Debates of Oct. 24th, 2025

Finance

[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, we are making generational investments that create well-paying jobs and grow our economy.

Yesterday, I was honoured to join the Prime Minister and the Premier of Ontario to announce support for OPG's Darlington new nuclear project, located in my home of Durham Region. This important project will build four SMRs that will power 1.2 million households with clean energy, create 18,000 construction jobs and 3,700 careers, and add $38.5 billion to Canada's GDP over 65 years. That is how we build Canada strong.

Automotive Industry

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this morning the Liberal Prime Minister had the audacity to say he is making significant progress in removing Donald Trump's tariffs on Canada. Is he kidding me? We lost 3,000 auto jobs in Brampton and 1,200 auto jobs in Ingersoll, and that is just in the last 10 days. What an absolute slap in the face to auto workers that is.

The Prime Minister also recently said that Canadians have to make sacrifices. Why do the Liberals not actually confess that the sacrifice he is talking about is the entire Canadian auto industry?

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, for months we have been drawing the distinction between things that we can and cannot control. We cannot control the trade policy of the United States or any other country. We can control what we do here at home.

We are building the strongest economy in the G7. We are doing that by reducing internal barriers to trade. We are doing that by supporting affected industries, including $5 billion in the strategic response fund and helping to support workers across this country.

We ask the Conservatives, rather than talking Canada down, to stand with us.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister needs to hear something: Auto workers want their jobs. They do not want handouts. They do not want to hear that we are making progress. They do not want to hear these bromides about standing up for Canada. What they want is to get back in the plant and do their jobs. They want to make the great cars they make.

What is the actual plan to get auto workers back in the factories and producing cars? What it looks like right now is that the Liberals are sacrificing the auto industry in a desperate and pathetic attempt to appease Donald Trump.

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

Mr. Speaker, the plan is to work with unions, to work with companies and to work with the provinces to have an alignment so that we can fight these unjustified tariffs.

The plan is to have a strategic response fund to support workers and businesses in this time of challenge for us. The plan is to change our emissions framework to make sure that Stellantis and GM know exactly what we are doing.

The plan is to continue to diversify our trade and continue to work with such companies as Linamar, whose CEO and chair, Linda Hasenfratz, said at committee this week that this is one of the most productive sectors in all of Canada.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada's biggest export to the U.S. has become well-paying auto jobs. Paycheques are vanishing. First it was Windsor, then Brampton, then Oshawa, then Ingersoll. Now people in my community are terrified that Cambridge will be next, with thousands of livelihoods hanging in the balance.

The Prime Minister admitted that he is unlikely to get a complete trade deal with the U.S., despite all his endless promises. He is full of talk but out of gas, and Canadians are left stranded. How many more jobs will get sent south because of his broken promises and negotiating failures?

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

Mr. Speaker, what is important is that we all work together to fight these unjustified tariffs and to have a plan to respond. That includes the strategic response fund, the changes we have made to the remissions framework, diversifying our trade and continuing to attract companies from all over the world to build right here in Canada. It includes listening to the words of Linda Hasenfratz, who said that the most productive factories she has of all the footprint in the world are right here in Canada. It includes working with the companies and workers and talking up our industry, not talking it down. It is not to talk down EVs but to say that we want these jobs here and we want these cars here. We will always be an auto-producing nation.

[Fred Davies, Conservative, Niagara South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Stellantis announced that Jeep production is moving from Brampton to Illinois, taking 3,000 Canadian jobs with it. The Liberals gave Stellantis up to $10 billion in taxpayer money for an EV plant in Ontario but failed to secure job protection for its workers. They also did this with two EV plants in my riding: one that never opened and one that is still under construction.

Will this be another case of déjà vu? When will the Liberal government keep its word and stop the destruction of the auto sector in this country?

[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, we have heard the recent news that some of our auto manufacturers have announced reductions in their production levels at Canadian facilities, and the government is extremely concerned and disappointed in those announcements. The Government of Canada is committed to maintaining a strong Canadian automotive industry, its footprint here in Canada, with the well-paying jobs that come with it.

The government expects these companies to respect their commitments toward Canada and their workers. We have adjusted the remissions framework to correspond with the reduction in those production levels. That is how we will protect our Canadian footprint for the automotive industry.

Housing

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata, QC]

Mr. Speaker, rent in Quebec has jumped by almost 10%, which is double the national average over the past year. After 10 years of Liberal deficits, everything costs more; I have seen it with my own eyes and I am seeing it on the ground.

Last week, at a gas station in La Pocatière, one of my constituents asked me why the Liberals are spending billions on things that do nothing to help her family, when she can no longer even pay her rent without having to cut back on groceries. Imagine that. It makes no sense.

What will the Prime Minister do to finally stop throwing money out the window and give Quebeckers some breathing room?

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is facing a housing crisis. Rent and mortgage costs are still unaffordable.

During the last election campaign, Canadians told us loud and clear that it is time to build. This means building housing at a pace not seen in generations. That is why we launched Build Canada Homes, a program focused on building and financing affordable housing at scale to meet the needs of Canadians across the housing spectrum.

Youth

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a study has shown an alarming increase in anxiety and depression among our young people. Nearly one in four young people rate their mental health as poor and more than 80% experience constant stress about their future and finances.

At a time when economic uncertainty is taking its toll on young people, is it not a bit irresponsible of the Prime Minister to tell them that it is up them to make sacrifices?

How can this government demand more sacrifices of a generation that is struggling under the weight of the inflation, insecurity and debt that are a direct result of this government's 10 years in power?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives talk a big game about supporting young people and young families, but they voted against every single measure that actually helps them. Our government is delivering real results, from child care to national food programs and the Canadian dental care plan, which is now reaching more than five million Canadians and saving families $800 a year. This is money that stays in Canadians' pockets while giving them timely access to quality care. We are lowering costs for young Canadians while the Conservatives are just lowering expectations.

[Gabriel Hardy, Conservative, Montmorency—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we are talking about one in five young people who feel as though they are in financial peril and who think about that every day.

Inflation is eating away at every dollar, and rent has increased by 10% in Quebec. It is not surprising to see our young people losing confidence in the future. One in four young people are experiencing psychological distress. This economic crisis is turning into a mental health crisis.

This week, the Prime Minister told our young people that they will have to make more sacrifices. Conversely, is it too much to ask the Liberal government to change course and give our children a better future?

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

Mr. Speaker, the reason we are making generational investments in young people is that we believe they are the future. When we think about affordability today, it is also why we listen to groups like, for example, Right To Food, because it talks about the need to strengthen our social safety net, including affordable child care, dental care, the workers benefit and the child benefit. It is why we are introducing automatic tax filing for millions of Canadians. Our plan includes building homes young people can afford and building great jobs that are going to create opportunities for their future. This is how a responsible government tackles the challenge of building a great country.

Mental Health and Addictions

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the health minister revealed that she does not personally review supervised consumption site applications, so I am going to bring one to her attention. There is currently an application for review on her desk for a drug consumption site in Whitehorse, Yukon. Multiple day cares are located within steps of the site, and an elementary school is just 200 metres away. The health minister has the power to reject this application.

Will the minister protect the children, or will she approve another drug consumption site next to schools and day cares?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, no parent should worry about their child picking up a broken needle or a broken pipe. While evidence shows that safe consumption sites help reduce public drug use and stop the spread of infectious diseases, we recognize the impact these sites have on these communities.

As we continue to work with parents and partners to tackle this public health issue, service providers must engage with our communities and have mitigation measures in place to address community concerns about public safety.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Mr. Speaker, clearly, the health minister does not care that drugs are used next to children because she allows it to happen right across Canada. According to her own department, fentanyl is the drug used most in the consumption sites the Liberals continue to approve. In fact, fentanyl is used in over 48% of the visits to federally approved drug consumption sites.

Given that a few grains of fentanyl can kill someone, will the minister at least shut down the fentanyl consumption sites next to children, yes or no?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that our government understands the devastating impact the drug and overdose crisis has had on families and communities in every corner of the country. I also want to continue to say that we will continue to work with partners across the board to tackle this public health crisis. I invite the member opposite to work with us on this instead of fighting us.

Health

[Shannon Miedema, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, women's health has consistently been a blind spot in our health care system. We use data to make critical decisions. When research fails to account for gender differences, the results are biased, and women pay the price. From heart attacks to endometriosis, from menopause to cancers, there is a lack of focused research and a deficiency in critical data.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health tell the House how the government is ensuring that Canada's health care system is working toward adequately serving this half of the population?

[Maggie Chi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, at a time when women's rights are being rolled back around the world, Canada is moving forward. For too long, women's health has been under-researched, underfunded and too often dismissed. That is changing.

Our new government is closing data gaps, modernizing breast cancer screening and improving access to reproductive care, so women are heard, believed and supported, because a strong Canada depends on healthy Canadians, and when women are healthy, families and communities thrive.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, weeks ago, I asked how Gulfam Hussain, a Pakistani national, was allowed to enter Canada by the Liberals, in spite of being convicted in the United Kingdom for the following: “Adult sexual activity with a female child family member 13 to 17 - offender over 18 - penetration”. He is also on the U.K.'s sex offender registry.

Can the Liberals tell Canadians whether they have deported this publicly listed, incestuous child sex abuser from Canada in the week since I last asked about him?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives never miss an opportunity to disrespect law enforcement, we will allow law enforcement members to do their job. We trust them to execute Canadian law, and we leave that matter in their hands.

We also will not politicize, from start to finish, immigration policy in this country. In the lead up to the last election, the Conservative leader said we needed more immigration. In the lead up to the last election, he promised those who had expiring student permits that he would prevent them from being deported. That is irresponsible policy, but that is the Conservative way.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I will take that as a no, the Liberals have not deported the publicly listed, incestuous child sex abuser who should never have been allowed into the country in the first place because he was on a public sex offender registry in a G7 country. Let us listen to that answer. Why can the Liberals not say yes, people who commit crimes, who are non-citizens and who are inadmissible to this country, should be deported?

Has Gulfam Hussain been deported from Canada?

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, of course those who break the law face the consequences of Canadian law, and we trust law enforcement to carry out its responsibilities.

I will reiterate that, in this country, we have an absolute opportunity to ensure that immigration policy is put on a solid footing. That is why the government is seized with ensuing sustainability in the immigration system and seized with ensuring that immigration policy is always about economic policy.

We centre ourselves on Canadian values. The Conservatives can play games with immigration for political purposes and support the Leader of the Opposition as he leads into the leadership review in January.