Parliamentary Speeches

Mr. Speaker, Margaret Haddon from Bradford wrote me to say she raised her children believing that if they worked hard, stayed focused and pursued an education, they would be able to build stable and independent lives, but today she is watching that promise slip further out of reach for them. An entire generation is in this position because of the Liberals' failure to get housing built and rein in the cost of living. How can the Prime Minister still think affordability is the best it has been in a decade when Canadians like Margaret are watching their children do everything right and still fall behind?

Mr. Speaker, Spectra Aluminum in Bradford is facing layoffs and job losses as it deals with 100% stacking American tariffs. The Liberal government has responded by bringing in a countertariff that has raised costs for Canadians, but instead of using that as leverage to stand up for the 80,000 workers in Canadian downstream aluminum manufacturing, the Liberals are letting American firms dodge the tariff, by granting generous remissions. Why is the Liberal government undercutting the Canadian businesses and workers it is supposed to be protecting?

Mr. Speaker, they suggest more websites. This is out of touch. This is not building Canada strong. It is weakening our industries. The Liberals' 50% countertariff on aluminum has increased the cost of houses, renovation, cars, appliances and more, while Canadians pay the price. Workers at companies like Spectra are still facing layoffs, still losing orders and still watching American firms get a backdoor pass into the Canadian market. When will the Prime Minister rise and tell Canadians what the countertariffs are going to cost them?

Mr. Speaker, we know the Liberals are used to stepping over panhandlers who are shaking their coffee cups on the street, and now they can just scroll past them online. More than 15,000 fundraisers have been launched by Canadians on GoFundMe since January to cover rent, groceries and utilities. These campaigns are not from some unexpected tragedy. They are for covering the everyday cost of living under the Liberal government. Will the Prime Minister rein in his inflationary spending so Canadians can stand on their own two feet again?

Mr. Speaker, if all of these Liberal policies were working, our people would not be reduced to begging on the Internet just to get by. These programs do nothing for the millions of Canadians who are working full-time and still cannot afford groceries or rent because of the Liberals' made-in-Canada recession. That is why they are forced into using food banks, crowdfunding online and living in RVs and parking lots. When will the Prime Minister reverse his costly policies, which have left Canadians with no other choice?

Mr. Speaker, there we go again. While one in five Canadians goes hungry, the Prime Minister is somewhere over the Atlantic tucking into another three‑course meal on the taxpayers' dime. In the last year, he spent nearly $1 million on luxury inflight catering, and now he is on another trip, leaving behind countless Canadians wondering how they will afford their next meal. When will this high-flying, fine-dining Prime Minister stop wasting taxpayer dollars so Canadians can eat again?

Mr. Speaker, is that member picking up what I am laying down? That strategy will not feed a single Canadian who cannot afford groceries today because of Liberal policies that have put us in a recession. Maybe the Prime Minister would know this if he was not so eager to flee the country and the people his policies are hurting the most. Instead of champagne wishes and caviar dreams in Paris, why does the Prime Minister not come home and face the 2.2 million Canadians lined up at the food banks?

Mr. Speaker, under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country to fall into recession. This so-called financial wizard created a K-shaped economy where the wealthy, the bankers and the bondholders climb higher, while working Canadians fall further behind. The Liberals can say, “What recession?” because they are not impacted by skyrocketing unemployment, grocery bills and mortgages. Why is this Prime Minister telling Canadians that they are just technically unemployed, technically hungry or technically homeless?

Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is so high that living is being put on hold. This is the real Liberal recession, where people cannot afford to enjoy life, make memories or chase dreams. They are spending their whole time just barely getting by. Those are the consequences of 11 years of Liberals and their failed economic policy. Instead of telling people who are struggling that everything is fine, will the Prime Minister stand up and admit his real Liberal recession is hurting Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are finding themselves on the outside looking in. The Liberal government is wasting insane amounts of money and driving up inflation while our citizens cannot afford to eat or house themselves. It is enough to blow the hat right off one's head. It has spent $300 million on the PrescribeIT scandal, $800 million on their gun buyback program, $12 billion on foreign aid, $19 billion on government insiders, $1 billion on health care for fake refugees and $200 million on a concrete launch pad. It is like something right out of Spaceballs. Canadians are right to be angry. They are being forced into food banks, living on the streets and waiting years for basic medical procedures while the Liberals keep on wasting taxpayer dollars. Why is it that our people are always at the back of the line in their own country? When will the Prime Minister start putting Canadians first?

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise on behalf of the soup and salad bowl of Canada, home to Honda Civic and the best potatoes this side of P.E.I. In the spring economic update, and throughout this debate, the Liberals have made it apparent that they believe Canadians have never had it so good. The Minister of Finance even introduced this update by telling us, “the dream of Canada is alive and well.” I think we need a reality check. Let me share what is happening in my community, because it tells a very different story. Last week, my son came back from running a booth at a local job fair. He came back upset and shocked. He told me he saw hundreds of people lined up, résumés in hand, hoping for a chance to work for one of the few employers in the area still hiring. That was not the shocking part, given that the unemployment rate is now almost 7% across the country. What was shocking to him was the number of seniors in those lines. I am lucky. My son is an old soul. He does not come to me often, but he was very upset. He told me how sad it was to see elderly men in dated suits that had not been worn in years, helped along by wives for whom just standing in that line was an immense effort. Those couples were not there out of choice or ambition. Those people had already worked their whole lives, earned for their retirement and assumed that this chapter was behind them, but now they are pushed back into the workforce because the cost of everything has risen so far and so fast. Unfortunately, very few will manage to get a job at all. It is not just them: All generations are struggling, right across the country. Young people have given up on owning a home. Families are choosing between groceries and rent. It is infuriating that this is the reality facing our people today. This is the new normal in Canada, after 11 years of the Liberal government. Canadians are being asked to accept what used to be unacceptable: crowded emergency rooms, no doctors, two million people lined up for blocks around food banks, and rampant crime and homelessness in our streets. We see it every day. Now even our proud Snowbirds, a symbol of Canadian excellence for generations, are being grounded for years and replaced with inferior aircraft that do not come close to what we have today. In every corner of Canadian life, the message from the government is the same: “Lower your expectations.” Instead of aspiring to build a better Canada and restoring the fiscal responsibility this country sorely needs, the spring economic update confirms that the Liberals are spending money they do not have and charging the bill to Canadians who can least afford it. The Prime Minister promised to spend less than Justin Trudeau, but under his leadership, direct program spending has increased 12.4%, and the deficit has doubled from $31 billion to $65 billion. Their own projections in this update show the national debt reaching $1.63 trillion by 2031. Every dollar of that debt comes with a price tag. This year alone, the price is $58.7 billion in interest payments. That is more than the federal government collects on GST and more than it transfers to the provinces through the Canada health transfer. That is $3,400 from every Canadian family: not for hospitals, not for highways, not for any of the people in that job fair line, just for the interest alone. This level of overspending is indefensible, given the windfall of tax revenue the government has collected through higher-than-expected oil prices over the past year. What did they do with this windfall? They spent 80¢ of every new dollar. They fell short of their own promised savings in operating expenditures by $30 billion. The debt-to-GDP ratio, the government's own preferred measure of fiscal health, will continue rising until 2030. Instead of returning that good fortune to Canadians through lower taxes or applying it against the deficit, the government used it as a licence to spend even more. We see this with the so-called Canada Strong fund. There is another slogan. The Liberal government cannot even manage its own finances, but now it wants to leverage Canadians' own money towards projects underwritten by even more debt. The key to a sovereign wealth fund is wealth, after all. After 11 years of the Liberal government, Canada has none. Our country is poorer due to Liberal policies that have blocked economic growth, fuelled inflation and increased our national debt to record levels. Now, just as they did with the failed Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Liberals claim that this $25-billion fund will attract investment that it would not otherwise attract. This begs the question that I have asked so many times in this chamber: If this fund is so great and will produce such an amazing return on that investment, why would we stop at $25 billion? Put in $100 billion. Why not put in $250 billion? After all, according to the government, it is just a capital investment. It is basically free. Well, we all know the answer to that, because at some point even the Liberal government has to own up to the fact that incurring massive amounts of debt is not an investment strategy. It is a liability, and $25 billion of it deployed into projects of the government's choosing is not a true wealth fund; it is a gamble, and Canadians are being asked to cover that bet. This is a recurring theme with the Liberal government's approach to the economy. It is always our people who have to suffer the consequences of this Prime Minister's economic and trade failures, and right now they are struggling in record numbers. New insolvency data shows that over 37,000 Canadians filed for insolvency in the first quarter of 2026, the highest level since the great recession. Our people are carrying $2.6 trillion in household debt, while mortgage delinquency has reached its highest level in five years. With this spring economic update, the Liberals are adding more debt, more costs and more taxes on the backs of Canadians, who are already at the breaking point. Even worse, all this is taking place while Canada is still without a trade agreement with the United States. The uncertainty, tariffs and job losses that flow from that into auto manufacturing, into agriculture and right across the economy have more of an impact than anything announced in this update. The Liberals are failing on both fronts: They have not lowered the debt, increased investment or unleashed our economy, and they still have not gotten Canadians the trade deal they need. The Liberals would have us believe that if one does not support their spending, their failures and their misplaced priorities, they somehow do not support this country. It is crazy. Some members in this House may choose to set aside their principles to prop up this government. However, as a member of His Majesty's loyal opposition, my job is not to blindly support the government's agenda. It is to make Canada the best it can be by holding the government to account on behalf of Canadians. The spring economic update is not a plan to make Canada stronger. It is a plan to make Canadians poorer, and that is just not good enough. I believe in a Canada where hard work is rewarded, where the dream of owning a home is within reach and where the generations that follow us inherit something better than a lifetime of debt with nothing to show for it. That Canada is possible, and Conservatives will fight every day to make it happen.

Mr. Speaker, I think my hon. colleague from Winnipeg North has had too much Kool-Aid today. That is a government that is out of touch. This so-called sovereign wealth fund is financed with debt. The government does not understand the way things work. The Liberals talk about imaginary taxes all the time. They say the industrial carbon tax does not drive up the price of things. That is how upside down the Liberals are.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague is right. Canadians are flat broke. I spent time in the riding over these last two weeks. I could not believe the stories people and small business owners were telling me. As an aside, and I have spoken about this a number of times, we have been waiting 10 years for natural gas lines in my riding and for phase three hydro so small businesses can start. People are coming to me, frustrated, asking, “Why are we sending all this money overseas? Why am I on the outside looking in when all I am trying to do is just get ahead?”

Mr. Speaker, as in my opening, I am always proud to represent the soup and salad bowl of Canada. Again, going back to the Liberal government with the industrial carbon tax, the Liberals sit there and say that the industrial carbon tax does not affect the price of anything and that it is actually good for prices. I go back to what I said about the wealth fund. If raising the industrial carbon tax does not affect anything, why only raise it to $170? They should put it up to $400. It does not affect anything. It is the same with the wealth fund. Why $25 billion? If the returns are so good, why not put $500 billion in it and get it going?

Mr. Speaker, I have breaking news. Reports say that Honda has scrapped plans to build a new $15-billion EV plant in Alliston, at the cost of thousands of jobs. This is a direct result of Liberal policies that forced Canadian automakers to make cars that Canadians do not want. They are now spending $2.3 billion to fund rebates on foreign-made EVs. With no consumer demand and no CUSMA deal in sight, it is no wonder manufacturers are walking away. Why are Canadian auto workers paying the price for the Liberals' failed auto policies?

Mr. Speaker, they cannot blame market shifts for their own failures. The Liberal government told us for years that the future is EVs. They just did not tell us that it was Chinese EVs. The government should be making it cheaper for Canadians to buy the cars they want to drive, built by Canadians. Instead, the Liberal policies are killing auto jobs and investment while subsidizing foreign-made electric vehicles, such as the 49,000 imported from China this year. Will the Liberals admit that they are choosing Chinese automakers over Canadian workers?

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is selling out Canada's auto sector and doubling down on Chinese EVs. I want to know if he will be riding in one in his motorcade. Experts have called the EVs “rolling spy vans”, designed to feed data back to servers in China. The Prime Minister called China our greatest security threat. The government is still shipping 49,000 of them in while our own automakers are shut out. Why is the Prime Minister compromising our national security and our auto industry to cozy up to Beijing?

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table a petition on behalf of the people of Simcoe County, and of course to support my colleague from Simcoe—Grey, because prime farmland is now under attack again. The Department of National Defence has purchased 700 acres of prime farmland overlapping wetlands. This is on the preliminary site. It also has a requirement to potentially purchase another 2,600 acres of prime farmland in Clearview Township to build the over-the-horizon radar. The petitioners are calling on the government to stop the building of the over-the-horizon radar on the already purchased property, prevent further acquisition of prime farmland that obviously Canada and Ontario relies on, and register the previously purchased property with the Ontario Farmland Trust to preserve its agricultural heritage.

Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of Liberal deficits, Canadians are screaming to make it stop, but the banker Prime Minister is not listening. He said they just got started as they pile on another $37 billion in spending, weakening our economy even more. This budget promises more costs, more taxes, more debt and more inflation for hard-working Canadians who are already maxed out. Why are Canadians paying the price for the Liberal government's out-of-control spending?

Strap in, Mr. Speaker, because Canadians are now paying $59 billion in interest on the debt. That money is not going toward hospitals, highways or homes. It is contributing to the highest household debt, most unaffordable housing and second-worst productivity and unemployment in the entire G7. The Liberals are so far behind, they think they are in first place. Will the Prime Minister admit that his costly credit card budget is rewarding bankers and lenders while making life harder for everyone else?

Mr. Speaker, I had to pull up my question for the government House leader. I am glad he is here today. I asked the member for Winnipeg North this question. I did not quite get a satisfactory answer. When justifying the government's motion, the government House leader called this principle “undeniable”. Does the government understand that the entire purpose of parliamentary committees is to ensure that nothing is undeniable, that every action, every claim, every program and every policy is examined on its own merits? A government that declares itself undeniable has told this House exactly why it must not be trusted with committee control, control that Canadians did not give it in a general election.

Mr. Speaker, it is one year into the Liberal government's mandate. That means it is report card time. Let us have a look at how the Liberals are doing: negotiating a trade deal with the United States, fail; making housing more affordable, fail; addressing the rising cost of living, fail; lowering government spending, fail; getting immigration under control, fail. Across the board, the Liberal government has earned a failing grade, but it is not the Liberals being held back, it is Canadians. The young couple who cannot afford a first home, the auto worker whose shift got cut, the small business owner who woke up to a 25% tariff and the farmer with nowhere to sell are all being held back. The Prime Minister wants to talk about forward guidance. How about he starts by looking back at 365 days of failure and the impact that has had on Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, it has been 278 days since the Prime Minister's own drop-dead deadline for a trade deal with the United States. In that time, 2.7 million Canadian jobs that depend on cross-border trade have been threatened by tariffs and uncertainty. While Mexico is at the negotiating table, the Prime Minister is on YouTube calling Canada-U.S. trade a weakness instead of fighting for our businesses and workers. There has been enough talking. We just want the date. When will Canada have the trade deal with the U.S. that the Liberals promised?

Mr. Speaker, by the time I finish asking this question, Canada will have done more trade with the United States than the value of this Prime Minister's trade agreements with Ecuador, India and the UAE combined. The reality is that our trade relationship with the United States, what the Prime Minister calls a weakness, represents over $900 billion in annual trade and 2.7 million jobs, but he refuses to fight for these workers under our economy. Will the Prime Minister admit that the only real weakness is his own?

Mr. Speaker, I listened intently, and in justifying this motion, the government House leader called this principle “undeniable”. Does the Liberal government not understand that the entire purpose of parliamentary committees is to ensure that nothing is undeniable, that every action, every claim, every program and every policy is examined and accessed on its own merits? A government that declares itself “undeniable” has told the House exactly why it must not be trusted with committee control. This control is control that Canadians did not give in a general election.

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister's temporary, half measures on fuel prices show he is more focused on increasing government revenues than offering real relief to Canadians at the pump. The Liberals will rake in up to $10 billion more in taxes, while Canadians will save just 10¢ a litre. Here we go again: Billions for this Liberal government, but pennies for Canadians. Why should soccer moms, seniors and young people pay the price at the pump for this Prime Minister's overspending?

Mr. Speaker, this announcement will barely move the needle for Canadians drowning in credit card debt just to fill up. Instead of adopting the Conservative plan to eliminate all taxes on fuel and save Canadian families $1,218 until 2027, the Liberals' half-baked plan will only save families 10¢ a litre for a couple of months. No one has a monopoly on good ideas. Why is this Prime Minister refusing to listen to Conservatives, and offer real relief to Canadians at the pump?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians cannot afford the cost of living, and the Liberals think the best way to get Canadians back on their feet is to miss three car payments. That is the problem. Their decisions keep making life more expensive. As gas prices skyrocket, the government is making things worse with its industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard tax. The Liberals point to global instability, but it is the Prime Minister who is choosing to make Canadians pay even more at the pump. Why will the Liberals not remove the tax on gas and give Canadians a break?

Mr. Speaker, gas prices are 26¢ higher in Canada than in the U.S., and Liberal policies are forcing Canadians to skip meals, defer dreams and fall behind on bills. That is because we are the only country with a shrinking economy in the G7 as well as having the worst food inflation. While Canadians are being forced into hard choices, the Liberal government has a simple choice: It can scrap the taxes that are driving up fuel costs so Canadians pay less at the pump. Will the Liberals finally take responsibility for what they can control and axe these taxes?

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to our Conservative motion to protect and grow Canada's auto sector. I will be splitting my time with the member for Windsor West. As the member of Parliament for New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, I have the honour of representing the workers at the four million square foot Honda Canada manufacturing facility in Alliston, Ontario, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The 4,200 workers at Honda Canada build vehicles for Canadians from all walks of life, including the 2026 Canadian car of the year, the Honda Civic. They are highly skilled, experienced and among the best in the world at what they do. Each year, they produce more than 400,000 vehicles. They source over $3 billion in parts from Canadian suppliers, supporting roughly 30,000 spinoff jobs across the country. They also give back to their community, supporting charities and local initiatives that make all Canadians' lives better. However, despite all their hard work, they are being let down by a Liberal government that has allowed the production and investment to decline, employment opportunities to disappear and uncertainty to take hold in this pivotal industry. Since the Liberals first formed government, automotive production in Canada has steadily declined, falling from 2.3 million vehicles in 2016 to 1.2 million vehicles last year. That decline has continued. In the first month of 2026, exports of passenger cars and light trucks have fallen by a whopping 32.5%. Canadian workers are bearing the impacts. Over the past decade, employment in the production of passenger vehicles and light truck assembly has fallen by thousands. Entire communities have experienced layoffs in major facilities, which has had effects extending beyond the plant floor to suppliers and small businesses that support them. Investment decisions in the auto sector are increasingly being made outside Canada. Major manufacturers are committing billions of dollars and creating thousands of jobs in other countries, shaping the future of the industry beyond our borders. When he was first appointed, the Prime Minister promised to protect auto jobs, but in his first year, there have been job losses in the auto sector every month. He said he would move at speeds Canadians had never seen before, but no one expected that meant accelerating job losses. The Liberal approach to the automotive sector is not really a strategy at all. It is the managed decline of an industry that has been struggling for some time. There is a lot at stake, and there are a lot of issues. For one, it assumes we can shift to producing more electric vehicles and make up for lost access to the U.S. market by selling to Europe, but that does not reflect how the market works. Right now, fewer than 2% of vehicles we export go to Europe, and Europe is putting rules in place to favour vehicles that are built there. At the same time, U.S. tariffs are adding significant costs for Canadian manufacturers, and the government's credit system does not come close to covering these costs. The result is a plan that leaves our auto sector facing more pressure and more uncertainty, without a clear path forward. Our country needs a plan that will protect our auto jobs here at home and build leverage to achieve tariff-free trade with the United States. No one has a monopoly on a good idea. As His Majesty's loyal opposition, the Conservatives are promising real solutions in this motion that the government needs to adopt urgently. We need to make it easier for Canadians to buy the vehicles that are built here. Removing the GST on Canadian-made vehicles would help close the gap between what we produce and what Canadians can afford, unlike the Liberal plan, which would send incentives abroad rather than supporting domestic production right here at home. We also need to tie market access directly to production. Under the Conservative plan, manufacturers who build vehicles in Canada would earn the ability to sell vehicles here duty-free from our North American partners. This creates a clear and immediate incentive to invest in Canadian facilities, Canadian workers and Canadian supply chains. It reflects the reality that this is a continental industry and ensures that Canada remains a central part of it. The plan would also reinforce the North American supply chain by making more parts and having more work done right here in North America. This would support jobs across the broader economy, including Canadian parts manufacturers, local suppliers and thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that depend on the sector. I have met with many of those suppliers over the past year. One of them told me a different story of how difficult the Liberal government has made it for them to navigate the red tape around tariffs, remissions, and import and export rules. They are being squeezed from both sides: pressured abroad by Trump and burdened at home by the government. Our plan addresses this so they can focus on production, hiring workers and growing their operations. Another significant issue with the Liberals' auto strategy is their continued obsession with electric vehicles. Following their disastrous EV mandate that they have finally backed down on, the new version of the mandate is an EV rebate that will give taxpayer money to the wealthy for electric cars that everyday Canadians do not want and cannot afford. It does not support the production of the clean and fuel-efficient vehicles already being produced right here in Canada, including those at Honda. Instead, our plan would align our emission rules with those of the United States so manufacturers can build for one North American market instead of two separate systems. That lowers costs and supports continued production in Canada, including of hybrids. We are living through a period of real economic uncertainty. Global conflicts and strained international relationships are putting pressure our economy, but the Liberals' approach to the auto sector is adding to that uncertainty. Their policies leave Canadian manufacturers guessing, and when companies are left guessing, they hold back investment. However, the uncertainty the Liberals are piling on is felt not just in the boardrooms. It is also felt on the plant floors by the workers who do not know if their jobs are secure, and it is felt across entire communities as well, by the people who rely on auto plants to support their family and keep their local economy going. The motion is about restoring stability to a sector that supports hundreds of thousands of Canadians. It is about giving manufacturers the confidence to build here, invest here and hire here. Conservatives have a plan that reflects how the auto industry actually works, a plan that would support production in Canada, strengthen our place in North America and give workers and families a clearer path forward. The workers I represent at Honda in Alliston, and workers across the country, have proven their ability to compete and succeed every single day. It is time for the Liberal government to support them by voting for our motion. The Conservative plan would rebuild our industrial base, restore confidence here at home and ensure that Canada remains strong, self-reliant and secure in the world.

Mr. Speaker, the number one thing I was hearing was uncertainty, and uncertainty is a job killer and an investment killer. Let us take the EV mandate, for example. The government spent years talking about the EV mandate, not to mention the 10 years they talked to Canadians selling the carbon tax, but we will just forget about all that. Back to the EV mandate, this presented uncertainty in the industry. Now, the Liberals are saying that they are going to cancel the EV mandate, which is still on the books and has not been repealed. It is still the law of the day and companies are still dealing with it, and now we do not even know what the tailpipe emissions are going to be for companies. They are still struggling with uncertainty.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for Simcoe—Grey for representing the great people of New Tecumseth all those years. I want to follow up on uncertainty. This is the problem with the government, and we hear it from many parts manufacturers and feeder plants, including Honda, that I go to. Companies need certainty to invest. They need to know the rules of the game, and right now no one knows the rules of the game. It was the Prime Minister who promised, in the election, to get a deal with Donald Trump by July. I did not say it; he did. I would like the government to understand that, as the official opposition, our job is to make the government the best it can be.

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but I missed the first part of my colleague's question. The number one thing that I would like to talk about is uncertainty. What most Canadians asked me when I was in the riding last week was, what is the update on the CUSMA negotiations? What is the update on the deal with the United States? This is one of the most secretive deals. We get no updates from the government. What is the government's plan?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians watching know that the government always has an excuse ready, but they cannot keep passing the buck when we have the highest food inflation and the worst economic growth in the G7. Backward Liberal policies imposed domestically, like the industrial carbon tax and the fuel standard tax, are harming our economy and making life more expensive for Canadians. Enough excuses. Will the Liberals scrap these self-inflicted taxes they are forcing on Canadians?

Mr. Speaker, how can Canada stand on its own two feet in the world if the Liberals keep cutting our legs out from under us? Amid global instability, the government should be doing everything it can to make life more affordable right here at home. Liberal taxes are leaving Canadians more exposed to global shocks, conflicts and decisions by foreign governments. When will the Liberals stop making excuses and scrap these taxes?

Mr. Speaker, it is unbelievable. Only 269 new homes were sold in the GTA last month. It is the worst ever on record for new home sales, but it is not because Canadians do not want to buy; it is because they cannot afford the homes being built. The Liberals' failure to address out-of-control immigration, rising inflation and red tape has resulted in an entire generation being priced out of the market. Why is the government making it so hard for Canadians to afford a home?

Mr. Speaker, young Canadians are flat broke and falling behind, with 57% reporting that they have no money left at the end of the month. Four in 10 fear they will never pay off their debt. They have one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel. Canadians are draining their savings while their dreams of owning a home, starting a family and building a secure life have been shattered. Instead of making things even worse, when will the Liberal government lower costs so young Canadians can afford to live?

Mr. Speaker, news reports this week confirmed what Canadians already know: Our economy is on life support. Because of Liberal mismanagement, we have had two consecutive quarters of zero economic growth. While our GDP is stagnant, grocery inflation keeps climbing. This year, it will cost $17,600 to feed a family of four, nearly $1,000 more than it did in 2025. Why is it that under the Liberals, the only thing rising is the price of food?

Mr. Speaker, the government could talk a glass eye to sleep, but it is the Liberals who need to wake up. Do they need to see how many more Canadians are on the street, shaking a coffee cup for change? The government refuses to take the tax off food, refuses to boost competition and refuses to deliver a real plan for food affordability. Its rebate will not reduce the price of a single item at the grocery store. Will the Liberals support our food affordability plan and deliver some real relief for Canadians?

Picking up from where I left off, Mr. Speaker, he lectured the world about honesty and naming reality. Well, here is a reality check for him. Canada now leads the G7 in food inflation. Families here at home are paying more for groceries because of Liberal policies that tax fuel, fertilizer and food production. If the Prime Minister thinks honesty matters, will he admit today his policies are driving up food prices?

Mr. Speaker, Canadians would not need any rebates if the Liberals had not driven up grocery prices in the first place. So long as they keep imposing the industrial carbon tax and the 17¢-a-litre fuel tax on Canadian food production, prices will keep increasing. Conservatives are ready to fast-track bills that would reverse the highest food inflation in the G7. Will the government stand with us and introduce measures to make food affordable again, or will it just keep driving up food prices?

Mr. Speaker, where is the beef? That is what Canadians are asking as food prices keep rising. The Prime Minister told Canadians that he would be judged by the prices at the grocery store, yet 86% of Canadians say they are cutting back on meat because they simply cannot afford it. The Liberals' industrial carbon tax and inflationary deficits are driving up the prices Canadians pay at the checkout line. Why is the Liberal government making it even harder for people to afford food?

Mr. Speaker, that answer was all bun, no patty. The member said nothing of substance to Canadians who cannot afford groceries. Because of Liberal policies, next year a family of four can expect to pay nearly $1,000 more for food. Food prices could rise 6% next year, with meat expected to see the biggest price hike. The Liberals are refusing to act to lower food costs. The beef is already gone, so what does that minister think Canadians should cut back on next?