Jason Groleau

Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of disastrous Liberal management, life is becoming increasingly expensive for Canadians. This government keeps wasting tens of billions of dollars on international aid, fake asylum seekers, mass illegal immigration and the disastrous Alto project. It is time to start saving Canadians money. Will the Liberals agree to the Conservatives' proposal to suspend all federal taxes on gas and diesel until Canada Day 2027?

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are completely out of touch with reality. Can they stop trying to save the planet and start looking after Canadians? This week, I talked about Chantal, who has three children and is struggling financially. Today, I want to talk about Nick and his partner in Beauce, who dream of buying a home. After 11 years of Liberal government, house prices have tripled. For thousands of young people, that dream is now out of reach. Will the Liberal government adopt our Conservative economic plan to leave more money in families' pockets?

Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of Liberal rule, even full-time workers are having a hard time making ends meet at the end of the month. According to the National Payroll Institute, half of all employed Canadians now report spending all, or sometimes more, of their net pay. That means that families are being forced to go into debt just to put food on the table. The Conservatives have identified over $150 billion in unnecessary Liberal spending. That works out to $10,000 per family. Will the Liberals adopt our Conservative plan to save families money?

Mr. Speaker, they are completely disconnected from reality. I am sorry, but the minister's answer is not going to put food on Chantal's table. Chantal is a single mother in Saint‑Georges. She works full-time but still needs to use food banks. After she pays her rent and bills, there is not enough money left over to feed her children. Chantal is not alone. This morning, I spoke with people at Moisson Beauce and they told me that over 6,300 residents of Beauce use food banks every month. How many more families have to reach that point before the Liberals put our Conservative plan into action?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was elected on a promise to reach an agreement with the Americans. Today, that promise is in ruins. The unjustified escalation of the tariffs and retaliatory tariffs is causing our companies' operating costs to soar. Norgate Metal in Beauce is already projecting $7 million in additional costs for its current contracts alone. Ultimately, Canadians are the ones who are going to pay the price. Can the Prime Minister tell us how much the retaliatory tariffs will really cost businesses in Quebec and Beauce?

Mr. Speaker, we are going to give him some very important information about the counter-tariffs. The Liberal Party and Prime Minister's failed negotiations are hurting our economy. Our businesses are paying a fortune. I will give some real examples. The garage door manufacturer Garaga will be paying $1.5 million a month. Beauce Atlas will be paying $550,000 a week. You heard me, Mr. Speaker: $550,000. These costs are putting jobs here at risk, and Canadians are the ones who are going to pay the price. Why did the Minister of Finance ignore the recommendations of businesses in Beauce, Quebec, and Canada?

Mr. Speaker, according to the the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, or CFIB, Canadian SMEs and entrepreneurs are still being overlooked by the Liberal government. Businesses in Beauce do not need empty promises. They need a government that stands up for them. Liberal policies have been dragging us down for 10 years. Canada cannot have a strong economy if our SMEs are not investing here. Does the government realize that it is the main obstacle to investment in Canada?

Mr. Speaker, according to the CFIB, four in 10 businesses say that economic uncertainty, and especially political uncertainty, is discouraging investment in our country. In Beauce, we are fortunate to have extraordinary companies such as Beauce Atlas and Bois Hamel creating jobs, investing in our communities, and creating wealth in our regions. However, over the past 10 years under the Liberals, with all the colossal deficits, instability, and lack of leadership in particular, investment in Canada has stalled. Do the Liberals realize that they are part of the problem facing Canadian businesses?

Mr. Speaker, last week, I mentioned that a company from back home, Garaga, had provided the government with overwhelming evidence that garage doors imported from China contained harmful toxic substances that are banned in Canada. Why, despite these warnings, has the Minister of Health not done anything about this yet?

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my esteemed colleague from Richmond Hill South. I rise today not to engage in petty politics, but to talk about something very simple that everyone in our regions understands well, except the Liberals, of course: respect for hard‑earned money. Back home in Beauce, money does not grow on trees. People earn their money early in the morning, with both hands in the dirt, behind a counter, at a construction site, or at a factory. When people earn it that way, they learn to respect it. It is with that respect in mind that I will talk about Bill C-30 and the Liberal government's economic snapshot. The Liberals projected a $38‑billion deficit in budget 2025. For the current fiscal year, the Liberal Prime Minister is now projecting a $67‑billion deficit. Yes, $67 billion. That is a lot of money. That is not just pocket change. The worst part is that he is projecting even bigger deficits in the years to come. Deficits can happen in a crisis. However, when they become a habit, Canadians have the right to ask a very simple question: Where are the Liberals' results? There are none. The real issue is not just how much money is being spent, but what we are getting in return. Take housing, for example. While people are struggling to find somewhere to live due to skyrocketing inflation in rents, the Liberals say they are going to create yet another layer of bureaucracy with Build Canada Homes and a budget of $13 billion. The results are modest. I am not the one saying that; it is the former parliamentary budget officer himself. According to his estimate, Build Canada Homes will help build 26,000 homes over five years. His conclusion is that this is a “modest” contribution. The Liberals are spending $13 billion on a modest contribution; meanwhile, young families are unable to get on the property ladder and young people are desperately searching for affordable housing. Canadians do not want announcements; they want more homes. They want construction. They do not want words; they want action. Now I will turn to another obscene expenditure that I still cannot wrap my head around: the spaceport in Canso, Nova Scotia. To recap the situation one more time, a company is leasing this plot of land from the province for $13,500 a year. The Liberal government went to this company and offered to sublet the land from it for $20 million a year. It also decided it would be smart to sign a 10-year lease, for a total of $200 million. That is money down the drain. That is insane. Why? What is on this land that is costing us $200 million? There is a 25-foot-by-35-foot concrete pad, two sea cans and a gravel road. I could build a dozen just like it with pleasure. I could do that, no problem. The time will come when the Liberals will have to explain themselves to taxpayers. This is insane. We have not received any answers. We have been here for over a year, and we are asking questions, but we are still not getting answers. Nevertheless, there were 13 meetings with the minister's team, during which someone thought it would be a great idea to spend $200 million on a concrete pad. Now let us talk about an issue that is close to my heart: the gun buyback program. What a waste of money. According to the former parliamentary budget officer's estimates, the compensation could cost nearly $800 million. That does not even include the program's administrative costs. That is nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars to target law-abiding citizens first and foremost. Meanwhile, too many illegal weapons are crossing our borders and fuelling real crime. That is the real target. It takes courage, but the Liberals do not have it. The problem is not the hunters in Saint-Georges or the sport shooters in Sainte-Marie, these proud people who obey the law. I have travelled all over Quebec and met with hundreds of hunters and thousands of sport shooters. These families feel they are being unfairly targeted. These are people who play by the rules, who complete the training, who obtain their licences, and who follow every law. Today, this government is treating them as if they are the problem. That is unfair. I can assure members of one thing: I have not finished my tour, and I will never give up on this issue. As everyone knows, I come from a region built by entrepreneurs, farmers and manufacturers who export all over North America. Beauce is a beautiful region. I own businesses myself. In real life, when a person orders $100,000 worth of goods and only sells $60,000 worth, they lose their credit. That is exactly what the Liberals are doing with our children's credit card. When a government cannot balance the books, it should make adjustments, admit its mistakes, start over and move forward for the people. The government should be there for Canadians, not for its cronies. A country's wealth comes not from the government, but from businesses. It is businesses that create wealth. They want to grow, hire people and conquer new markets, but they are coming up against endless red tape. The government is approving megaprojects that take years to come to fruition, but these are nothing more than announcements. Businesses have to deal with endless paperwork, which discourages even the best of them. This is a matter of economic survival. If we do not address this now, our children will pay the price and their standard of living will suffer. The Prime Minister talks about developing new markets. I agree with that. Everyone agrees. It will not pay off for 15 years, but we agree. In the meantime, we must never forget one fundamental reality. I just did an economic tour of Quebec with some of my colleagues. Our number one partner will always be the United States. That is just geography. Our steel and aluminum companies are facing 50% tariffs. Since April 2, as I mentioned here in the House, the metal tariffs were originally set at 25%, but for a garage door, for example, the tariffs are now at 50% on the entire product. Our businesses cannot compete. They are not getting any support from this government. It is that simple. Let us talk about other problems affecting my riding of Beauce and many regions across Quebec. Our unemployment rate is under 2.8%. We have no workers, no people to work. The government must give us the tools we need to attract workers, produce goods and be competitive. The one-size-fits-all approach that the Liberals in Ottawa are applying across the country is not working. We need flexibility, smart thinking, tact, and a clear understanding of how to support businesses. When the Liberals spend money without getting results, it is not just numbers on a page. It means lost opportunities for our regions. Agriculture is not just an important economic sector. It is the cornerstone of food security in our regions. My colleague here in the back could speak to that importance. Our families in rural areas, thousands of producers, get up every morning to feed Canadians. However, there is not much for them in the budget. Our farmers feel abandoned. Production costs are skyrocketing. Just think about fuel, transportation, machinery, fertilizer, energy, and interest on loans. Who can borrow at current interest rates? Meanwhile, consumers are paying the price at the grocery store. To conclude, I want to say this: When I come here, I think of the families who work so hard every morning. They are struggling to put food on the table. They are struggling to find somewhere to live. I think of our local manufacturers who are watching their profit margins shrink. I think of the entrepreneurs who take risks, create jobs and keep our economy going. These people are not asking for the moon. They are asking for a government that understands them, that respects them, that manages their money as if it were its own. They are asking for a government that can boost productivity, get projects moving and actually deliver on them, not just announce them. We must defend our workers and our businesses against the U.S. tariffs. Canadians deserve to have their money managed diligently.

Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleague to come to Beauce. He is talking about a 17% increase in exports to other countries. That is 17% of nothing, while 85% of our business is with the United States. That is what we need to focus on. It is indeed important to develop markets, but you just said it yourself. That is a 17% increase on practically nothing. Do not go telling businesses in Beauce that they are happy with this. We do business with the United States. We have to resolve the issue with the Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague, who won the pool. I am still thinking. It has been 30 seconds since the question and I am trying to think of one good thing the Liberals have done, but unfortunately, they let the steel industry down. That answers the question.

Mr. Speaker, I will answer my colleague. That is what we call “politician speak”. The Liberals know full well that we have had two consecutive quarters of deficit. They know full well that the market is very tough. They know we are in a recession. They know we are the only G7 country in a recession. The fact is that they are masters of illusion. What is it that you say, Jacques? These are nothing but illusions.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her excellent work over the past few weeks. The American tariffs are causing a number of problems right now, especially the section 232 tariffs. Chinese and Asian steel is being dumped here in Canada. We need to protect our industry. The first thing that I would do would be to protect our steel industry.

Mr. Speaker, we may well be the only G20 country in a recession. Why? It is because the Liberals are throwing taxpayers' money out the window. The Prime Minister spent nearly $1 million on meals for just 14 flights in a single year. The fact is that from May 16 to 19, 2025, from Ottawa to Rome, he spent $93,780 on food. That is a fact. From November 18 to 24, 2025, from Ottawa to Athens via Johannesburg, he spent on $159,781 on food. That is another fact. From January 5 to 7, 2026, from Ottawa to Paris, he spent $74,000 on food. That is another fact. From January 13 to 22, 2026, from Ottawa to Zurich, he spent $175,248 on fine dining. That is another fact. Clearly, the problem is not a lack of money. The problem is a lack of respect and accountability toward Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' out-of-control spending has plunged Canada into a recession. While Canadians are working hard just to put food on the table, the Prime Minister is treating himself on the taxpayers' dime. He spent $1 million on meals for just 14 flights. Here is a sample of what the Prime Minister enjoys: Normandy butter cups that cost $593. Unbelievable. He also enjoys crème brûlée that cost $4,213, chocolate mousse that cost $3,008 and $17,000 worth of salmon in just three flights. That must have been some very fresh salmon. Can the Prime Minister show a little respect for our taxpayers?

Mr. Speaker, over the past few days, we have met with dozens of businesses across Quebec regarding the CUSMA review. The situation is clear: This Liberal government has completely abandoned businesses in the steel industry. The United States is protecting its steel market with tariffs of up to 100% on Asian imports. What are the Liberals doing here in Canada? They are doing nothing at all. Worse still, they are letting Asian countries dump their steel products here and flood our Canadian market. Will this Liberal government put its foot down and defend the Canadian steel industry?

Mr. Speaker, there is nothing funny about it. As I said, the Liberals are allowing Asian countries to dump their steel here. Garaga, a company in the Beauce region, sent emails to the Liberal government with evidence that non-compliant garage doors from Asia containing toxic substances banned in Canada are entering the country. What have the Liberals done about it? They have not done a thing yet. They are letting them come in. Garaga just has to fend for itself. After a decade of failures, the only thing this Liberal government has managed to do is put Canadians in debt and hurt our businesses. Will the Liberals wake up and take care of our people?

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure for me to rise in the House to represent Canada's most beautiful region, Beauce. Today, I have the honour of presenting petition e‑7232, signed by 10,354 hunters and sport shooters. Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to meet with the constituents, federations of hunters and anglers, gun clubs and responsible firearm owners across Quebec who signed this petition. Their message is clear: The gun buyback program is a huge expenditure that does not address the root cause of violence in Canada. The petitioners firmly believe that mental health and support for people in distress are the real pillars of preventing violence and strengthening safety in our communities. Legal gun owners are already subject to strict rules. Rather than wasting public funds on confiscating legally acquired assets, the government needs to invest where the needs are most urgent in our communities. As long as the protection of our communities is ignored, the problem will continue. That is why the 10,354 petitioners are calling on the government to put an end to the firearm buyback program and redirect the funds immediately to actual services, such as support for community organizations, mental health care and resources for people experiencing homelessness.

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister is the only G7 leader to have driven his economy into a recession. This recession is the result of a lack of leadership, unchecked spending and high taxes, which are causing record job losses. Over the past 360 days, GDP has fallen by 0.6%, yet Brookfield has surged by 19.56%. While the Prime Minister and his friends at Brookfield are getting richer, the people of Beauce are getting poorer. Will the Liberal Prime Minister show some leadership and take this crisis seriously?