Debates of Oct. 29th, 2025

Forestry Industry

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the forestry industry, forestry workers and municipalities were on Parliament Hill this morning. Representatives from Chantiers Chibougamau, Domtar, Arbec, the Association québécoise des entrepreneurs forestiers, Unifor, the reeve of the Antoine-Labelle RCM, and the mayor of Ferme-Neuve are all here to demand that Ottawa advance them 50% of the countervailing duties that will have to be paid, pending reimbursement at the end of the dispute. They expect the federal government to finally show its support for the industry.

When will this government respond?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to welcome those representatives to Parliament Hill. I look forward to meeting with them. I already know many of them well. We work with Unifor on other issues.

We know that the current situation in the softwood lumber industry is linked to the White House's completely unjustified and unjustifiable tariffs. We will be there for the lumber industry. We will work with them. We have already implemented $700 million in loan guarantees through their banks, backed by BDC.

I look forward to working with my colleague to find solutions for businesses in his riding.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if Donald Trump follows through with his threat to increase tariffs by 10%, Quebec's forestry industry will be hit harder than any other industry in Canada, and yet Ottawa is doing nothing. The financial assistance it promised back in August has yet to be released. Our workers are still not protected through any wage subsidies, and our businesses are still paying billions of dollars in illegal countervailing duties, without any support from the federal government. The lumber industry in Quebec represents 130,000 jobs in 900 municipalities.

When will the Liberals understand that urgent action is needed?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, one thing is clear: Our government will fight for jobs in the softwood lumber industry, period.

That is why we are working with people in the sector every day. I had several meetings last week. Just yesterday, I spoke with Christine Fréchette, Quebec's minister of the economy. I have also spoken with Premier Eby. The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and I, as well as the Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy, have been working non-stop on this issue.

Furthermore, it is false to say that the funds are not available. They are. They have been released. Some businesses have already been saved. I look forward to working with my colleague on this issue.

The Economy

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government brags every day about all the money it spends, but that is not the government's money. That is the paycheques of hard-working Canadians. That is the money that families could be spending to put food on the table. Instead, the Prime Minister uses it to feed his endless bureaucracy, which snuck in a hidden industrial carbon tax on fertilizer and farm equipment that hits families at the checkout line.

Canada should be the breadbasket of the world, but under the Liberal government, Canada cannot even feed itself. Will the Prime Minister put partisanship aside and scrap the industrial carbon tax in this budget so Canadian farmers can feed this country?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Secretary of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, Halloween has come early for the Conservatives this year with their imaginary taxes and their ghoulish views on Canadians. They are calling Canadian school food programs disgusting, calling the RCMP despicable and demanding a $56-billion cut that would gut the OAS and the GIS that seniors rely on.

Today, seniors will see in their bank accounts an increase on the OAS and GIS deposited right into their accounts. This is Canada's largest anti-poverty initiative. Canadians know they can trust us to ensure that we have their backs.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I see that the secretary of state is wearing a button. Unless it says, “Have a nice day”, I would say it would not be permitted. That is just to let the member know.

The hon. member for Cambridge.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals keep saying that everything is great, but the only thing growing faster than their debt is the food bank line while they play hide-and-seek on taxes. Taxing farmers with a hidden industrial carbon tax, while 2.2 million people visit the food bank every single month, is insanity. This is while 20% of them work full time, and 33% are children. Anyone but the Liberals can see that Canadians are going to bed with empty stomachs on empty promises.

Conservatives have a plan to help farmers thrive and families eat, so I ask again, will the Prime Minister support the Conservatives' plan to scrap the industrial carbon tax in the budget so Canadian farmers can affordably feed this country?

[Stephanie McLean, Liberal, Secretary of State (Seniors)]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know there are no taxes on their food, so while the Conservatives talk about imaginary taxes, the government is taking real action to support seniors in this country. We are cutting red tape. We are building homes faster. We have introduced dental care, which more than two million seniors now have access to. We are building an economy that works for everyone.

The Conservatives, however, have a record of pushing the retirement age higher, cutting benefits and leaving seniors behind. While they are voting against every support for seniors and threatening to do that with the upcoming budget, we are empowering older Canadians. We are protecting them, and we have their backs.

[Kelly DeRidder, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every dollar the Liberal government spends comes out of the pockets of Kitchener Centre residents. Hidden, not imaginary, taxes, such as the food packaging tax, are baked into the sticker price, which is driving up the cost of food.

Will the Liberals' own numbers show Canadians the $1.3 billion in costs over the next decade for this tax? The more they spend, the more Canadians pay. Will the Prime Minister put partisanship aside and scrap the food packaging tax so Canadians can afford to live?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, all across Ontario, families are benefiting from spending $16 a day for child care, which is down from $70 a day. This is phenomenal, and it is adding thousands of dollars into the pockets of Canadians every single month. That is the power of investing in families. That is the power of investing in children. That is why Canadians trust us to have their backs, and they know that these guys would cut everything they rely on in a heartbeat.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants to be judged by the price of groceries. Ironically, hidden Liberal taxes on food are driving up grocery prices.

I am talking about the industrial carbon tax, the food packaging tax and the clean fuel regulations that increase the cost of transporting, producing, and marketing food. Everyone understands that.

The more the Liberals spend, the more Canadians pay.

Will the Prime Minister eliminate these taxes on food in his budget and make life more affordable for Canadians?

[Anna Gainey, Liberal, Secretary of State (Children and Youth)]

Mr. Speaker, once again, members across the way are talking about imaginary taxes.

Today, I spoke with people from the Breakfast Club, an organization that helps nearly 900,000 children access the school nutrition program. They told me that making the national school food program permanent is an important turning point for children's health, learning, and well being, as well as for Canada's social and economic resilience.

I hope my colleagues across the way will support this budget and making this program permanent.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, numbers do not lie. I do not know whether the member is aware, but food inflation is skyrocketing. It is up 4%.

This week, Food Banks Canada reported a record 2.2 million visits in a single month. Twenty per cent of food bank users are full-time workers, and 33% are children.

The Conservatives have a plan to make life much more affordable for Canadians again.

I repeat: Will the Prime Minister eliminate these taxes on food in his budget and make life more affordable for Canadians?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, it is always fascinating to hear the Conservatives talk about completely imaginary taxes. There are no taxes on groceries. I want to reiterate that for the benefit of the Conservatives across the way.

If people want to talk about real things and not about imaginary taxes, let us talk about the Canadian dental care plan, which helps approximately 20,000 people in the member's riding. Let us talk about the Canada child benefit, which has reduced child poverty in Canada by 38% and which helps thousands of families in the member's riding. Let us talk about the national school food program, which we just made permanent and which will help about 100,000 young people in Quebec. The Breakfast Club has nothing but praise for this program because it has a direct impact on the lives of families. These are the things we should be talking about.

The Conservatives have no plan. Their only plan involves sacrificing—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Richmond East—Steveston.

Forestry Industry

[Parm Bains, Liberal, Richmond East—Steveston, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's forestry industry, anchored in my home province of British Columbia, is not just a regional asset; it is a national economic engine. I recently met with the BC Council of Forest Industries and forest sector leaders to discuss how we can support this valuable sector, which provides over 200,000 jobs and contributes over $25 billion to our GDP.

The United States' tariffs on softwood lumber are hurting both Canadian producers and American consumers, as well as related industries. While the Conservatives want us to sign any sort of deal, our government is working toward getting the best deal for Canadians and the impacted sectors. In the meantime, can the Minister of Industry—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Minister of Industry.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions]

Mr. Speaker, indeed, my colleague is fighting for the Canadian softwood lumber workers, as we are, as a government. We will stand strong against these unjustified tariffs. We will make sure that we get a good deal, but meanwhile, we are there to give support for them to have access to funding to support their workers, to adapt and pivot, and to eventually make sure that the world knows that Canadian lumber is the best in the world. We will continue to build Canada strong.

Finance

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government has blown billions on consultants, on foreign aid vanity projects and on a $1-billion legal gun grab that the Liberals themselves have admitted will not work. The result has been higher taxes, higher prices, a higher cost of living and an entire generation of young people who do not believe they will ever do better than their parents.

Canadians are cutting back, they are skipping meals and they are lining up at food banks in record numbers, while the Prime Minister maxes out the nation's credit card like it is someone else's problem. Will the Liberals finally stop the waste, stop the taxes, stop the inflationary spending and put forward an affordable budget for an affordable life here in Canada?

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, I have great news for Conservatives. We have a way to help 5.5 million Canadians with the cost of food: automatic federal benefits. Through budget 2025, we are going to prefile taxes for up to 5.5 million Canadians. This will ensure that Canadians get the benefits they are entitled to.

On November 4, the party opposite has a choice to make: Will it let the most vulnerable Canadians get these federal benefits or block the cheques and force a Christmas election?

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is in complete denial. He sent $8 million to Vietnam to create gender-just rice. What even is that?

The endless cycle of deficits, of taxes and of inflation has crushed families, crushed young people and crushed workers, and the Liberals' arrogance blinds them to the damage that they themselves have done.

If the Liberals want to pass a budget, it is simple: stop the reckless spending, stop the inflation and stop the hidden food taxes. It is up to them to listen to Canadians and put forward an affordable budget for an affordable life.

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives are focused on a revolting caucus, we are laser-focused on Canadians.

On November 4, we are going to table a generational budget. We are going to invest in Canada. We are going to invest in Canadians. We are going to build. We are going to invest in infrastructure, defence, housing, aerospace and national projects.

On this side of the House, we believe in Canada. I ask the party opposite to cut the rhetoric and support our budget on November 4.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Members have to try to not be too provocative, because provocation creates disorder, and that is a problem.

The hon. member for Calgary Midnapore.