Debates of Sept. 24th, 2026

Taxation

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is a global issue that is causing higher fuel prices, including higher diesel prices. The government is acting, including by extending the reduction in the fuel excise tax on diesel and on regular gasoline. As well, the Minister of Natural Resources is working with refiners to maximize the availability of diesel in Canada.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is all talk, no results, and more excuses after broken promises. Let us convert diesel prices around the world, in the U.S. and here in Canada into Canadian dollars. Diesel prices in the U.S. are $2.44 a litre. The global average diesel price is $2.33 a litre. Here in Canada, it is $2.76 a litre. Canadians are paying 41¢ more than the world and 32¢ more than the U.S.

With the fourth biggest supply of oil on earth, why do we not have the lowest prices anywhere in the world?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would draw the attention of the Leader of the Opposition and this whole House to the fact that there are things in Canada called provinces. The provinces put taxes on diesel. The provinces put taxes on gasoline. The biggest difference between Canada and the United States is the provincial taxes on those carbons.

Also, I will draw attention to the building Canada strong act, which will allow this country to build new refineries and keep diesel prices lower.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, how totally out of touch. He blames the provinces for inflation under his leadership. He highlights a bill that has been in place for a year and a half and has not built a single project. He did not answer the question.

There are three reasons why Canadians are paying more for diesel in the world. One, the Prime Minister has given us a weak dollar despite high oil prices. Two, by his very admission in this House, we do not have the refining capacity because his government will not get out of the way and let Canadians build. Three, he continues to tax fuel with the GST and the fuel standard tax.

Will the Prime Minister stop pretending to be so powerless and get prices down for Canadians?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Leader of the Opposition on his 20th anniversary in the House of Commons. I have been here for a little more than a year. We passed the Building Canada Act for major projects, and we are putting in front of this House the building Canada strong act so that all projects in this country are “one project, one review, one year”.

We will build Canada strong. They will have an opportunity to join us, and he will have an opportunity to do something for the first time in two decades.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he is literally bragging about promises that he has made and broken. Now the U.S. President is blustering ridiculously about a diesel export plan. Even if that bluster is meaningless, we should not have to rely on the Americans to give us diesel that comes out of our own ground.

That is why Conservatives are acting today. We are calling for an emergency diesel price relief plan to, one, eliminate all diesel taxes until at least Canada Day and, two, have emergency pre-permitting and tax relief for the construction of diesel transportation and refining.

Will he take up our plan to lower prices for Canadians?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, this House will have an opportunity to pass Bill C-38, which will lower the tax on diesel. This House will have an opportunity to vote on the building Canada strong act, which will move this country forward.

Let me make sure Hansard is correct. The government passed the act last year, and Contrecoeur, the Mackenzie Valley pipeline, Darlington, the north coast transmission line and the Matawinie mine are all major projects now being built thanks to this government.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Again, he is talking about projects that were approved long before he got here, Mr. Speaker.

To protect us from President Trump's threats, make Canada affordable and independent and save money, the Conservatives are calling for a diesel price relief plan that involves eliminating all diesel taxes until July 1, 2027, and having emergency pre-permitting and tax relief to accelerate investment in diesel refining and transportation.

Will the Prime Minister take our plan to lower prices and make Canada more independent?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the House will have the chance to extend the reduction in the excise tax on fuels, including diesel. However, it is not the federal government's job to remove provincial taxes. What we need to do is build major projects with the build Canada strong bill: one project, one review, one year.

Intergovernmental Affairs

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first, there were projects of national interest. Then there were corridors of national interest. Now there are regions of national interest.

The Bloc Québécois, experts and media outlets know that, with Bill C‑39, the federal government is permanently taking over jurisdiction from Quebec and the provinces, particularly regarding the environment, and suspending its own laws based on the judgment of a single minister.

Can the Prime Minister confirm that this interpretation is accurate?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C‑39 is about efficiency, not about how high the standards are. That is the first thing. It should only take one year to get a decision on environmental standards, co-operation with indigenous peoples and all other aspects of a project.

That is the idea behind the bill: to take action.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is not evident.

Asking for something to be clarified is not synonymous with opposing it.

Will the Prime Minister commit to fixing or amending Bill C‑39 to state that the existing areas of jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces will remain intact, that despite Bill C‑39, or even with Bill C‑39, the application will not be permanent, and that nothing that is done in Quebec will be done without Quebec's express consent?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Bill C‑39 involves federal decisions. Yes, it is true that we have co-operation agreements with six provinces. In those cases, we are using the provinces' skills, expertise and so on. However, this bill only involves the federal government and decisions made by the federal government.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is not an idle question. We are talking about permanently suspending the rule of law and possibly the Constitution to benefit foreign multinationals.

Some people are even talking about putting parts of Quebec and the provinces under federal control.

Does the Prime Minister recognize that Bill C‑39 will result in Ottawa taking control of parts of Quebec and the provinces?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, what is the opposition member talking about? There is nothing like that in the bill. It is about efficiency. It is about taking action. It is about creating good jobs in Quebec and across Canada. It is about growth.

It is about independence, resilience and prosperity for a strong Canada.

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the other day, the Prime Minister said that his fuel standard tax added zero cost at the pump. Today he claimed that there were no federal taxes. Again, this is the Liberal tradition of telling Canadians that Liberal taxes will make them richer.

I have here a study from his own environment department that has the impact of the clean fuel standard on gasoline and diesel prices. It shows that this year it is seven cents, and next year it will be eight cents, then 10¢, then 13¢ and then 17¢ a litre.

Why did the Prime Minister mislead the House? Was it to cover up the cost of his tax or because he did not do his homework?

[Mark Carney, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the clean fuel standard implications at the end of this decade are lower than all the numbers the member opposite just quoted.

One thing that the clean fuel standard does do, though, is it raises the price of canola. If I were a farmer in Battle River—Crowfoot or in Red Deer County, I would like my bushel of canola to get 10% more, which is what the clean fuel standard does. Come join us in support.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure if he were a farmer, he would be out standing in his field, scratching his head about why he is forced to pay $5,000 a day for diesel costs, diesel costs that are made worse by the Prime Minister's additional taxes.

Earlier this week, he said that the clean fuel standard would cost nothing. I quoted documents from his own department showing that it will rise to as much as 17¢ a litre. Should the farmers who are actually out in the field believe the Prime Minister, or should they believe his own department documents, which show that his tax will cost them more?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are still enthusiastic about Bill C-38, which is a good thing, because in fact, farmers know that we stand with them. The government, under the Prime Minister, has suspended the fuel excise tax, which will reduce the tax on diesel. These are facts. This is not a parallel reality. This is going to help our farmers. This is going to help logistics across the country. This is going to reduce the pressure on food prices across the nation.

I am happy to see the Conservatives so enthusiastic to support Bill C-38.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not used to taking tough questions. He barely shows up to Parliament. When he is around the world—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member was elected the same year I was and he knows that is crossing a line.

I will ask him to start over without making that comment.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot stand and answer a question once his statements collide with the facts from his own government. He claimed that his tax would cost nothing. Then he claimed hilariously, as Liberals often do, that taxes would make people even better off. When I confronted him with the facts, showing that the tax he has imposed is seven cents a litre now, rising to 17¢ a litre in just over three years, he would not even stand and take accountability.

If the Prime Minister is so proud of his latest tax increase and if it is so good for farmers, why can he not stand up and defend the tax that he is making them pay?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is an experienced member of the House. He should know better.

Canadians know that if there is one person who is working hard for Canadians every day, it is the Prime Minister of Canada. He has been making Canadians proud domestically and on the international stage. We can look at the investment summit and look at what we did in Strasbourg. The Prime Minister is working for all Canadians. Farmers and Canadians who are working in all industries in this country, they know that we will do one thing. We are going to build this country strong. We are going to diversify and have the strongest economy in the—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.