Steven MacKinnon

[Employment, June 9th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, the number of temporary foreign workers in this country is down by over 50%. That does not mean we have reached equilibrium. There are legitimate issues in rural and other parts of this country, including in small businesses in rural Quebec, and members from that side of the House quite accurately reflect it.

I thought we had put a stop to the highly duplicitous practice of saying one thing in English and something else in French in the House 20 years ago.

We are fed up with the hypocrisy.

[Employment, June 9th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I thought what my hon. colleague was pointing out was the utter abject hypocrisy coming from that side of the House. We receive multiple interventions, legitimate interventions, on the part of small and medium-sized businesses in rural Quebec that seek to have more temporary foreign workers. The words of that member and another colleague from British Columbia try to demagogue this issue and blame situations on temporary foreign workers. These guys are going to have to come to some form of agreement on temporary foreign workers.

[Steel and Aluminum Industry, June 9th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, it is funny to be sitting here listening to the Conservatives talk about SMEs when they are against the high-speed rail project that will create thousands of jobs in SMEs across Quebec. It is funny to hear them talk about steel when we are planning a project that is incredibly promising for steel producers. It is mind-boggling to hear the Conservatives taking a stand against a transformative project that will improve mobility, connect the four biggest cities in Quebec and create thousands of jobs for our SMEs.

It is quite ironic that they are standing up to talk about what our SMEs are experiencing.

[The Economy, June 9th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, the core difference between the people on this side of the House and the Leader of the Opposition and the people who read his questions is that we believe Canadians can do it. We believe Canadians can create a project that will add 51,000 jobs to our economy, including thousands of electricians. We believe we can add billions to our national economy with a transformative high-speed rail project. This includes, by the way, one that is going to be proposed in Alberta.

We believe in the future of this country. He does not.

[The Economy, June 9th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition should talk to the national president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who has systematically applauded our approach to building big projects in this country, including the largest electrification of mobility in the history of this continent, which is a high-speed rail project that will employ more electricians than this guy could meet in 15 years.

[Extension of Sitting Hours, June 8th, 2026]

moved:

That, pursuant to Standing Order 27(1), commencing on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, and concluding on Friday, June 19, 2026, the House shall continue to sit until midnight, except on Fridays, when the House shall continue to sit until 8 p.m.

[Health, June 8th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, these questions, written by the Leader of the Opposition, are not really convincing anyone.

What is convincing people is this attitude coming from the Conservative benches that what is a headwind and a challenge for Canada ought to be blamed on Canada. The “blame Canada brigade”, as people are calling them, skips in here at any hint of bad news for the Canadian economy, but when we remind them about 88,000 new jobs, they go into hiding.

Hooray for Canada.

[Health, June 8th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, these questions, written by the—

[The Economy, June 8th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, despite the good news we received last Friday regarding employment and unemployment, we know that there are still people in this country who are struggling with affordability. That is why, also on Friday, the Canada groceries and essentials benefit was paid into the bank accounts of 12 million Canadians, providing $543 to single people and $1,086 to couples with two children. That is one-time assistance to Canadians who need it.

[The Economy, June 8th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the member opposite missed the stellar jobs report that came out last Friday. Had he read it, he would have seen that Canada has created some 88,000 jobs. However, there is more good news. In our province, Quebec, the province with the second-lowest unemployment rate, unemployment rates fell for women, youth and men. Across the country, this is good news for Canada. We are going to keep building Canada very strong.