Debates of Sept. 24th, 2026

Indigenous Affairs

[Lori Idlout, Liberal, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, residential school denialism is on the rise, which harms survivors and their families and communities. Denialism allows systemic racism to persist. It tries to hide that indigenous children were killed and buried at residential schools. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation helps keep this truth at the forefront.

Would the Minister of Crown and Indigenous Relations say what our government is doing to ensure that Canadians understand the continued impacts of trauma inflicted on indigenous people?

[Rebecca Alty, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, efforts to deny, distort or minimize the truth about residential schools is deeply harmful and will always be condemned. Denialism is a cruel rejection of well-established facts, and it undermines the truth that is essential to reconciliation with indigenous people. That is why our government is moving forward with a $5-million investment in education and public awareness so that Canadians can continue to learn from survivors, their families and communities and better understand the painful legacy of residential schools.

We will confront denialism with the truth and ensure that it is never erased or forgotten.

The Economy

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington—Tyendinaga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are being crushed by the cost of living. Many families cannot afford rent, groceries or child care. I spoke with a woman last night who shared that she is being evicted from her home, and with a gentleman who lost his home and is on a wait-list for low-income housing. Canadians are falling deeper into debt and being forced to put their future plans on hold. They do not need more announcements from a government that says affordability is the best it has been in a decade. They need relief.

Will the government pass our Conservative action plan to save Canadians money and help Canadians get back on track?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, the real question is when the Conservative Party is going to get on board with the rest of Canadians, who have said, “Let's band together. Let's support each other. Let's support Canadian businesses. Let's support each other in our communities. Let's make sure kids have food when they go to school. Let's make sure that every person who wants to be a skilled tradesperson can become that person in their own province or territory.” Every one of those things I mentioned, whether it is a hand-up or a bridge to tomorrow, Conservative members have voted against.

My question is this: What are the Conservatives looking for? I know what Canadians are saying.

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington—Tyendinaga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the current government, people are being evicted from their home. In many cases, their credit cards are maxed. Something needs to give.

The government often claims that the opposition only criticizes, so here is part of our plan: Instead of wasting billions of dollars on Alto high-speed rail, let us put that in the pockets of hard-working Canadians who are barely surviving from paycheque to paycheque.

The Liberals are so out of touch with Canadians' priorities, and Canadians are out of money, so my question is simple: Will the government support our Conservative economic action plan, yes or no?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, in the member's province alone, parents are saving up to $10,400 per child per year with early learning and child care. The national school food program in Ontario has already served 130,000 meals, and for indigenous communities alone, 9.8 million meals have been served . Through the work-sharing program with which we have supported provinces, including Ontario, we have managed to prevent over 3,100 layoffs.

That is the work Canadians expect: that when things are difficult, we band together. Canadians are doing that every day. They are stepping up to buy Canadian—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, all summer, my team and I travelled across our riding and heard stories from people right across Fort McMurray—Cold Lake struggling to make ends meet due to a decade of bad Liberal policies and ever-rising inflation. I heard from people such as Wendy, an educational assistant married to an injured veteran, who took a summer layoff but did not qualify for EI. She is now hoping she is going to make her first full pay in October.

Will the Liberals adopt our Conservative economic action plan so Wendy can afford her groceries?

[Eleanor Olszewski, Liberal, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, affordability is a top priority of the current government. That is why we have taken concrete action to help Canadians, including cutting middle-class taxes for more than 22 million Canadians, eliminating taxes for first-time homebuyers, delivering the groceries and essentials benefit to support 12 million Canadians, launching a national food strategy to tackle the root causes of higher food prices, and extending the pause on the federal fuel excise tax, which will put $5.3 billion back into Canadians' pockets. We are working for Canadians every single—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are all talk, no results. Canadians want the cost of living to come down so they can afford to just live their life. Despite the Prime Minister's claiming that affordability is the best it has been in a decade, single mothers such as Heather know this just is not true. Heather is struggling to pay her bills and put food on the table, and she is fearing homelessness for her and her two kids.

Our Conservative plan would save money for Canadians by lowering debt, taxes and inflation. The question is simple: Will the Liberals adopt our Conservative action plan so Heather can pay her rent and care for her kids?

[Eleanor Olszewski, Liberal, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, next month, 12 million Canadians will receive their second quarterly payment through the groceries and essentials benefit. It will deliver hundreds of dollars to 1.3 million Albertans, including more than 44,000 people in my riding of Edmonton Centre. We know that Canadians need some help today as we implement our plan to build a better tomorrow. That is what standing up for Canadians looks like, and that is what we will continue to do.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a family stopped by my office to share their story. Twenty-five years ago, they came to Canada to build a new home and a better future for their children. Their son graduated as an engineer, and their daughter is about to graduate. Both are struggling to find a good job that pays the bills. Now, they are planning to leave Canada. They worked hard, followed the rules and loved this country. That used to be enough.

The Liberals have broken every promise of having an affordable life. Will the Liberals adopt our Conservative economic action plan so Canadians can find jobs and have hope that tomorrow will be better?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, we have a plan to deliver affordable housing. We are seeing it work, with 23 consecutive months of average rents going down across Canada, so families like the member opposite mentioned are saving money on their rent. They are also able to save money on the purchase of a new home. In Ontario alone, up to $200,000 can be saved on the purchase of a new home. Whether it is renting or buying, we are putting options on the table. These options have been opposed by the Conservatives. We are moving forward.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, with all the Liberal talk, where are the results? According to Liberals, Canadians never had it so good. Families came to Canada believing that hard work would allow their children to build a future here. For the family I mentioned, that promise is broken. Liberal inaction should not mean watching your children leave because they cannot find a job or build a life close to home.

Our Conservative economic action plan is about saving Canadians money, cutting wasteful spending and lowering taxes, so again I ask this question: Will the Liberals adopt our plan so our future generations such as this family can afford to build their future here at home?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the actions are clear. We are seeing the results. We have been seeing rents go down for 23 straight months. That does not happen by accident. That does not happen based on a plan that nobody has seen, nobody believes in and nobody voted for.

We have an opportunity to build affordable housing on an unprecedented scale. We need every member of the House on board with that. We need to scale up and build Canada homes and affordable housing. We need to continue to see rents go down and see affordability for Canadians. That is what we are delivering.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have lost touch with reality. Quebeckers' pockets are empty. In Bellechasse, a young mother without child care services is forced to stay home, living on a fraction of her income, and leaving her partner to pay all the bills. Paying $1,200 in rent along with groceries, gas and baby care essentials is becoming a major headache for them.

Will the Liberals adopt our Conservative economic action plan so that this young mother can finally afford to meet her family's needs?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, our government is investing in families and family supports. That includes the Canada child benefit, which represents more than $8,000 annually for children six years of age and under and $6,800 for children up to age 17.

Investments in dental care now provide 6.5 million Canadians with access to dental care. That number includes over 800,000 children, and represents a $900 savings.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Sadly, Mr. Speaker, that is not working.

Families are stretched to the limit. Parents are now skipping meals so their kids can eat. This all because of the government's taxes and out-of-control spending, which are driving up the cost of living. We have identified $150 billion that could be saved by cutting red tape. This could give nearly $10,000 back to every family.

Once again, will the Liberals adopt our Conservative economic action plan so that these parents can finally afford to put food on the table for their families?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about food security. Thanks to funding from the Canadian government for the national school food program, Moisson Saguenay—Lac-Saint-Jean will now deliver 200 meals a day to students in the region, and up to 1,000 meals a day by 2029.

That is one of the concrete measures we have taken to make life more affordable for Canadians, and the members opposite voted against it. That is shameful.

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

Mr. Speaker, what is unfortunate is that the Liberals are accusing us of voting against programs that they put in place. They put them in place anyway because they have a majority. However, the fact is that it is not working. Sophie, a mother of three in my community, is desperate for food assistance and rental assistance. She is thinking of declaring bankruptcy. My colleagues heard that right: She is thinking of declaring bankruptcy. This is serious.

Will the Liberals adopt our proposals so that Canadians like Sophie can keep more money in their pockets?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, I also want to highlight the Canada groceries and essentials benefit that we created this year, which will help 12 million Canadians, giving a family of four more than $1,900 to help with the cost of living.

We will continue to be there for families across Canada, including those in my colleague's riding.

Indigenous Affairs

[Doug Eyolfson, Liberal, Winnipeg West, MB]

Mr. Speaker, September 30 marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Can the Minister of Indigenous Services update the House on what our government is doing to advance reconciliation and renew the relationship with indigenous people across this country?

[Mandy Gull-Masty, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

Mr. Speaker, reconciliation means working in full partnership with indigenous communities. We are doing that work by advancing child and family services reform and working on clean drinking water, health care and education. This includes supporting Canada's first Inuit-led university and also doing the critical work on tuberculosis elimination and strengthening food security for children and families across this country. This is our enduring commitment to reconciliation and the calls to action. This is what we recognize on September 30 and every day after that.

Taxation

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, harvest is here, and the cost of diesel is crushing farmers, truckers and groceries. A U.S. restriction on diesel would hammer Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

Will Liberals eliminate all taxes on diesel until at least next Canada Day and, second, approve emergency pre-permitting and tax relief for fuel refining and transportation infrastructure? Will they accept the Conservative diesel price relief action plan today?