Debates of Sept. 23rd, 2026

The Economy

[Tim Hodgson, Liberal, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, let me invite the member opposite on a little tour. How about Mersey River, where we are building today: 200 jobs? How about the intertie between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick: 600 jobs? How about Darlington:18,000 jobs? How about Pickering: 30,000 jobs? Maybe instead of doing little clips on Twitter, the Conservatives should come and help us get some jobs done.

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

Mr. Speaker, after a year and a half of the Prime Minister's lofty liberal rhetoric, there is very little to show for it.

He promised the strongest economy in the G7. The figures speak for themselves. According to the National Payroll Institute, half of workers are now spending all of their take-home pay or going into debt just to make ends meet.

While MPs on the other side of the House are laughing, I would remind them that 28% of Canadians are living paycheque to paycheque. For more than half of them, the weekly grocery run is a leading source of financial stress. Liberal rhetoric does not help pay for groceries.

When will they adopt our Conservative action plan to save Canadians money?

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

Mr. Speaker, we are very much aware that the cost of living and affordability are high-priority issues for Canadians across the country. That is why we have already taken action.

First, the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure has launched a generational plan to create more affordable and safe housing across the country.

Next, we announced the Canada groceries and essentials benefit to help 12 million Canadians. In every riding represented in this House, there are people receiving this benefit, which is designed to help families.

Finally, we have extended the federal gas tax break. These are concrete measures—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

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

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

Mr. Speaker, that is a lot of programs and a lot of words for very little in the way of results.

Jessy from Centre-du-Québec is desperate. Her weekly grocery budget has gone from $120 to $170. She says it is clear that our dear Prime Minister has never had to pinch his pennies to buy groceries. Jessy is stretching every dollar to make ends meet.

We want to help Jessy save money by axing all fuel taxes, not just suspending them briefly until next year.

When will the Liberal government adopt our Conservative plan and give families a bit of breathing room?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, could my colleague explain to Jessy why he voted against the Canada child benefit? In his own riding, that benefit helps 24,000 children, who receive $100 million every year, which is roughly $4,600 per child. He voted against that.

Could he explain to Jessy why he voted against dental care for 39,000 people in his own riding?

Could he explain why he voted against the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, against a tax cut for 22 million Canadians and against the national school food program, which helps 100,000 children in Quebec by providing roughly $800 per family?

It boggles the mind.

Intergovernmental Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, Bill C‑39 has nothing to do with making Canada strong. It is a bill for making democracy weak. It is 250 pages of measures that take an axe to almost every federal law, undermining our rights and harming our environment. In one of these measures, Ottawa is giving itself the power to designate any part of Quebec as a region of national interest and place it under federal control.

Did the Prime Minister consult Quebec before seizing power over Quebec soil?

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

Mr. Speaker, one thing the Bloc Québécois has not yet understood is that we are going to work tirelessly and never give up on our efforts to promote Quebec's development and provide jobs, opportunities and investments across the province. If the member wants an example, she need only look at the Churchill Falls agreement, signed with Quebec and Newfoundland, in which the Prime Minister was personally and directly involved. This project will create 23,000 jobs and supply electricity for generations of Quebeckers. That is what it means to build, and we will continue building.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will take that as a no. Quebec was not consulted on regions of national interest. That is not all. After announcing, without consulting Quebec, that it planned to privatize airports, the government is now using Bill C‑39 to privatize ports. Quebec's ports are obviously essential infrastructure for our economy, but the federal government is opening the door for them to be run by foreign investors.

Did the Prime Minister once again forget to consult Quebec before introducing legislation to privatize its ports?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think the member forgot to consult the sponsor of this bill, meaning me. We are not privatizing ports, period.

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is completely cutting Quebec out of decisions that affect it. It happened with Bill C-39, and it happened again this morning with the tax cut for businesses. Christine Fréchette says that she was never consulted about this tax cut that will blow a $1-billion hole in Quebec's public finances every year. In the middle of an election, all the parties are finding out that they will have to prepare a budget on October 6 with $1 billion less to work with.

The Prime Minister's stubborn insistence on flying solo is plainly detrimental to the governance of Quebec. Is he going to keep on behaving as though the Government of Quebec does not exist?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is the paradox facing the Bloc Québécois in Ottawa.

Our announcement comes as a breath of fresh air for Quebec businesses. We know the reality facing Quebeckers. We know that SMEs are the backbone of our economy. This measure is going to make our SMEs more productive and competitive both nationally and internationally. The Premier of Quebec said it was good for Quebec.

While Bloc Québécois members keep arguing, we are going to keep building a strong Canada with strong businesses in Quebec.

Justice

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Liberal parole is out of control. The family of Constable Todd Baylis and the Toronto Police Association recently asked for parole reform. The victim's family has to go to parole hearings every two years. A Conservative bill would have changed that to every five years, and yet the Liberals voted against it.

Will the Liberals listen to the family of Constable Baylis and the Toronto Police Association and do right, when they have previously done wrong?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, let me take a moment to remember Todd Baylis, who was killed in the line of duty in 1994. His bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten.

Our government is committed to strengthening our criminal justice system and protecting victims' rights. That is why we passed Bill C-14, to strengthen bail and sentencing, as well as Bill C-16, to strengthen victims' rights. I continue to engage with the Toronto Police Association to ensure that we strengthen our laws.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what an out-of-touch answer. Unlike that minister, I was a parole officer. Unlike that minister, I attended Constable Baylis's killer's parole hearing. Unlike that minister, I voted to change the hearing interval from two years to five years.

If that minister wants to put his money where his mouth is, I have a proposal. Why does he not join me, Constable Baylis's family and the Toronto Police Association? Let us have a meeting. He can look them in the eye and say exactly what he just said to the House.

Will he have that meeting, yes or no?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the issue is being politicized. I have met with the Toronto Police Association on a number of occasions. I have also met with their counsel—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I cannot hear. The minister may start from the beginning.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that this matter is being politicized. What I will say is that victims absolutely deserve their right to be heard, as well as to be in attendance at these important hearings. We have been working with the Toronto Police Association. My commitment is to continue to work with them, to ensure that we have laws that reflect their needs but also to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Toronto Police Constable Todd Baylis was murdered in cold blood. His family lost him forever. Under the Liberals, that pain never ends. Every two years, they are forced to relive that nightmare, with another review, another hearing and more pain for that family. The police associations and the families are demanding action, but the Liberals are dragging their feet.

Will they join us, stand up for the victims, meet the families and repeal Liberal parole?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I will note that this Sunday, many families of those officers who have been killed in the line of duty will be here in Ottawa. I look forward to meeting with those family members and to express our continued solidarity with those who died in the line of duty.

I will also take this opportunity, as Constable Jeff Smith is fighting for his life, to ensure and to reiterate our support for law enforcement on the front lines. We will always be there to support them and their families.

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives stand with Jeff Smith's family as well. The Liberals are all talk, and there are no results. They created this mess. When Conservatives tried fixing it with Bill C-243, they voted it down. The brother of Todd Baylis said, “[The] killer's rights are more important than mine, my dead brother's, yours, or anybody else's.”

The Toronto Police Association agrees that this is wrong. Conservatives agree that this is wrong, because it is our mission to keep Canadians safe. We stand with victims. We stand with our brave officers.

When will they?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, with great respect, what a disingenuous comment. All of us in this House, every single member of Parliament who was elected, stand with law enforcement, stand with victims and stand with those who have died in the line of duty. This is not a competition.

We will ensure the safety and security of Canadians, and we will always stand with those on the front lines. It is shameful to suggest that one party stands with victims over another.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal government's parole regime, a murderer can ask for freedom again and again. Each hearing forces grieving families to relive the worst trauma of their lives.

Paul Bernardo's fourth chance at parole is approaching. Once again, the families of Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy are being forced to relive this nightmare. Victims' families and police are calling for parole reform. Conservatives proposed legislation to make it happen. The Liberals voted no.

Why are the Liberals protecting repeat parole hearings for killers instead of protecting victims' families?

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, we have been working aggressively and diligently to reform the Criminal Code of Canada over the last 15 months. However, we are very careful in making sure that we pass legislation in this House that will stand up to our Constitution and to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Conservatives believe in creating laws in this House, and confusing Canadians with laws, that are never going to withstand a charter challenge. We are open to making reforms, but we will make the reforms that are right for our country and for Canadians.