Debates of Oct. 24th, 2025

École secondaire des Rives

[Tatiana Auguste, Liberal, Terrebonne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on October 2, I had the immense pleasure of swearing in the student government at École secondaire des Rives in my riding.

Today I have the honour of welcoming those students to Parliament so that they can watch our democracy in action. Taking part in this visit are 36 students and their teachers, Luke Mayba and Isabelle Marion, whom I had the honour of awarding the Parliament of Canada medal in recognition of their outstanding commitment to this citizen initiative.

The members of the government are Sara Rachel Acosta Rodriguez, prime minister, Carl Xavier Jeudi, deputy prime minister, Merary Lyzeth Rodas Caballero, speaker, Amélie-Ann Guillet, representative, and Acil Tadjer, representative. I wish them every success in their roles. By representing their peers to the administration, they are learning about the principles of democracy and preparing to become the citizens of tomorrow.

Young People in Canada

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the Prime Minister told a room full of students that they need to make sacrifices. Evidently, from the Prime Minister's globalist jet-setting vantage point, young Canadians have never had it so good. He could not be more wrong. He could not be more out of touch. If the Prime Minister had any grip on reality, he would know that after 10 years of the Liberals, young Canadians have sacrificed enough. They have sacrificed with skyrocketing food costs, they have sacrificed without jobs in the face of the worst employment numbers in 30 years, and they have sacrificed the dream of owning a home, with home ownership unattainable for three quarters of young Canadians.

Instead of lecturing young Canadians, perhaps the Prime Minister should get a grip, own up to 10 years of Liberal failure and reverse course on his disastrous policies.

Marie-Christine Boucher

[Caroline Desrochers, Liberal, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is Women's History Month, and I would like to congratulate Marie-Christine Boucher, a woman from my riding of Trois-Rivières, on her appointment as senior director of business operations for the Professional Women's Hockey League.

This appointment is a testament not only to her expertise and commitment to the development of women's hockey, but also to the influence that Trois-Rivières's local talent has throughout North America. Most importantly, it is a testament to the major contribution women are making in the world of sports, both on the field and behind the bench.

As enthusiasm for women's hockey continues to grow around the world, her leadership will help the PWHL consolidate its position on the international stage and inspire a new generation of young female players.

Once again, I offer her my congratulations on this great achievement. Trois-Rivières is proud to have one of our own in such an important position.

Congratulations, Marie-Christine.

International Trade

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister broke his promise to negotiate a trade deal with the Americans, but what do Canadians have for all the Prime Minister's talk? Canadians have higher tariffs than before he was elected, thousands of job losses and concession after concession with nothing in return for Canadians. Now the U.S. president has terminated negotiations with Canada, but the Prime Minister said this morning that they are making great progress.

In what world is the termination of negotiations great progress? When will the Prime Minister deliver the deal he promised?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, for months, we have been drawing the distinction between what we can and what we cannot control, including the trade policy of the United States, which has fundamentally shifted. We remain ready to restart negotiations.

At the same time, we are building Canada strong; we are diversifying our supply chains with major economies in the Indo-Pacific, we are reducing internal barriers to trade, and we are getting national projects off the ground, things that I remind the opposition they voted against.

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not have time for the Liberals to play catch-up. What do we have since the Prime Minister's last trip to the White House? We have 5,000 auto jobs lost. What other jobs do we have to sacrifice? A hundred jobs in Maitland have gone to the United States, as well as hundreds of forestry workers. Nine hundred jobs at Imperial Oil are not coming back. All the while, Canadians are suffering with an affordability crisis that has been fuelled by higher taxes under the Liberals and inflationary policies that have driven food prices up at the grocery store.

The Prime Minister is telling young Canadians they need to make sacrifices. When is he going to deliver on his promise with a deal?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, it is surprising that the member opposite does not recognize that this government has been there to support industry and affected sectors, with a $5-billion strategic response fund and $10 billion for liquidity management. At the same time, 80% of our trade is covered by an existing free trade agreement, and we are reducing internal barriers to trade to add up to $200 billion to the Canadian economy. We urge the opposition to get on board, stand united and build Canada strong.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning, Canadians woke up to yet another of the Prime Minister's broken promises.

He was elected because he said that we were going to get an agreement and there would be no tariffs. What has happened over the past six months? New tariffs keep coming in, directly resulting in tens of thousands of job losses.

What did we find out late last night? Trump has terminated the negotiations. What was the Prime Minister's immediate reaction this morning? He said that progress is being made. What planet is the Prime Minister on? Thousands of people are waiting for an agreement and there is none.

Is someone going to rise to defend the indefensible?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, for months, we have been emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between what we can control and what we cannot control. We remain ready to resume negotiations.

However, we can still take action here, at home, by launching national construction projects, and by growing and diversifying Canada's economy. We can also build our supply chains. We are going to be here for a strong Canada.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, QC]

Mr. Speaker, “here in Canada”? Did the minister just say “here in Canada”? Is she aware of what is happening here in Canada?

In the Montreal area, 300 people lost their jobs this week at Paccar. More than 5,000 workers in the automotive industry across Canada have lost their jobs. People in the aluminum industry, in the lumber industry, in the steel industry and in the automotive industry—thousands of Quebeckers are waiting for a response from the government.

The government keeps saying that it is making progress, although Trump is saying today that negotiations have been terminated. When will the government start acting responsibly?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition members know that we are here for Canadians, including Quebeckers. We are here with support for the auto industry, the lumber industry and industry in general, with a $5-billion strategic fund.

At the same time, we are diversifying our supply chains. We will build the Canadian economy, and we will be here for a strong Canada. Will my colleague support us?

Youth

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Bowmanville—Oshawa North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week I travelled to four university campuses to hear from Canadian students, many of whom are feeling very anxious about their future in this economy.

This week I listened to the Prime Minister speak to a group of students and lecture them on the need to make sacrifices, as if they had not already been asked to do so. His speech was tone-deaf and out of touch.

Will the Prime Minister commit today to getting spending under control and stop putting the next generation of Canadians into even more debt?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, our government has said that in the upcoming budget, it is going to be making generational investments. They will be generational because we know that youth are at the heart of Canada's future, and we have a plan to ensure that they succeed.

It is why we are going to be creating tens of thousands of jobs thorough major projects that the Conservatives call “pathetic”. It is why we are going to be building Canada homes and creating new, affordable homes for young people, which the Conservatives call shacks, and why we continue to invest in things that support our young people, like our national school food program, which yesterday the Conservatives called “garbage”.

When will the Conservatives actually stand up for Canada's youth?

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Bowmanville—Oshawa North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Canadian people can hear more empty Liberal promises and more generational word salad, all of which adds up to more spending and more debt thrust upon the next generation of Canadian dreamers, builders, strivers and hustlers.

The Prime Minister should not be lecturing young people about sacrifice; he should be listening to them and hearing their stories.

Again I am going to ask, will the Prime Minister commit today to getting spending under control so young people can afford to get ahead in life?

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, opportunities for young people are exactly what the government is creating. Just yesterday in the member's riding, we announced a major project that is moving forward with two billion dollars' worth of investment that will create 18,000 jobs across Durham region, 3,700 of them full-time jobs, and provide clean power to 1.2 million Canadians.

Can the member opposite for Bowmanville—Oshawa North not stand up and actually support those opportunities for once?

Employment

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Donald Trump has broken off talks. We are a long way from an agreement, despite the Liberal rescue promised during the election campaign.

Yes, some things are unpredictable, but other things are in Ottawa's control, including how we protect our people.

As yet, assistance for the lumber sector is still on hold. Three hundred jobs were lost at Paccar because of truck tariffs. Meanwhile, Ottawa is making cuts to measures that simplify access to EI.

With everything in Washington off the rails, what is the Prime Minister going to do to make sure that Quebeckers do not pay for this new setback?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, we have always known that this would be a volatile situation. We are keeping a steady hand to continue supporting industry and workers.

We are making historic investments in supporting our workforce. For example, we have set aside $5 billion for a strategic response fund.

We are signing agreements with other countries to build a strong economy.

[Alexis Deschênes, Bloc, Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the idea of diversifying our trade partnerships over the next 10 years, as the Prime Minister proposes, is a good one. However, for workers in our sawmills, at Paccar, at our aluminum smelters and steel plants, 10 years is forever.

The Prime Minister has an obligation to get results for Quebeckers now living with a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. We need the diversification rhetoric to translate into contracts and job creation. Support for industries and workers has to be flexible and much more readily accessible.

When can we expect results?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, once again, Canada is ranked among the best places in the G20 to do business. We are strengthening our partnerships in Europe, in the Indo-Pacific region and in Africa.

That is why we signed a historic trade agreement with Indonesia to create jobs here, at home. This is not just about agreements; it is also about wages for Canadian families.

We are here to build a strong Canadian economy. Are they with us?

Forestry Industry

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the softwood lumber industry does not have 10 years to wait for the Prime Minister and his economic diversification trips.

The Bloc Québécois is calling for a real rescue package for our forestry industry. To begin with, Ottawa needs to finally release the financial aid it has already promised. That would be a good start. On top of that, a wage subsidy is needed to protect workers and their employment relationships if layoffs do occur.

When will the federal government show the same urgency for Quebec's lumber industry as it does for Ontario's auto industry?

[Karim Bardeesy, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian and Quebec softwood lumber built our country, from construction to real estate. However, as we know, U.S. tariffs are putting our workers and businesses at risk. That is why we are here. To offset the pressure from tariffs, we are making $700 million available to softwood lumber companies through the Business Development Bank of Canada.

We will always be there for our workers and our softwood lumber companies.

Youth

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, youth unemployment is nearing half a million people. That is the worst in 25 years, and that is the price that young Canadians are paying after 10 long years of Liberal failure. They have already sacrificed owning a home and starting a family. Food prices have skyrocketed. Housing starts in Toronto have fallen to a 30-year low.

Nonetheless, the Prime Minister stood before a room of students and told them to make even more sacrifices. He is blind to the realities facing young Canadians, stubbornly pushing the same failed policies.

When will the Liberals finally rein in their reckless spending so young Canadians can afford to dream again?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, when we talk about spending less to invest more, it is because we believe that we need to create prosperity for the younger generations of Canadians.

When we look at our track record, we see that housing starts are up under the Prime Minister, construction investment is up and wages are up, and we have created over 100,000 full-time jobs in the past month alone.

We have a responsible plan. We are just getting started. Young people are at the centre of the plan.

[Sandra Cobena, Conservative, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the deficit is doubling. The Liberals are changing definitions so they can manipulate the results and confuse Canadians. They are not spending less.

Our youth are living with the fallout of failed policies. They cannot afford a home, and they are searching for jobs that no longer exist, while the Liberal government mortgages their future.

When will the government open its eyes to the struggles of young Canadians and deliver a responsible budget that does not burden them with generational debt?

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, in our budget, what people will see are the kinds of investments that are actually going to set young people on the right path forward, creating jobs, investing in skills and apprenticeships, investing in affordable homes and making it easier for young people to get into those homes.

Those are the kinds of investments we are making. When members on the opposite side of the House stand up and call things like our national school food program “garbage”, when it actually helps young Canadians get the best early start in life, we have to wonder whether they really care about youth.