Debates of June 5th, 2026

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Madam Speaker, a mix-up between two government departments is hurting our businesses and their temporary foreign workers. When our small and medium-sized businesses want to renew their employees' work permits through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, they must submit a labour market impact assessment, or LMIA, within 60 days. However, Service Canada is the one that issues LMIA approvals. Since the Service Canada process takes more than 60 days, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada closes the files. As a result, in Rimouski, two workers at Armoires Perreault have been left without pay. A day care centre was denied two workers after waiting more than 100 days.

Will the government stop punishing these people for its own mistakes?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Madam Speaker, our government recognizes that Quebec relies heavily on temporary foreign workers. I know that is the case in our region, the Quebec City region, and that is certainly the case in several regions throughout Quebec.

We have implemented a targeted measure that extends temporary foreign worker permits by one year. I am also very pleased to announce that, as of today, this public policy from the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship will also apply to the spouses and partners of work permit holders. This is good news for many temporary foreign workers in Quebec. We continue to work with Quebec on these labour issues.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Madam Speaker, it is simple: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada requires LMIAs in 60 days, but the service standard is 64 days. Obviously, this is not working, but Ottawa would rather blame the businesses than clean up its own mess. It is infuriating.

The government must extend its deadlines when provided with proof that an LMIA is being processed. When it closes cases by error, it should at least allow them to be reopened at no cost and without having to begin the process all over again.

Is it going to fix this disaster?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Madam Speaker, the answer is yes. Incidentally, we extended the processing time for these requests to 90 days precisely for the reason he just mentioned.

The Economy

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. Three of the last four quarters have seen negative growth. Workers are losing their jobs. Businesses are putting their investment plans on hold. Deficits are skyrocketing. At what point will Liberal ministers admit that we are in a recession? Will they do so after two quarters? Will they do so after three quarters, or after four quarters?

Will the Liberal Prime Minister finally tell Canadians whether we are in a Liberal recession or a technical recession?

[Pauline Rochefort, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Rural Development)]

Madam Speaker, this week is a good week for northern Ontario. Well-paid jobs are important.

In the north, there are more than 900 companies operating in the mining supply and services sector. Premier Mining Products, a company in my riding, just announced that it is using the regional tariff response fund to modernize and expand its operations. Electra Battery Materials in Cobalt recently made significant investments.

Furthermore, we welcomed the action plan to transform the forestry sector that was announced this week. We need to focus on what we can build together—

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

The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, what we want is for all Canadian businesses to be able to prosper and grow, but under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. I have said it before and I will say it again. When the economy slows down, businesses invest less and the government needs to step in more.

Who is paying the most for this? It is costing all Canadians more, as their debt load rises and they have a harder and harder time making ends meet. That is exactly what is happening in Canada today. Everyone sees what is going on, except the Liberal Prime Minister.

Will he tell us whether—

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

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Pauline Rochefort, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Rural Development)]

Madam Speaker, there is a lot of good news today. It is important to mention that the first Canada groceries and essentials benefit payments were deposited today. In my riding, they went out to 28,000 residents of Nipissing—Timiskaming. A single person will receive $950 and a family of four will receive up to $1,890. As we know, this measure is one of the government's many initiatives to help Canadians with affordability.

Let us celebrate this important day.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, how can anyone take such delight in people's poverty, as we have just seen? When a government is forced to hand out money so that people can eat, something is not right.

We just heard the entire Liberal Party applaud a measure to help people pay their grocery bills every month. This is unacceptable. Is this really where Canada has ended up? We applaud when the government hands out money because people cannot afford groceries?

If the Liberals recognized that we are in a recession, they would do something about it.

[Madeleine Chenette, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and to the Secretary of State (Sport)]

Madam Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my colleague, but today he seems to be all doom and gloom.

Today, thanks to the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, we are providing $543 to a single person as a GST credit and $1,086 to a family of four. These are concrete measures that people on this side of the House are working on to help families and the most vulnerable. When will the Conservatives understand this and stop criticizing us? We are building a strong Canada.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, a full week has already been wasted. We learned last Friday that Canada is in a recession. The Liberals insist on burying their heads in the sand. They are playing word games. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said yesterday that the Liberal government has a 1% chance of meeting its fiscal anchors. That means it has a 99% chance of failing economically.

Will the Liberal government stop burying its head in the sand and admit that our country is in a recession?

[Ginette Lavack, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

I have been visiting with people in my riding. I have been going door to door and attending community events. Although people still have concerns about affordability, they see our efforts and tell us we are on the right track.

Today, more than 29,600 people in my riding will be better off because of the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. What is more, over 12,000 people in St. Boniface—St. Vital are enrolled in the dental care plan. The impacts are real.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate to hear what we just heard. It is rather pathetic to be rejoicing about the fact that the government has to give Canadians money so that they can afford to eat. Canada is the only G20 country that is in a recession. The Liberals have a long list of excuses. Meanwhile, seniors are being forced to cut back on groceries. Families are being forced to make big sacrifices to make ends meet. The Liberals need to admit that what they are doing is not working. They need to quickly find solutions to stop this decline.

That said, they need to start by admitting that we are in recession.

[Ginette Lavack, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services]

Madam Speaker, I must admit that, given the challenges we are currently facing, there is a tremendous amount of work to do. We, on this side of the House, are doing that work. We are investing in Canadians and in businesses. I was very proud to visit the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, where business owners told us that we are on the right track and asked us to continue making these investments, because they support them.

We also want to create up to 100,000 jobs in the skilled trades to support all sectors of our industry. That is important.

[Chris Malette, Liberal, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Madam Speaker, the world's economic and trade landscape is undergoing rapid transformations, thrusting countries, businesses and workers, including those in my riding of Bay of Quinte, into a period of uncertainty. Our government is responding accordingly, building a stronger and more resilient Canadian economy and protecting jobs and industries.

As that plan takes hold, we are also offering a bridge and a boost to help make life more affordable. Can the parliamentary secretary update this House on the Canada groceries and essentials benefit and what it will mean for Canadian families?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Madam Speaker, this member is doing outstanding work, first of all, on the committees for environment and for defence. He brings with him years of experience as a city councillor and as a journalist. He has been a pillar of his community.

Of course, just like every Liberal MP, the member has advocated for the groceries and essentials benefit, a benefit that that will allocate up to $1,900 for a family of four. Today, cheques going out are up to the amount of $533 for a family of four. This is serious support for families because we believe in this country, and that is the approach we take.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. The impact is real, not theoretical. Over the past four years, in Lethbridge, one of our food banks has experienced an increase in child usage of 112%. That is children going to the food bank.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister spent nearly $200,000 on inflight catering for just three flights. To put that in perspective, that is enough to treat a family of four to monthly steak dinners at The Keg for 50 years. Will the Prime Minister finally tell us, are we in just a technical recession, or is this a real full-blown Liberal recession?

[Stephen Fuhr, Liberal, Secretary of State (Defence Procurement)]

Madam Speaker, that member knows very well that the foundations of the Canadian economy remain strong. I will give a couple of good examples of that.

Foreign direct investment is at a 23–year high. Interest rates remain low. Inflation remains at the Bank of Canada window. Manufacturing numbers are up. Even productivity in Canada is trending in the right direction. Hot off the press: unemployment is down, job creation is up and 20,000 people in my riding will get the groceries and essentials benefit today. We could not be happier.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, what the member just said is that those children in my riding who are suffering from poverty and food insecurity should be thankful for the government because they have never had it so good. Shame on that member for claiming that. These are individuals who are finding it very difficult to make ends meet.

Food insecurity is rising and Canadians are struggling. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister splurges on fine wines, braised beef, Normandy butter cups and all sorts of things, while jetting around the world. Is he enjoying his luxurious lifestyle at the expense of taxpayers during a true recession or is it just a technical recession?

[Vince Gasparro, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Madam Speaker, I find it really amazing that the member gets up and is more concerned about debating the price of paper clips than actually trying to help Canadians. She has voted against every affordability measure that has been brought forward.

In my riding of Eglinton—Lawrence, 37,000 people are going to benefit from this groceries benefit, so are you telling them they do not deserve it? Shame on you.

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

I remind the hon. member to speak through the Chair. I am not telling anybody anything.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country to fall into a recession, with an economic decline in three of the last four quarters. The Parliamentary Budget Officer is saying that the chance the Liberal government will achieve its fiscal anchor is at less than 1%.

We are on the brink of a major energy crisis, with rising inflation from higher energy and higher food prices that are guaranteed. Canada is in a recession today, and it is not looking good for the rest of the year. When will the Liberal government reverse course and stop this economic slide?

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

Madam Speaker, this is a government that is hard at work for all Canadians. We have a plan to build Canada strong, and on days like today we are seeing real progress with 88,000 net new jobs. The largest increase in those jobs is in construction. Youth unemployment fell by nearly a point. In the member's home province alone there are 14,000 new jobs.

Our plan is working. We are hard at work. We are going to keep working for Canadians.