Debates of Sept. 25th, 2026

Public Safety

[Vince Gasparro, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that we have passed significant legislation that has the support of every single major police organization in this country. That is the same legislation the Conservatives have obstructed and delayed every step of the way.

The question I have for the Conservatives is, how much money did you fundraise off the very delays that you created?

[The Deputy Speaker, Tom Kmiec]

Before I move on to the member for Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee, this is just a reminder to the parliamentary secretaries for ministers not to use “you”. It is through the Speaker to the member. Do not speak directly to other members.

The hon. member for Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee.

[Scott Anderson, Conservative, Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee, BC]

Mr. Speaker, these out-of-touch Liberals have spent years allowing repeat offenders to cycle through our justice system while law-abiding Canadians pay the price. Violent offenders, burglars and car thieves deserve real consequences, not endless bail, house arrest, and catch-and-release. Canadians are tired of watching the same criminals return to the streets again and again.

When will the Liberals stop siding with repeat offenders and start standing with the Canadians who obey the law?

[Vince Gasparro, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to Bill C-12, the strengthening Canada's immigration system and borders act, the bail and sentencing reform act, the combatting hate act, the protecting victims act and the act respecting lawful access, every single one of these pieces of legislation strengthens our public safety and enhances our national security. They have been supported by our national security apparatus and by every major police organization in the country. The only group of people who have not supported these pieces of legislation are members of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Health

[Michael Ma, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Terry Fox inspired a nation with his fight against cancer. Fifty years later, his dream of raising money for the fight against cancer still lives on. Yesterday, the Minister of Health announced that the government is providing $80 million to the Terry Fox Research Institute for the institute's work in precision oncology research.

Can the parliamentary secretary tell this House how this investment is accelerating research and bringing more personalized cancer care to patients across the country?

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience]

Mr. Speaker, every one of us in this House has a loved one who has fought cancer, and all of us know how important it is that we continue to honour Terry Fox's legacy with bold ambition. Our investment in precision oncology is an investment in a more personalized approach to cancer care, one that reduces harmful side effects and makes the treatment more likely to work. No one wants to lose a loved one to cancer, and this investment should give hope to all of us.

The Economy

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, if the United States wants to raise costs on its businesses, we must respond by lowering them on ours so that we can out-compete them, not out-tax them. Conservatives believe in the ingenuity of Canadian businesses to create, invent, produce, expand and hire Canadians, but businesses need the Liberal government to repeal its antidevelopment laws, its capital gains taxes on reinvestment in Canada, and the industrial carbon tax on aluminum, steel, fertilizers, energy and everything else.

When will the Liberals adopt our plan and do so?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, the member calls for a focus on economic renewal in this country. We have an opportunity as members of Parliament in this House of Commons to support Bill C-39, a bill that is focused on building up this country. We used to build things in this country. We used to do that, and that is exactly what this government wants to do.

We call on Conservatives to put aside partisanship, much along the lines of what former prime minister Harper did quite recently. He put aside partisanship for the benefit of this country. Let us work together.

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, he must be really upset with the government that has been in power for the last 11 years. Canadians need results. Hundreds of projects and their applications are waiting for federal approval because the government spent the last 11 years piling on red tape and bad laws that kill high-paying jobs. Last year, the Liberals asked Parliament for extraordinary powers to exempt major projects from its own laws so that projects could be built at unimaginable speeds, and yet nothing has happened and there are no results.

When will the Liberals clear the backlog, approve projects, get shovels in the ground and save Canadian jobs?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I remind my Conservative colleagues, with great respect, of course, that if they do not want to listen to Liberals, I suppose that is fine. They can listen to Conservatives. Stephen Harper has already been mentioned. They should listen, especially, to Premier Danielle Smith. My colleague is from Alberta. Most members of the Conservative caucus are from Alberta. They ought to listen to the Conservative premier of that province, who is working constructively with this government to ensure that the country is building and to ensure that jobs are the focus, so we can ensure a future for our children.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I spent the summer meeting with citizens and talking to families, workers and young people. One thing kept coming up: There is a real disconnect between what the Liberal government is saying and what ordinary Canadians are facing.

Samuel, a young father, wrote to me and said, “To be honest, I feel like we're heading in the wrong direction, and most of the people I talk to feel the same way”. What Samuel wants is to save money, and the Conservative plan would enable him to do that.

What does the Prime Minister have to say to Samuel and all those who feel as though the Liberals are completely out of touch with their reality and are using the trade crisis for political gain rather than actually doing something to make things better?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, I had the pleasure of visiting Charlevoix, in my colleague's riding, to meet with farmers and food processors. This beautiful region is joining together to make life more affordable for the people of Charlevoix and the surrounding areas. We are going to make the food more affordable by working together through the national food security strategy.

We will create jobs in my colleague's region throughout the processing sector. Laiterie Charlevoix and others will benefit from this.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, here we have another plan that is completely out of touch. The Liberals are always talking about programs they are implementing by sending cheques to Canadians.

The problem is that the Liberals have put us in the hole with their years of deficits. The deficit will be $65 billion this year, with a projected deficit of $60 billion per year for another five years. The cheques they mail out just add more money to the debt. We Conservatives want to save Canadians money.

Can the Prime Minister explain to us why these cheques to Canadians should be seen as a gift when they actually saddle our young people with debt for generations to come?

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, during my visit, I also met with the reeve of the Charlevoix RCM. He supports many of the government's affordability measures.

Our measures mean more municipal infrastructure. Our strategic investments in infrastructure will support the creation of more housing in my colleague's region. In addition, children will have access to the school food program, which is set to be rolled out in schools in my colleague's riding.

I hope he sees that we are working hard for the people in his riding.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Jonathan Rowe, Conservative, Terra Nova—The Peninsulas, NL]

Mr. Speaker, just after this Prime Minister's big meeting in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, French media announced that France will now be fishing 1,500 tonnes of snow crab on the Canadian continental shelf, to be caught by a French vessel and processed on the French islands. This will cause DFO to reduce Canadian quotas, harming the livelihoods of fishermen and plant workers in the riding I represent.

Why is the Liberal Prime Minister more interested in cozying up with his European buddies than standing up for the livelihoods of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians?

[Ernie Klassen, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, Canada will always protect our sovereignty and our fisheries, full stop. The Prime Minister has been clear. Details about any future arrangement with the European Union will be presented to all Canadians. The member is back to his old scare tactics, but our government is focused on growing Canada's seafood economy.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister may have the authority, but he certainly does not have the right to trade away the future of fishermen and plant workers just to gain momentary access to Europeans. Giving France 1,500 tonnes of snow crab to catch on the Canadian shelf is history repeating itself.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau traded away our fish to Europeans in the sixties, seventies and eighties. The question is, will the Liberal Prime Minister stop the European carnage of Canadian fisheries and cancel his modern-day giveaway of Canadian coastal livelihoods?

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries just made it absolutely clear. Notwithstanding all the theatrics we have on that side from the member, we will always stand up for the Canadian fishery. We will stand up for the fishermen in Newfoundland and Labrador, and we already have.

I wonder if the member has told fishermen in his community about the $1 billion that this government has put into small craft harbours. I wonder if the member has actually engaged his constituents and talked about the $10 billion that our government put into Churchill Falls as part of the agreement that will create 23,000 jobs in this country, including a lot in his province. Is he doing his work to share the work that this government is doing in his province?

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Central Newfoundland, NL]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the minister is not familiar with this issue.

The Liberal government has turned its back on Canada's fishing industry. The Prime Minister is abandoning our sovereignty in favour of Europeans, who have a long history of destroying Canadian fish stocks. Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries bragged about how she hung out with fishermen in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon.

Conservatives stand with Canadian coastal communities instead of those on the French islands. Will the Liberal Prime Minister change course and cancel this deal with France to protect Canadian livelihoods?

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the member can stand up in this House and talk about the Prime Minister undermining our sovereignty, but it is fundamentally not true. As I have already put on the record, the Minister of Fisheries, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister of this country are making very clear that we will not be shedding one single element of the sovereignty of our fisheries in Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador. In fact, let me go on the record again and remind the member that there was one billion dollars' worth of small craft harbour investment. Under the Conservative government, our harbours had deteriorated.

We are investing in the fisheries. We are investing in processing through the national food security strategy. We will be there for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Infrastructure

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last year, I warned the government that wildfires, landslides and accidents regularly shut down Highway 97, leaving Okanagan residents stranded. The Liberals responded that they were committed to working with provinces to find a solution that works for everyone. Since then, the Bald Range wildfire cut my region in two, and this week, a serious accident closed the Bennett Bridge for hours. West Kelowna mayor-elect Stephen Johnston said, “we need immediate action to create greater stability”.

Will the Government now honour its commitment, work with British Columbia and upgrade the FSR 201 before the next closure becomes a crisis?

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, my sympathies go out to all the people who were affected.

I absolutely agree that we want to work with British Columbia every step of the way to deal with climate change and with the wildfires that are happening. That is why we have invested so much money this year, for example, in water bombers. When provinces called upon us for assistance, we were able to provide extra aircraft. We have the Canadian humanitarian workforce program, where we were able to provide supplemental volunteers to assist British Columbians when British Columbia asked us for assistance.

We have made it very clear to the B.C. government that we will work with British Columbia every step of the way.

Internal Trade

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there has hardly been a more challenging time for Canada's small wineries, craft breweries and distilleries. My bill, Bill C-262, would allow Canada Post and other carriers to ship their products directly to Canadians across provincial borders. When I tabled my bill this past March, the minister responsible said he supported the goal of removing these barriers.

With President Trump's ban on Canadian alcohol imports taking effect next week, our small producers need action. When will the Liberals get off the sidelines, adopt my bill and let our producers sell their made-in-Canada products directly to Canadians?

[Tim Louis, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I have had meetings about this. We have worked together. When people on the other side of the aisle work together, it works okay. When people work with provinces and territories, it works.

Next week, we are going to be sitting down with the provinces and territories, working chapter by chapter to get rid of interprovincial tariffs, including for direct-to-consumer alcohol. All the federal barriers are gone for interprovincial. Now it is time for the provinces and territories to do their part. I am willing to work with our colleagues and work with the provinces and territories to make that happen.

Women and Gender Equality

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week is Gender Equality Week. It is an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come and to acknowledge how far we still have to go. The full and equal participation of women is essential to building a strong Canada for all and to reaching our goal of becoming the strongest economy in the G7.

Can the parliamentary secretary tell the House how our government intends to advance gender equality in Canada?