House of Commons Hansard #131 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was recession.

Topics

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This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

The Criminal Code Third reading of Bill S-228. The bill amends the Criminal Code to explicitly define forced or coerced sterilization as aggravated assault. During the debate, members from all parties treated this as a non-partisan issue centered on preserving bodily autonomy and free and informed consent. Acknowledging the traumatic experiences of survivors like Katy Bear, the House ultimately ensured the legislation was carried unanimously. 7000 words, 1 hour.

Opposition Motion—The Government's Fiscal Policies Members debate a Conservative motion characterizing Canada's economy as being in a recession and demanding a reversal of government policies. Conservatives argue that failed government strategies have stifled investment and increased costs for households. Liberals counter by emphasizing positive labour market data and affordability supports, accusing the opposition of unwarranted pessimism. The Bloc Québécois criticizes both parties, focusing on concerns regarding productivity and the government's management of major infrastructure projects and fiscal accountability. 35800 words, 4 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.

Statements by Members

Question Period

The Conservatives argue Canada is the only G20 nation in a recession, citing declining productivity and higher-than-forecast deficits. They accuse the government of obstructing a committee probe into the $300-million PrescribeIT scandal and criticize lax border policies for allowing international criminal tourism rings to target Canadian communities.
The Liberals highlight the creation of 88,000 new jobs and rising wages as signs of a resilient economy. They promote the groceries and essentials benefit and declining rents to address affordability. They also emphasize investments in Canadian culture, skilled trades, and community infrastructure while addressing organized crime and health care modernization.
The Bloc accuses the government of abandoning Quebec culture by capitulating to digital giants and threatening cultural diversity. They also oppose re-authorizing banned pesticides in Bill C-30, claiming the minister prioritizes agrochemical company profits.
The NDP emphasizes meaningful consultation with the Nisga'a Nation concerning bitumen pipelines and the oil tanker ban.

Interparliamentary Delegations Members Ginette Petitpas Taylor, James Maloney, and Terry Sheehan present various reports to the House regarding the activities, bilateral missions, and inter-parliamentary delegation meetings of the Canada-France, Canada-Europe, Canada-China, and Canada-Japan associations. 500 words.

Somali Heritage Month Act First reading of Bill C-283. The bill proposes officially designating July of each year as Somali Heritage Month in Canada to celebrate the cultural contributions and history of Somali Canadians within the nation. 200 words.

Canada Labour Code First reading of Bill C-284. The bill proposes amending the Canada Labour Code to prohibit employers from using outside managers as replacement workers during strikes and lockouts, aiming to strengthen protections for collective bargaining and unionized workers’ rights. 200 words.

Wartime Service Recognition Act First reading of Bill S-246. The bill creates a national framework for formally recognizing Canadian Armed Forces military service as wartime service, establishing criteria and timelines for designation from the Korean War onward and for future conflicts. 100 words.

Petitions

Concurrence in Vote 5—Department of National Defence Members debate the 2026-27 main estimates, focusing on government spending priorities and requests for departmental funding. Conservatives criticize the government’s $200-million lease for a spaceport in Nova Scotia, alleging a lack of transparency and favoritism toward Liberal insiders. Liberals defend the spending as a strategic investment to achieve space sovereignty, modernize the Canadian Armed Forces, and support economic growth, while the NDP raises concerns regarding the need for better protection against fraud within the financial sector. 27800 words, 4 hours.

Main Estimates, 2026-27 First reading of Bill C-32. The bill, a supply act appropriating money for federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, is introduced, debated in committee of the whole, and passed by the House of Commons. .

Supplementary Estimates (A), 2026‑27 First reading of Bill C-33. The bill authorizes funding for the federal public administration for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2027, completing its legislative passage through the House of Commons after committee review and a final vote. 200 words.

Adjournment Debate - Health Dan Mazier and Matt Strauss demand accountability regarding $300 million in spent funds on the PrescribeIT program and question the independence of Canada Health Infoway. Maggie Chi dismisses these concerns as political obstruction, accusing Conservatives of neglecting a public health emergency involving HIV in Manitoba. 1300 words, 10 minutes.

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The EconomyOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Conservative

Éric Lefebvre Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, I have a brief reminder for the minister. The country's best years were under the Conservatives.

Slower growth and a higher deficit: That is the alarming assessment from the Parliamentary Budget Officer. The result is that GDP per capita growth in Canada remains among the lowest in the G20; the Canadian economy has contracted over the last two quarters; and under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in recession.

I have a simple multiple-choice question for the Prime Minister: Has Canada entered a recession or a technical recession?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec

Liberal

Anna Gainey LiberalSecretary of State (Children and Youth)

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on economic growth and we are working hard to achieve it. Our plan is working. The youth unemployment rate has fallen by nearly 1%. That means 22,000 jobs for our young people. What is more, we are investing $6 billion in the skilled trades to recruit, hire and train 100,000 young people. We on this side of the House are building Canada strong for everyone.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Éric Lefebvre Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, I asked whether we were in a technical recession or a recession. Once again, there is no answer. In order to solve a problem, we first have to acknowledge that a problem exists. However, the Liberals still refuse to acknowledge that Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the Liberals are going to add $318 billion to the national debt by 2031, assuming no other measures are put in place. There is no limit on the Liberal credit card.

Will the government finally put an end to its mismanagement, which has, unfortunately, plunged Canada into a recession?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec

Liberal

Anna Gainey LiberalSecretary of State (Children and Youth)

Mr. Speaker, our government has a plan to transform the foundation of our economy and make it more resilient. We are creating tens of thousands of jobs, particularly in Darlington and Contrecoeur.

We are investing in hospitals, community centres, public transit and affordable housing. We are creating the conditions for long-term prosperity and building Canada strong from coast to coast to coast.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. The Parliamentary Budget Officer's report confirms that the deficit could be as high as $72 billion in 2026. Meanwhile, Canadians' purchasing power has stagnated since 2015. For Quebeckers, that means that groceries, mortgages and gas are more expensive.

Are these technical bills, or will the Prime Minister admit that Canada is in a recession?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Outremont Québec

Liberal

Rachel Bendayan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister

Mr. Speaker, since this summer, we have created more than 165,000 jobs here in Canada. In May alone, 88,000 jobs were created. If we look at the United States, for example, we see that Canada is creating jobs. The number of jobs created per capita in Canada is almost double that of the United States. It is great to see that so many Canadians are optimistic and have a positive outlook on the future.

YouthOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

Tatiana Auguste Liberal Terrebonne, QC

Mr. Speaker, young people deserve to grow up in safe, united communities brimming with opportunities.

Could the Secretary of State for Children and Youth explain for the House what the historic agreement reached last week with Quebec means for young people in Quebec and Canada?

YouthOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec

Liberal

Anna Gainey LiberalSecretary of State (Children and Youth)

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Terrebonne for her question.

Our government invested $10 billion in Quebec, and young people are going to reap the benefits. We are going to build modern school campuses, hospitals and emergency rooms. We are going to improve public transit to take people to school and to work. We are building a strong economy for our youth and for our future.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession, and the state of the economy is dire. The economy has shrunk three out of the last four quarters, per capita GDP shows annualized growth of only 0.2% per year over the last seven years, capital investment has declined for five quarters in a row and bankruptcies have hit rates not seen since 2009.

At what point do the Liberals stop calling these technicalities and start admitting that Canadians were promised growth and fiscal responsibility but got a recession instead?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Whitby Ontario

Liberal

Ryan Turnbull LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, it is times like this that remind me of the famous pragmatic philosopher William James, who famously said, “Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power.” Perhaps there is no quote that could better explain the misfortunes of the Conservative Party of Canada in the House. However, let us be honest. Despite the headwinds, there is much to be optimistic about in the Canadian economy: 1.5% in consumer spending, wages outpacing inflation every month this government has been in power and 88,000 jobs in May. That is 800—

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia

The hon. member for Newmarket—Aurora has the floor.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Sandra Cobena Conservative Newmarket—Aurora, ON

Mr. Speaker, if denial could grow the economy, we would certainly be leading in the G20. Canada is in a recession. Scotiabank has forecast growth of just 0.8% and BMO 0.5% for this year. The Bank of Canada warns that one in 10 homeowners in Toronto might not be able to renew their mortgage. While the Liberals may try to dismiss this recession, Canadians cannot ignore losing their jobs and businesses or delaying retirement.

Will the Prime Minister acknowledge these recessionary conditions Canadians are facing are real, or are those just technicalities too?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Whitby Ontario

Liberal

Ryan Turnbull LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)

Mr. Speaker, I want Canadians to realize what the Conservatives choose to spend their time on in a time of great anxiety and uncertainty. They choose to amplify bad news in our economy. They choose to be pessimistic at a time when Canadians need optimism.

Canadians need a government that lifts them up. That is what our government is doing by investing in 12 million Canadians with the groceries and essentials benefit. We are celebrating 88,000 new jobs in the Canadian economy, exceeding expectations by 800%. That is the kind of government Canadians deserve.

They deserve much better—

The EconomyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

The Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia

The hon. member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford.

The EconomyOral Questions

June 8th, 2026 / 2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession, and in the past few days, we have learned much more about how dire the state of our economy is under his watch. On Saturday night, in a Lake Cowichan pub, workers told me their biggest worry was affording groceries, but the Liberals' recycled grocery stunt cuts off at only $59,000 for a couple, meaning that full-time workers are shut out.

The Prime Minister laughed at suffering Canadians in this House last week. Will he stop laughing and start caring so that Canadians can afford to eat?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke B.C.

Liberal

Stephanie McLean LiberalSecretary of State (Seniors)

Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve facts, not Conservative fear. Labelling the economy without context does not help workers or businesses. The Bank of Canada has, in fact, cautioned against doing that.

Economies around the world are facing global uncertainty, but Canada is weathering these global headwinds better than many of our peers. Our economy is stable, jobs are being created and we continue to support Canadians through these headwinds.

We will remain focused on affordability, economic growth and supporting jobs, while the Conservatives remain focused on fearmongering.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Amarjeet Gill Conservative Brampton West, ON

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. The economy has shrunk for two straight quarters, and in three of the last four quarters. Productivity is declining. Businesses are struggling. Families are working hard and unable to get ahead. Young people feel locked out of jobs, housing and starting a family. Canada's economy is getting worse, not better.

Will the Prime Minister tell us if we are in a recession, or does he believe Canadians are only technically struggling to pay their bills?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Burlington North—Milton West Ontario

Liberal

Adam van Koeverden LiberalSecretary of State (Sport)

Mr. Speaker, it seems that the Conservatives' photocopier is out of toner, because they have all received the exact same photocopy of the exact same question. It is too bad that the Conservative leader does not trust his MPs to ask an original question. Perhaps they might ask about their local businesses or something that is happening in their own province. It is the same question over and again.

We have to stick to the facts. Canada's economy is growing. In fact, Canada has surpassed the U.S. when it comes to having a higher employment rate. The Canadian economy, because Canadians are working hard, added 88,000 jobs in the last month.

We have a plan and we are working hard to make sure that Canadians are getting ahead.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Amanpreet S. Gill Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada has become the only country in the G20 in a recession. Businesses are no longer investing in Canada. Even the banks have lost faith. Scotiabank and BMO are projecting growth at less than half of that of the United States.

The first step to fixing any problem is admitting that there is one. Will the Liberal Prime Minister admit to Canadians that we are in a recession, or will he continue to tell them they are only technically suffering after a decade of Liberal rule?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Edmonton Centre Alberta

Liberal

Eleanor Olszewski LiberalMinister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Alberta on the Conservative benches must have missed the latest job numbers for our province. Employment in Alberta is up 104,000 compared to this time last year. It is the strongest year-over-year jobs growth of any province. This is thanks to resilient Alberta workers and businesses that are building, hiring, investing and helping to drive Canada's economy forward.

Conservatives from Alberta should stop talking down their own constituents and acknowledge the work they are doing to build a better economy.

HealthOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Riding Mountain, MB

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals on the health committee are blocking an investigation into the $300-million PrescribeIT scandal. For over a month, they have stopped the committee from holding any new meetings to get answers. They have shut down meetings. They have turned off committee cameras. They have blocked the health minister from testifying. Now, in a disgusting political stunt, they are using Canadians suffering with HIV as an excuse to bury the truth.

If the Liberals have nothing to hide, will they come clean today and allow a full investigation into the PrescribeIT $300-million scandal?

HealthOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Marjorie Michel LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I will say it again. There were governance issues with Canada Health Infoway. Someone from the federal government sits on the board of directors, and the necessary measures were taken. The CEO has left, and we have an acting director right now.

The people involved are currently reviewing the mandates together to see how we can do a better job of solving the governance issues.

HealthOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Helena Konanz Conservative Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Mr. Speaker, despite handing 300 million tax dollars over to Canada Health Infoway for the government's failed PrescribeIT project, we can see that the Liberals have no interest in finding out why or how this money was wasted. The Liberals have voted down every attempt to get the answers.

The Conservatives have been clear. We will work through the summer to get to the bottom of this. Canadians want to hear the minister and the former CEO provide testimony.

Will the minister tell her Liberal colleagues to end their obstruction and get to the bottom of this scandal?

HealthOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Marjorie Michel LiberalMinister of Health

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat my answer, but first, I would like to talk about the Standing Committee on Health's study on AIDS, which the Conservatives are blocking. I just want to tell them that there is a national crisis, particularly in Manitoba. That is the first thing I would say.

The second thing I would say is that, yes, the board is reviewing the governance and the mandate. It will do so and report back by the end of the summer.

HealthOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Matt Strauss Conservative Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON

Mr. Speaker, Canada Health Infoway blew $300 million of taxpayer money on PrescribeIT. They have blown $1 billion over 10 years with nothing tangible to show for it. For six weeks, they have failed to produce the documents the health committee has ordered them to produce.

The health minister now says this totally dysfunctional organization will undergo a mandate review. Can she tell us how long the review will take and how much money the review will cost? Why does she not take the obvious decision today and pull their $50 million of yearly funding now?