank use since 2020, and we are in the midst of a worsening unemployment crisis, particularly affecting Canada's young people. We have been repeatedly calling on the government to implement a plan to respond to this youth unemployment crisis.

In the fall, Conservatives put forward our plan with a series of constructive suggestions focused on unleashing the economy, fixing immigration, fixing training and building homes where the jobs are. We have not seen a willingness on the part of the government to implement these constructive proposals. In fact, we have seen the government choose to move in the opposite direction.

We saw, for instance, with changes the Liberals made, the cutting of grants to students who are studying at vocational institutions. The Liberals ended completion grants for students in the trades. They brought them back eventually, following strong advocacy from unions, as well as from Conservatives, but they have now trumpeted them as if they were something new when they were, in fact, the restoration of grants that had previously been cut by this particular government under the Prime Minister. We are seeing some instances in which our advocacy has made a difference, but generally speaking, there is an unwillingness of the government to meet this moment.

I will also draw the attention of members, in the context of this unemployment crisis, to a great report recently done by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business highlighting the challenges small businesses are facing when it comes to hiring young people and some of the disconnect that has existed between small businesses and young people. Its proposal, very much aligning with what we have talked about, focuses on creating the conditions in which small businesses can afford to hire young people. It proposed, for instance, payroll tax relief. Payroll tax relief would be a clear and simple way of making it easier for small businesses to hire young people.

Small business owners report that a lot of the programming that exists right now can be difficult and onerous for small businesses to use and take advantage of. The CFIB proposed broad-based changes that would reduce the cost of hiring, taking into consideration the costs of training and making it easier for people to start and grow businesses.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has also highlighted big gaps in terms of entrepreneurship in this country. It is talking about an entrepreneurial drought and saying that far more businesses are closing than are being started. Obviously, this affects the unemployment situation for young people.

As I have led this file over the last year, and as Conservatives have been working on confronting this youth unemployment crisis, we have always sought to be constructive. That is, we have sought to put forward specific, concrete suggestions to the government on how these challenges can be addressed. We have put those forward in the form of the Conservative youth jobs plan.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has put forward its ideas, which are very similar to ours, but really emphasizes payroll tax relief. We have called on the government to adopt these suggestions. What we saw in the last fiscal update is a plan on the part of the government to increase EI premiums, which is again going in the opposite direction from what the Canadian Federation of Independent Business wants.

My question tonight for the parliamentary secretary is this: When will we see a concrete plan to address the youth unemployment crisis that responds to these realities and recommendations by different stakeholders?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Madam Speaker, allow me to focus on the positive measures the government is continuing to pursue as we work to mitigate the impact of these uncertain times. As the Prime Minister has said, as we cope with economic uncertainty, our most powerful recourse, our most powerful tool is to control what is within our power to control, and that is what we are doing. Let me focus on the government's uncompromising commitment to build a stronger, more inclusive economy.

Nothing represents the power of that commitment more than our labour market development agreements and workforce development agreements. These agreements forged between the federal government and the provincial and territorial governments are engines of opportunity, resilience and growth. They provide $2.9 billion annually in training and employment assistance services delivered through provincial and territorial employment assistance offices. This approach empowers Canadians with the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing labour market.

They offer targeted training programs. They offer career services. They offer all manner of employment supports. They are boosting the employment opportunities of Canadian workers, whether they are new graduates, mid-career professionals, or individuals facing barriers to employment.

Through these programs, Canadian workers can adapt and thrive. The results speak for themselves. Each year, more Canadians are able to access skills training that leads directly to a career in a field where workers are needed. Job seekers are not only finding work faster but also securing more stable and higher-quality jobs. However, there are no jobs without employers, and this is why we are ensuring that employers also benefit. They get a more skilled and job-ready workforce and an ability to hire more quickly. Both of these advantages foster a boost in productivity.

This alignment between worker skills and employers is crucial. It has the power to strengthen entire industries. A well-trained workforce drives innovation, attracts investment and enhances Canada's global competitiveness. This is why our government's workforce tariff response, for example, is providing a further $570 million until 2027-28 under the labour market development agreements. This is funding that will support tariff-impacted employers and workers in the steel and softwood lumber sectors and in other tariff-impacted industries.

Global economies have shifted, and tariff tensions are high, but as Canadians, we do not stand idly by. We build, and our skilled trades workers are the ones who will build our future, but we are facing a serious shortage in the trades. This is why we have made a historic five-year, $6-billion investment to help workers and young people gain the skills, experience and support they need in order to thrive.

This is where team Canada strong comes in. It is the basis of our spring economic update, and it is our plan to train, recruit and hire up to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers to meet the demand. It is a plan that will help apprentices learn and train, and to access meaningful and well-paid careers. I can assure the House that the Government of Canada will always have the back of our workers and their families.

With respect to the importance of the skilled trades and apprenticeships, I have to note that I would encourage the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan to support our new plan for the trades, and I ask him why he voted against it in our spring economic update.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, there are many things that are very strange about this response.

Let us be clear. In 2006, in the first Conservative budget of Stephen Harper, Conservatives brought in grants for trades workers. We brought in completion grants in 2009. The current government cancelled them under the Prime Minister, and then, with much fanfare, announced they were bringing them back. Of course, we support bringing in these grants. We wish they had not been cancelled before being reinstated. We voted against the government's fiscal plan in general because, in general, it is going in the wrong direction.

The member highlighted labour market development agreements, which are, of course, an important and valuable part of our national architecture. Most of those agreements were signed in the 1990s and early 2000s. The last one was signed with Yukon in 2009. The government also trumpets things like the Canada summer jobs program.

Again, these are programs that date back to the nineties and have existed for a long time. The government has nothing new. The best the Liberals can do is rename past Conservative programs. The Liberals clearly do not have a plan. They need to get a plan, and fast.

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Speaker, Canada's labour market development agreements and workforce development agreements demonstrate what is possible when governments collaborate with a common goal in mind. The economic impact is equally significant. As more Canadians enter and remain in the workforce, consumer spending rises, communities prosper and public revenues grow. This is why workforce development is more than a social policy. It is a cornerstone of economic strength.

These agreements invest in people, respond to real labour market needs and deliver measurable benefits for workers and employers alike. They are not just supporting jobs. They are helping to develop a more prosperous and inclusive future for all Canadians.

I thank my colleague opposite for answering my question and confirming the fact that he voted against the spring economic update and the $6-billion program we have to reinvigorate skilled trades in Canada and recruit 100,000 new tradespeople and apprentices.

Finance

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, I am grateful for this opportunity to return to a question I asked the Prime Minister in April on his reckless spending. I am grateful not solely because the answer I received from the government was inadequate and devoid of hope for Canadians, but because I believe a whole generation’s future hangs in the balance.

The poor choices the government has made over the past 10 years have put young people at a severe disadvantage. They are the future engine of our economy. They are the future tax base that will be asked to support an aging population and compete with a rapidly developing world. A responsible government would provide them with the opportunities and conditions to succeed. A responsible government, as it stands, however, we do not have. We have a federal Liberal government that has failed to meet the moment. This is a matter that I believe should command the concern of absolutely every parliamentarian. In short, this is a federal government that has created an economic hole of its own design, is attempting to spend itself out of that hole and, simultaneously, refuses to take the common-sense steps that will create the long-term growth that Canadians desperately need.

These young people, current and future taxpayers, are entering the working world with a bill that none of them anticipated and none of them deserve. Fully aware of the consequences, the Prime Minister chose to add another $54 billion of spending on the national credit card this year. Added to other out-of-control deficits over the past decade, Canadians will be saddled with $407 billion in interest alone over the next six years. As I stated in my original question, by 2031, today’s 18-year-old first-time voter will be the workforce facing an additional $462 billion in national debt. With numbers like this, it is not at all surprising that Canada has the highest food inflation, the highest housing costs and the highest household debt in the G7, but this stark reality does not even factor in the youth jobs crisis.

After years of Liberal stagnation and mismanagement, youth unemployment is now hitting 14.3% and overall youth employment is at one of the lowest points in decades. Students are being hit especially hard, with more than 17% of those looking for work and not able to find a job. Last summer, student unemployment reached levels not seen since the great recession. Young Canadians are trying to pay tuition, gain experience and build a future. A cost of living crisis has come and many cannot find work. Even graduates with post-secondary education are increasingly unable to find jobs related to their training.

After years of Liberal policies that have driven away investment, burdened small businesses and failed to match training with labour market needs, young Canadians are paying the price. They deserve opportunity, not unemployment. Through the Conservative youth jobs plan, our side of the floor would unleash the economy by repealing anti-resource laws, cutting taxes to drive reinvestment and eliminating red tape that is shutting youth out of the job market. We would fix immigration by repairing credential recognition and realigning immigration with labour and housing realities. We would move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to training and ensure that the Canada student financial assistance program provides relatively more support to students pursuing in-demand fields. We would also build homes where the jobs are by proposing a 100% capital cost writeoff for companies that build workforce housing.

I am encouraged that the HUMA committee recently released an all-party unanimous report on youth unemployment. The report makes key recommendations to advance much of what Conservatives have proposed. Now is the time for the government to listen to Conservatives and their own MPs by implementing all of these recommendations.

This is a critical moment. Rising unemployment and the cost of living will drive more Canadians to the breaking point, particularly Canada’s youth. While the Liberals have no youth jobs plan, Conservatives have done the work and are determined to deliver results and real hope for their future. We will unleash the economy and restore the take-home pay Canadians need to break out of this Liberal debt cycle of their own creation.

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Madam Speaker, fiscal responsibility is about managing public finances in a way that protects Canadians today while securing the country's future, and that is exactly what the government is doing. Despite global uncertainty and ongoing geopolitical instability—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

I would just ask the hon. parliamentary secretary to move the phone away from the microphone. It disturbs the interpreters.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Speaker, despite global uncertainty and ongoing geopolitical instability, Canada's fiscal position remains strong. The 2026 spring economic update confirms that our fiscal outlook has improved, not deteriorated. Deficits are declining over the medium term, and the government remains firmly committed to a declining federal deficit-to-GDP ratio. As a whole, Canada also continues to have one of the strongest fiscal positions in the G7, with the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio and the second lowest deficit-to-GDP ratio.

That strong position is not accidental. It is the result of a government that is committed to making responsible, disciplined choices. That means spending less on government operations, cutting waste and ensuring public funds are used where they can deliver the greatest impact. By managing costs carefully, we are creating the fiscal room to invest more in the things that truly matter, such as supporting workers, helping businesses grow and building the nation-building infrastructure our economy depends on.

Fiscal responsibility also means not fuelling inflation. Inflation has remained within the target range for 28 consecutive months, and we want to maintain the right conditions to keep it there. That is why the government is focused on improving supply, especially housing supply, and providing real targeted affordability relief without compromising economic stability. Even under more challenging global conditions, our fiscal position remains stable under our responsible fiscal plan.

Let us talk about fairness, because fiscal responsibility is ultimately about intergenerational fairness. The government knows that young Canadians deserve more opportunities. By keeping debt under control and investing in growth, we are protecting their future. The 2026 spring economic update shows a government that is meeting today's challenges while protecting tomorrow's prosperity.

I have to highlight for my colleague, given her interest in young Canadians and creating opportunities for them, the transformational $6-billion initiative in the spring economic update to invest in recruiting, training and hiring up to 100,000 new Red Seal trades workers right across the country.

Canada's finances are improving, our fiscal anchors are intact, our debt remains sustainable, and our economy is being strengthened, not undermined by responsible public investment. That is fiscal responsibility. That is what the government is delivering. I hope that my colleague opposite gets on board.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, I am sorry, but we will have $407 billion in interest alone over the next six years, and by 2031, the youngest voters will be facing the workforce with an additional $462 billion in national debt. That is not good money management by the government. Nothing has changed under the Prime Minister, and nothing will change until the government's reckless spending is stopped.

For proof, Canada's youth need look no further than the G7 or even the G20, where Canada is the only member in a full-blown recession. Major banks, as well as the Parliamentary Budget Officer, are forecasting sluggish growth this year, and debt-to-GDP ratios are expected to continue to remain high, with virtually no chance of a decline over the next five years. It is no wonder the PBO is also reporting that the Liberals are borrowing an extra $7 billion over their own budgeted amount. That is an additional $72 billion piled onto the backs of our youth this year alone, when they are already overburdened and desperate for relief.

Conservatives warned that inflationary spending would weaken economic growth, drive away investment and leave Canadians—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Madam Speaker, the spring economic update shows that the projected deficit is actually $11.5 billion lower in 2025-26 than forecast in budget 2025. This improvement is possible because of stronger-than-expected economic performance and higher revenues.

We are concentrating on what we can control, such as maintaining fiscal sustainability while making targeted, high-impact investments for Canadians right across the country. This means eliminating the operating deficit over time, ensuring a declining deficit-to-GDP ratio and ensuring that every dollar spent on behalf of Canadians supports growth and resilience and improves the well-being of Canadians.

That is what a fiscally responsible government looks like, and that is how we are building Canada strong for all. By making these adjustments now, we are making it possible to make generational investments that protect and transform Canada's industries, strengthen our economy and empower Canadians.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 7:10 p.m.)