Debates of Sept. 21st, 2026

Government Accountability

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

Mr. Speaker, my friend across the way spoke with great gusto and passion about his good intentions. He said, “We in the government want good things. That is what we want.” I did not come here to debate their intentions, actually. I came here to debate the results. Good intentions are not going to feed or clothe anyone in this country, and the government will be judged by the results. It will be judged by the concrete outcomes.

I spoke about jobs and the 42,000 jobs lost, and the member tried to refer to global events. Again, I made this very clear. The government will always try to play with the timelines, but this was before the escalation in the trade conflict. We had lost 42,000 jobs beforehand.

The government will be judged by the results. The Prime Minister has said that affordability has never been better. Canadians are experiencing it differently, and it is the results that are going to matter for the government.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, let me address head-on the member's saying that there has not been action. Nothing could be further from the truth. The only action the Conservatives have taken is in opposition to what the government initiatives have been. I will give an example of some of those initiatives.

We have given tax breaks to 22 million people. One of the very first actions by the Prime Minister was to get rid of the carbon tax. We can talk about the national food program, which has been feeding literally hundreds of thousands of children. These are the types of initiatives that the Conservative Party is not only opposing but also, when it comes to the food program, is calling garbage. They do not even believe it is happening; it is tinfoil hats and all on that particular issue.

I can tell members that, at the end of the day, there are a lot of good things happening. We are committed to continuing to work for Canadians.

The Environment

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on April 17, I asked the Minister of Energy a very simple question: What would it take for the government to protect Canadians, to respect indigenous rights and to actually enforce our environmental laws?

The minister told me that Canada has strict standards, independent regulations and a strong safety record, but we have heard this before. None of this matters if the government refuses to enforce the legislation, refuses to enforce the laws that are in place in Canada to protect Canadians, to protect our environment and to ensure that indigenous rights are respected. If we do not enforce that legislation, it does not matter, and the government has shown time and time again that it will not use the tools at its disposal to protect the environment in northern Alberta.

In April, Imperial Oil's pipeline north of Cold Lake released 843,000 litres of bitumen and salt water that contained hydrocarbons, heavy metals, sulphur and other contaminants. That came after the Kearl disaster, when approximately 5.3 million litres of contaminated waste water spilled beyond the mine lease. When Parliament investigated Kearl, Imperial Oil acknowledged that seepage from its tailing system occurs and that the company's approach is to manage that. It is not to fix it, not to protect communities downstream, not to ensure that the water people are swimming in and drinking and that the animals and wildlife are using is clean, but to contain and manage it.

The Athabasca watershed contains enormous volumes of oil sands tailings, and indigenous nations have been raising concerns about contamination and the protection of their water for years. I think about the incredible work that Chief Adam, Chief Tuccaro and Grand Chief Mercredi have done. They have called out the environmental disaster that is happening on their land, yet the government fails to protect the environment in northern Alberta.

It is not just limited to the oil sands. I think of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Those are the headwaters that provide drinking water to millions of Albertans, yet Albertans have had to repeatedly fight proposals for coal mining in these watersheds. Corb Lund's “water not coal” campaign helped mobilize hundreds of thousands of Albertans around a single message that our water is more important than corporate profits and more important than coal mining by an Australian company.

We are still waiting for the federal government to bring in selenium regulations. We are still waiting for the federal government to use the tools it has at its disposal to protect our water. The government can use the Species at Risk Act, it can use the Impact Assessment Act and it can use the Fisheries Act, yet it chooses time and time again to fail to protect the water and the land in northern Alberta and in our cherished Rocky Mountains.

Once again I ask the government this: Why, when Albertans so desperately need the federal government to step up and use the tools at its disposal to protect Albertans, does the government continue to sit on its hands?

[Wade Grant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, it is my first time rising in the House since we have come back, and I am very excited to be back.

Issues related to oil sands management are taken seriously. The importance of clean waterways, healthy ecosystems and the well-being of surrounding communities continues to guide federal action in this area, alongside consideration of indigenous rights and interests. Environment and Climate Change Canada is advancing its work on oil sands mining effluent through ongoing structured engagement with indigenous rights holders and organizations, the Government of Alberta, the Government of Northwest Territories, industry representatives, environmental non-governmental organizations and other federal departments. This collaborative approach is intended to ensure that multiple perspectives and expertise inform policy development.

A key component of this work is the Crown-indigenous working group, through which ECCC, or Environment and Climate Change Canada, and indigenous partners are working together to examine options related to the management of oil sands mining process water. The outcome of this work will inform recommendations provided to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Should a regulation authorizing discharge to water be deemed necessary, it would apply only to mine water that has been treated to strict standards, designed to protect the environment, human health and the well-being of indigenous people. Under no circumstances would the releasing of tailings or untreated mine water be permitted. Engagement with partners and stakeholders will continue as considerations advance, if applicable, through the development of any regulatory measures.

In addition, Environment and Climate Change Canada, on behalf of the federal government, jointly leads the oil sands monitoring program with the Government of Alberta, in partnership with indigenous communities and industry. This program aims to improve understanding of the environmental effects of oil sands development through comprehensive ambient monitoring within the region. Monitoring results and reports are made publicly accessible through the oil sands monitoring program portal.

In August 2024, the Government of Canada announced that it would make available nearly $12 million over 10 years to support a Fort Chipewyan health study examining the potential impacts of oil sands activities on community health. Nations have begun this work.

Canada is dedicated to supporting a community-led, transparent and science-based approach to assessing health risks, with indigenous nations leading decision-making on issues that affect their well-being. Safeguarding the health of communities and the integrity of Canada's waters and ecosystems is a fundamental responsibility of this government now and into the future. Addressing the risks associated with tailings management requires sustained effort, collaboration and solutions grounded in sound science. This work is ongoing, and the government will continue to consider and be guided by the recommendations that emerge from all of these collaborative processes.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, to be perfectly honest, I am so frustrated listening to that response. It has been decades since the alarm was raised about the health impacts on people living in the Fort Chip area. Every year, Chief Adam and Grand Chief Mercredi come to Ottawa and ask the government to take action. What we get from the government is consultation after consultation and no meaningful action, no meaningful enforcement and no meaningful commitment to making sure that the water in northern Alberta is protected and that the indigenous landowners in that area are being respected.

[Wade Grant, Liberal, Vancouver Quadra, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the incident referenced is deeply concerning, and it reinforces the importance of strong oversight and accountability. Federal officials remain engaged with provincial regulators and indigenous communities to ensure that appropriate response measures are taken and that impacts are fully assessed. Where federal laws apply, they will be enforced. At the same time, this situation underscores the need to strengthen how tailings are managed across the sector. That is why the government is advancing the work, in partnership with indigenous peoples, with a focus on transparency, rigorous science and the protection of waters and communities.

Labour

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year on International Workers' Day, I asked the Liberal government why it continued refusing to support my bill, NDP Bill C-247, to repeal section 107 and stop violations against workers' right to strike. This bill is supported by workers and unions across Canada. In response, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Jobs deflected her government's failures and advised that consultations were ongoing concerning changes to the Labour Code.

Today, the cat is out of the bag. We learned that the Liberal government has done these consultations and is putting forward an omnibus bill, Bill C-39, trying to turn back the clock on workers' fundamental rights by expanding the minister's ability to shut down a strike and violate workers' rights whenever the Liberals and their CEO buddies deem it inconvenient, as we saw with port workers, flight attendants and rail workers. Of course, they did consult with the CEOs who will benefit. It is not only a historic insult to workers, but also an immense threat to workers' constitutional rights.

We know that right now there are countless families, communities and individuals being devastated by Trump's tariffs. Nobody is arguing with that. Nobody is arguing that we are not in a cost of living crisis. Instead of addressing this, the government is siding with CEOs, and instead of giving workers the relief they need to lift up their rights as workers, the Liberals have caved into the wish lists of corporations across this country by pushing forward Bill C-39 and violating their constitutional obligations to uphold the rights of workers, the rights of indigenous peoples and important environmental laws, even after a summer of disastrous wildfires during which we saw communities and homes literally burn to the ground. This past summer, the Liberal government saw what was going on, and once again it has doubled down in favour of its corporate buddies.

I want to be clear that workers do not want to strike. Who wants to go on strike to get a reduction in pay, be out of work and be more financially worse off than they are when they are working and being ripped off by the Liberals' corporate friends? Workers have rights, and these rights are protected in international law. The right of workers to walk off the job in solidarity is the only collective means to push back against powerful corporations and CEOs as the Liberal government lines its pockets. This so-called Canada strong plan is being built off the backs of people, workers, indigenous people, our environment and a livable planet.

The NDP is very firm in its belief that we must protect the rights of workers. We must protect workers' rights, and that includes the right to strike and free and collective bargaining.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Winnipeg Centre for her commitment to Canadian workers.

We are firmly committed to protecting workers' rights and ensuring a free and fair collective bargaining process. Workers must have real bargaining power. The right to strike is protected in Canada because it is an essential element of free and balanced negotiations. Our government has taken concrete measures to protect that right. Bill C-58 was a major milestone in the fight for fairness at the bargaining table.

Prohibiting the use of replacement workers protects a meaningful right to strike and makes employers and unions work together and find solutions. Collective bargaining works. Over the last five years, 95% of disputes that the federal mediation and conciliation service supported were resolved without work stoppages. This shows the system works well when the right support tools are available.

However, negotiation is not a simple process, and we are at a pivotal moment. Trade rules are rapidly changing, and our economy faces unprecedented attacks. This is having damaging consequences. At the same time, Canada is working to build major infrastructure, strengthen trade corridors and supply chains, and create good jobs across the country through measures such as Bill C-39.

Some labour disputes can therefore have serious economic repercussions, but we cannot build a strong economy without respecting the workers who keep it running every day. That is why Bill C-39 proposes measures to modernize the federal labour framework, strengthen protections for workers in federally regulated industries and help parties address issues earlier, while fully protecting the right to strike.

We all have a stake in ensuring an economy can withstand shocks and remain competitive. In some situations, the economic and social impacts are substantive. There can be extraordinary times where the government must retain the ability to intervene, but there should be a clear framework in place to explain that decision to Canadians transparently.

I want to be very clear: Our government believes that extraordinary interventions in a labour dispute should always be a last resort. Canadians appreciate this. They know that prolonged disputes can have a massive impact on Canadian families, Canadian jobs and our entire economy.

Canadians understand that we must do two things at once: We must protect workers and strengthen economic resilience. They know that when there are strong, supported relationships between employers and workers, where workers are fairly paid and their concerns are addressed, that is the best way to create stability, and that stability drives investment and economic growth, which Canada needs today more than ever.

The members opposite need to remember that Canadians chose a government that they knew would keep the state of labour relations strong.

Our approach must be pragmatic. We continue to work together with unions and employers to maintain trust in the system and ensure fairness in the workplace.

Our collective objective is clear. It is to strengthen good-faith bargaining, protect workers' rights and ensure a strong labour relations framework that helps achieve better outcomes for workers, for employers and for Canadians.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, that was a good story time. I am going to quote my good friend, President Mark Hancock, from the Canadian Union of Public Employees. He said, “[W]e will not win this trade war or make Canada stronger by stripping away the Charter rights of our own people.” He also said, “Gutting hard-won rights and protections for Canada’s workers will not help this government deliver certainty – it will do the opposite.”

We know the Liberals have used section 107 forcefully to shut down the right to strike eight times in just 18 months. Every time they have shut down a strike, the Liberals in this House have made new excuses for violating workers' constitutionally protected bargaining rights.

We know that, at the CEO summit, the government was selling off Canadian public assets like airports, which is getting push-back already from Unifor, and that the government is not on the side of workers. It is smashing down rights. It is shameful.

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

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-39 has many objectives. At its heart, it would strengthen collective bargaining by helping parties address issues earlier, reach negotiated agreements and resolve disputes while fully protecting the right to strike. I hope the member opposite takes this to heart. By acknowledging Canada's economic realities and promoting free and fair bargaining, we enable Canada to remain strong, stable and competitive. Ultimately, that protects workers.

However, I would hope that all parties in this House agree over the coming days as we debate this important legislation that workers know and should know that their rights are protected and respected. Employers need to know that there is a clear, fair and effective process for resolving disputes. When negotiations go well, everyone wins, and that is the best way for us to create a strong, stable and growing economy for all Canadians.

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

The motion to adjourn the House is now 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 6:26 p.m.)