Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our government has a plan to double housing construction across the country. That plan is stuck at the finance committee because Conservatives like to complain about young people not having a home to buy. However, when the solution is right in front of them, they obstruct and they block the progress of our bills. We are going to double housing construction in this country, and we will…
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Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister and our entire caucus was in Alberta, we heard about the need to move quicker on the construction of homebuilding, and that is what we are delivering. Our plan will double construction for homes right across this country, for rental and for purchase, and it is going to respond to the needs of the youth of Canada. Our plan is stuck because the Conservatives refu…
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Mr. Speaker, a family of four may receive over $1,800 through our new Canada groceries and essentials benefit. That will help families and households make ends meet at the end of the month. It is true. We have seen the statistics that show that one in five households has trouble paying their rent, so I am wondering why the Conservatives are blocking the work of Build Canada Homes. Why do the Conse…
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Mr. Speaker, $1,900 per family is real money that will help Canadians pay for groceries, pay for schools and pay for activities for their children. Canadians in Conservative-held ridings want to benefit from this support from our government. Why are the Conservatives systematically blocking every time we want to help Canadians?
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Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. The Conservatives are crying crocodile tears. They complain that Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. However, they vote against Canadians' interests. We have the Canada child benefit, which is indexed to inflation, but the Conservatives do not like this program. They voted against it. We have the dental care program for children and for seniors who are struggl…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), the Clerk of the Privy Council Office was the highest-ranking official who approved the campaign. With regard to (b), the Clerk of the Privy council approved the campaign on March 17, 2025. With regard to (c)(i), digital Advertising purchased programmatically including static, audio, video and connected television advertisements were scheduled to begin on March 21,…
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Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question about who in the Office of the Prime Minister or the Privy Council Office is responsible for ensuring that the Prime Minister abides by the terms of the screen, the Prime Minister’s conflict of interest screen is administered by the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff and by the Clerk of the Privy Council. The administrators ensure that the Prime Mi…
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is rather clear that the Bloc Québécois is against tax cuts. If my colleagues had read the economic update, they would have seen that we created over 330,000 well-paid jobs across Canada. Canada has seen the highest wage growth in the G7. Canadians are cashing paycheques that are 5% bigger, even taking into account inflation. We are making sure that Canadians' paycheques ar…
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Mr. Speaker, the fall economic statement that we tabled yesterday is about growth. It is about investing in our business community and in our economy. The accelerated capital cost allowance will ensure that Canadian businesses stay on this side of the border, that they stay in Canada and that our creation of jobs will continue to increase. Last year alone, 330,000 jobs were created, and these are …
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Mr. Speaker, listening to the Conservatives today, we would think that the Conservative Party of Canada wanted interest rates to be higher. We would think the Conservatives want inflation to be higher, listening to their talking points today in the House of Commons. We have invested in Canadians and we have invested wisely. We have ensured that 110,000 more Canadian women have entered the workforc…
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Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives are focused on this soap-opera Parliament Hill grapevine gossip, our Liberal government has been focused on the pocketbooks of Canadians. Inflation is way down, at 2%. The Governor of the Bank of Canada confirmed yesterday that it is going to stay at about 2% for the next few years. Interest rates are way down. We saw another jumbo rate cut yesterday, which mea…
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Mr. Speaker, it seems we have lost decorum in the House in part because the Conservatives have been attacking female elected representatives, women in the House who represent women and men across the country proudly. If the Conservatives are really interested in asking questions of the economy, I do have answers for them. Yesterday, the Bank of Canada lowered interest rates yet again, making it ea…
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the Conservative member chose to talk about bullying in his question after today's question period has been fraught with bullying from Conservative members. To get back to what is important to Canadians, I would like to talk about the economy. When looking at the numbers, we can see that consumer confidence is up. We see consumer spending is up. Folks are lookin…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives appear to be asking questions about the state of the economy, but they are desperate to deny the fact that, just yesterday, the Bank of Canada lowered interest rates to help all Canadians. That is good news. It will make life more affordable for families who need to renew their mortgages. It will mean lower costs for our SMEs and our entrepreneurs. It will help young…
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Mr. Speaker, we have adopted meaningful measures to rid our streets of weapons of war, guns designed for battlefields, assault weapons that have no place in our communities. I think it is shameful that, on the 35th anniversary of the Polytechnique shooting, the Conservatives are standing up to repeat the falsehoods of the gun lobby.
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Mr. Speaker, I am quite disappointed in the Conservative member opposite. He should know what the definition of a recession is. We have not even had a single quarter of negative growth. In fact, Statistics Canada just revised our growth numbers upward for the last three years. The Conservatives would like to quote former governors of the Bank of Canada. I have got one. David Dodge said, “because […
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Mr. Speaker, this feigned sympathy and these crocodile tears on behalf of the Conservatives are fooling no Canadian. When the Conservatives had the opportunity to support measures that would help Canadians, measures like cutting their taxes, they opposed them. When we proposed a school food program that is going to help feed thousands of children across the country in their schools, they opposed i…
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Mr. Speaker, we have the lowest deficit of all our G7 peers. We also have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio. It will be our pleasure to present a fall economic statement, so all Canadians can see what the books look like, including the Conservative Party. However, we also need to support Canadians. We also need to have affordability measures. That is why we are cutting taxes for Canadians. We are givin…
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Mr. Speaker, it has been 35 years since the massacre at École Polytechnique. As I do every year, I will be joining my community on Mount Royal to commemorate and honour the 14 women whose lives were stolen simply because they were women. The advocacy of survivors like Nathalie Provost and the members of PolyRemembers continues to inspire and encourage us to strengthen gun control across the countr…
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Mr. Speaker, giving a tax break to Canadians is real. When parents pay for their kids' Christmas presents at the cash register, they are not going to pay GST. People at the cash register at the grocery store are not going to pay GST on everyday items. When they go to restaurants, they will not pay it either. This is real money back in the pockets of Canadians. The Conservatives talk about vulnerab…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member is misreading the numbers. Statistics Canada just revealed that it needed to revise the GDP numbers upward for the last three years. Canada is expected to have the highest GDP growth in all of the G7 next year. I think the Conservatives are trying to change the channel. Just a few days ago, they opposed a tax break. They opposed cutting the GST from everyday goods f…
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The Canada emergency business account, or CEBA, helped countless SMEs in Quebec and across Canada avoid bankruptcy. It is thanks to CEBA that workers were able to get their paycheques. I am not surprised that the Bloc Québécois is rising in the House four years later. Perhaps they want to change the channel because, last week, they voted against a tax holiday. I am not making this up. The Bloc Qué…
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Mr. Speaker, we have an excellent relationship with the United States, a relationship that is mutually beneficial. We do enormous amounts of trade with the United States, and the United States depends on Canada for much of its energy supply. The Conservatives want to know what the plan is. Our plan is to continue to work with the United States in order to protect Canadian jobs and to protect the C…
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Mr. Speaker, when the Conservative Party of Canada wanted us to back down during the last round of NAFTA negotiations, we stood up for Canada. We stood up for Canadian workers. We stood up for the steelworkers in Canada. We stood up for Canadian auto workers. We stood up for our farmers and agricultural workers. The Conservatives want to know what the plan is; we plan to do it again and to get a w…
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Mr. Speaker, maybe the Conservative member missed the memo. We are actually taking federal taxes off. We are taking the GST off everyday goods in order to help Canadians. We are wondering on this side of the House how the Conservatives could be against a tax break for Canadians. It will put more money back in their pockets right around the holidays, when they need it most. The policy is good for C…
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Mr. Speaker, I take issue with the insinuation that persons with disabilities in this country do not work. Sixty-two per cent of persons with disabilities will benefit from the rebate because they are working hard. Over one million seniors right across Canada are working and will benefit from the rebate. All Canadians without exception are going to benefit from the tax holiday we just announced. W…
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Mr. Speaker, this Liberal government reduced taxes on the middle class on two occasions and the Conservatives voted against it. Now we are giving a tax break, a tax holiday, to all Canadians at a time when they need it most, and the Conservatives are calling it a gimmick. The Conservative leader is trying to play the grinch who stole Christmas. We know that this is good policy. It is good for Cana…
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Mr. Speaker, these Conservatives always put partisanship first and Canadians last. Once again, the Conservatives are against helping Canadians. We know the tax break will leave more money in Canadians' pockets. Conservatives do not want that. They did not want us to cut taxes for the middle class, and now, they do not want us to take the tax off everyday items. It does not make sense.
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Mr. Speaker, the GST holiday will apply to everybody; all Canadians will benefit from the tax break. One of the things I really take issue with is the insinuation that people with disabilities are not working. Sixty-two per cent of people in Canada with disabilities are working and will benefit from the cheque. There are one million seniors in Canada who are working and will benefit from the chequ…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague opposite knows very well that our government has done the most in order to ensure tax fairness throughout the country. We have acted in order to ensure that the very wealthy pay their fair share. We are helping vulnerable Canadians who need our support, as well as working Canadians. Working Canadians are going to receive a cheque in the spring, and I certainly hope that t…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadian mothers and fathers want to understand why the Conservatives want to take away their $10-a-day child care. Young Canadians who want to buy a first home want to understand why the Conservatives want to take away investments that will build 750,000 new homes. All Canadians want to understand why the Conservatives oppose a tax break, a tax holiday, for all Canadians that will le…
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Mr. Speaker, it was the current Liberal government that reduced taxes on the middle class not once but twice, and the Conservatives opposed the measure on both occasions. Now we are coming with a tax break for the holidays. That is going to mean more money in the pockets of Canadians, and yet again the Conservatives are opposing the measure. Do the Conservatives really believe the talking points t…
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Mr. Speaker, we are offering a tax holiday on groceries, children's toys and children's clothing. That means that starting on December 14, going to a restaurant and having a drink in a glass or even a bottle with family or friends will be tax-free. Did the Conservative member who rose today check with the Conservative leader to see if he is allowed to vote in favour of this measure?
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is giving a tax break to all Canadians. That means there is not going to be GST on essential goods, everyday goods like groceries, toys for the holidays and kids' clothing. We know that Canadians are looking forward to this tax break. We know that it is being done responsibly. It will be done for two months. The question on everybody's mind is whether the Conser…
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Mr. Speaker, this week the media reported that the Conservative leader is preventing members of Parliament in the Conservative Party from advocating for their citizens and for housing investments. The Liberal government is there for Canadians. We are instituting a tax holiday, a tax break for Canadians when they need it most. The question on everybody's mind is whether Conservative members are goi…
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Mr. Speaker, that question has been answered. One question I have is how far the Conservatives are going to go. The Conservative leader wants to take away $10 a day child care from Canadian mothers. He wants to take away dental care subsidies from our seniors. He wants to take away 750,000 new construction builds from Canadians who want to buy their first home. Now the newest policy of the Conserv…
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Madam Speaker, it is no wonder that the Conservatives are not talking about the economy today. This is because Statistics Canada raised its numbers yesterday. In fact, it revised growth in Canada upward. Do members know why? It is because business investment is streaming into Canada. Investors are looking to Canada because we offer stability and certainty. That is translating into growth and into …
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Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and in accordance with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour and privilege to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Amendments to the Agreement Establishing the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development”, adopted by the board of governors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Developmen…
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Madam Speaker, I get the feeling that Conservatives have an inferiority complex when it comes to the United States. The IMF predicts that Canada's growth will outpace growth in the United States next year. This morning, Statistics Canada revealed that we created 15,000 jobs in October. I hope my colleague understands that we will be there to ensure that the economy keeps growing. I am proud to be …
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Madam Speaker, I do not think my colleague has seen the Statistics Canada figures that came out yesterday. Statistics Canada revealed yesterday that our growth is even stronger than expected, and this is actually because of increased investments in Canada. Investors from around the world want to invest in Canada because we offer stability. That is what matters.
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Mr. Speaker, foreign direct investment is up in Canada. Investors are coming to Canada because we provide stability. We provide opportunity. Canada has a long-standing history of standing up for and protecting Canadian workers. With respect to the last NAFTA negotiations, it was the Conservative Party of Canada that asked us to back down. We did not. We stood up for steelworkers. We stood up for o…
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Mr. Speaker, we love powerful paycheques. Actually, wages have outpaced inflation in Canada for the last 20 months. The member opposite wants to talk about the United States. I have some information for him. Last week, the economist David Rosenberg said, “US-based investors should strongly consider moving from New York to Toronto”. I am not a Leafs fan, but I happen to agree with that economist, a…
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Mr. Speaker, my grandparents had diabetes, my mom has diabetes and so do nearly four million Canadians. That is one in 10 of us. It may be our family, our friends or our neighbours. Insulin and other diabetes medications are expensive, and if one does not have private insurance, that is a huge monthly expense. However, all that is going to change because our government is making diabetes medicatio…
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Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives would like to make comparisons with the United States, I have one for them. Canada ran a deficit of just 1.1% of GDP in 2023. That is compared to a 6.3% of GDP deficit in the United States of America. We have made sure to be responsible with our balance sheet and we are doing it while supporting vulnerable Canadians. The Conservatives' hidden agenda is to cut prog…
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Mr. Speaker, our government's priority is to deliver results for all Quebeckers and all Canadians. That includes child care spaces, a dental care program and historic investments in housing. What are the Conservatives focusing on in the meantime? Well, as reported in the Journal de Montréal this week, Conservative MPs are taking trips to Florida to preach about the importance of banning abortion a…
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Mr. Speaker, as soon as the minister heard about the very serious allegations, she took action. The minister announced an immediate halt to all Canadian government-led activity at the bank while we conducted a review of the allegations. In December, we announced an expansion of that review in partnership with some of our closest international partners. The Department of Finance continues to review…
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Madam Speaker, when will the Conservatives stop betting against the success of Canadians? Canada's growth is projected to beat that of all our peers: the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and I could go on. However, the Conservatives have hitched their political and electoral fortunes on the failure of the Canadian economy. The truth is that we are making the economic pie larger and larg…
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Madam Speaker, it takes an incredible amount of cynicism for people to tie their political fortunes to the failure of the Canadian economy, as the Conservatives are doing. The Conservative Leader once argued that there would be perpetual inflation unless we adopted his austerity agenda. We held our ground and now inflation is back down to a historic low of 2%. Does he really believe all the nonsen…
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Madam Speaker, cynical politicians, like the Conservatives, have tied their political fortunes to the failure of the Canadian economy. Good economic news for Canadians is actually bad news for the Conservatives. They have told us time and again that there would be perpetual inflation unless we adopted their austerity agenda. Inflation is at an historic low. It is at 2%, which is exactly the target…
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Madam Speaker, I am quite concerned about where the Conservatives are getting many of their ideas these days, because records show that the Conservative leader got his advice on how to help Canadians struggling with the cost of living from a Loblaws lobbyist. He gets his advice on Ukraine from Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson. He has courted support from misogynists and far-right hate groups, and thes…
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