Debates of Sept. 17th, 2025

Finance

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have given us a clear mandate to increase their purchasing power and unleash Canada's economic potential.

We are increasing Canadians' purchasing power by lowering taxes for 22 million Canadians. We are increasing young Canadians' purchasing power by eliminating the GST on new homes for first-time buyers. We are unleashing Canada's economic potential by unifying Canada's economy, resulting in $215 billion in GDP benefits, according to the Montreal Economic Institute.

We are building major projects right across the country. We are creating good jobs for Canadians and young Canadians in Contrecœur, Saskatchewan, Ontario and everywhere else in Canada.

Justice

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Judges Act is clear. Section 3 states, and I quote:

3 No person is eligible to be appointed a judge of a superior court in any province unless ... that person

(a) is a barrister or advocate of at least 10 years' standing at the bar of any province

However, Robert Leckey has been appointed a judge of the Superior Court of Quebec even though he has been a member of the Barreau du Québec for just seven years.

My question for the minister is simple. Does he believe that Robert Leckey meets the legal criteria to be a judge on the Quebec Superior Court, yes or no?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the legal challenge to the appointment of this judge to the Quebec Superior Court.

Canada has a very robust and independent judicial appointment process, and we want to keep it that way. Judicial independence is an important foundation of our democracy. It protects the rule of law. To say otherwise undermines those principles. We will always defend the independence of our courts.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about their robust and independent judicial appointment system. The appointment of Robert Leckey, done through that very system, violates Canada's Judges Act.

We believe that he was appointed precisely because he is a Liberal. The Liberals expect him to defend Liberal positions on secularism and the French language within Quebec's courts. Quebec should get to select the judges who serve in Quebec courts.

Will the minister immediately relieve Justice Leckey of his duties?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, the member will appreciate that we have a different perspective. We expect the justice to make decisions independently based on the law. The rule of law in this country is a fundamental pillar of our democracy, with which we may not show compromise. We must insist that we have an independent process based on recommendations by people who can assess the validity of the nominations that come before us. We appoint judges based on their quality and on their merit, not on their partisan affiliation. I hope all members will support the independence of this essential process in a democracy.

The Economy

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' talk is as empty as Canadians' cupboards. It took 40 years before Toronto's largest food bank saw one million annual visits. However, under the Liberal government, demand has exploded. It had two million, then three million and now four million visits from hungry Canadians. The Prime Minister says to judge him on food prices, and Canadians are judging him as they stand in the longest food bank lines this country has ever seen.

How many more people will be forced to go there when he doubles the deficit?

[John Zerucelli, Liberal, Secretary of State (Labour)]

Mr. Speaker, one of the best ways to deal with food inflation is to give Canadians real opportunities. That is what we are doing by building a strong economy, a building economy. We are building big, building bold and building right now. We are building with major projects.

I was pleased to stand with the Prime Minister last week in Edmonton, where we announced the first tranche of projects through the Major Projects Office. We announced our plan to build homes using Canadian steel, Canadian lumber and Canadian unionized workers. This will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, apprenticeship opportunities, training opportunities and real careers.

We are optimistic about the future of this country, and I hope the opposition gets on board.

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister should go to a food bank and tell Canadians lining up there just how good they have it. While he pats himself on the back, food bank workers on the front lines are calling the situation horrific. One in four households is struggling to afford food. Parents are skipping meals so their kids can eat. While families go hungry, Liberal spending keeps driving grocery prices even higher.

Will the Liberal government keep spending until every single table in this country is empty?

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

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservative leader was spending the summer trying to get his job back, we criss-crossed the country getting feedback from Canadians with respect to what they want to see in this budget. Their message was resoundingly clear. They want us to spend less on government operations and invest more in our economy, in national projects and in nation building. That is exactly what we are doing. We are going to build the strongest economy in the G7.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said Canadians would judge him on the cost at the grocery store. He is failing. Grocery prices are 70% above their own targets. Since the Liberals took office, food inflation has skyrocketed by 40%. It is another broken Liberal promise. Families are struggling to keep up. I do not know if the ministers shop for groceries themselves, so I will put this simply: Beef is up 33%, canned soup is up 26% and potatoes are up 16%.

Will the Prime Minister admit that doubling the deficit will make food inflation worse?

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

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives propose cuts, but we are building over on this side and they should get on board with that. Every time they have a chance to stand with Canadians, whether it is to vote for child care, whether it is to support food programs or whether it is to make sure that families get what they need to thrive and survive, including the investment in skilled trades, the investment in unions and the investment in actual Canadian work, they fail because they have no vision. Their vision is to cut, cut, cut.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, families cannot eat the word salad served up by the minister, unfortunately.

Food inflation is rising and one in four families is currently struggling to put food on the table. Meanwhile, Liberal deficits are fuelling inflation, driving prices even higher. Liberals are more interested in feeding bureaucracies in Ottawa than in tackling the serious problems facing Canadian families that are struggling to put nutritious food on the table and in their kids' lunch boxes. Food banks and school lunch programs are band-aids. We need real solutions to the real root cause of the problem: rising food costs. Will the minister cut the deficit so food—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Secretary of State for Seniors.

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

Mr. Speaker, this government is protecting Canadians, and that includes seniors: their safety, their right to housing, their retirement security. Seniors are living longer. They are living healthier lives than ever. This government will always support and empower Canadian seniors. They are an important part of this economy. We are showing action, such as cutting red tape and constructing purpose-built housing so seniors can age with dignity in their own communities. We are ensuring that seniors have the funds they need to retire and to be able to afford groceries through such programs as old age security.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

For 10 years, under this Liberal government, Canadians have been struggling with the ever-rising cost of living. Right now, housing, grocery and energy costs are taking their toll on the wallets of families, seniors and young people. Like everywhere else in Canada, people in Portneuf—Jacques‑Cartier are feeling discouraged and extremely worried about the future.

What does the Prime Minister have to say to families, seniors and young people to ease this burden and give them a little hope?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Minister of Government Transformation]

Mr. Speaker, we are committed to making life more affordable and increasing Canadians' purchasing power. That is the mandate that Canadians gave us. That is why one of the first things that we did was to lower taxes for 22 million Canadians. That is why we eliminated the GST for first-time homebuyers to make it easier for young Canadians to buy a home.

However, we are not stopping there. With the investments that we are making to build Canada and create good, well-paying jobs, we will be able to not only make our economy the strongest in the G7, but also fund important social programs, such as the Canada child benefit and housing investments that help Canadians across the country, including those in Portneuf—Jacques‑Cartier.

Labour

[Jessica Fancy-Landry, Liberal, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, as this government focuses on nation-building projects that will connect our country, trade workers will be in high demand. They need to be able to move freely and have their skills recognized across provinces and territories if we are going to deliver on building a stronger, more inclusive economy.

Can the Minister of Jobs and Families update the House on how our government is working to support and improve labour mobility across the country?

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

Mr. Speaker, that is a great question. As the Conservatives laugh over there, it is clear that many of them have never met a labourer who actually has barriers to crossing the country to get to good jobs. In fact, we have worked diligently with the provinces and territories to make sure that, no matter where the work is, if there is a worker who wants to do it, they can get there and take that job. The Conservatives can laugh all they want, but we are doing the hard work over here.

Public Safety

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON]

Mr. Speaker, crime, chaos and fear are ravaging communities right across Canada after 10 years of the Liberals' prioritizing soft-on-crime laws. In Saskatchewan, a man out on release after 59 prior convictions murdered 11 people. In Peel Region, half the suspects in a violent carjacking ring were out on bail. In Vancouver, just 40 repeat offenders were arrested 6,000 times, yet the government takes no action.

Why are the Liberals clinging to laws that let dangerous criminals back on the streets instead of keeping Canadians safe?

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, the second bill we introduced in the House was Bill C-2, our stronger borders measure, which gives police the tools to deal with many issues, including organized crime.

The next thing we are going to do is stiffen bail and make sentencing a lot stricter. We are going to partner with police services across the country to fight organized crime, make it tougher for violent offenders to get bail and impose stricter sentences. We are taking action on this front to make sure that Canadians are safe.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we have been listening to that for five months: empty promises, empty words.

Last year, 256 people were charged with homicide while on release. That is, 256 Canadians would be alive today if these violent criminals had been behind bars. If Conservatives' “three strikes and you're out” law were in place, these repeat offenders would have been in jail and not destroying families. Nearly five months after taking office, the Prime Minister has failed to act. If he truly wants to crack down on violent crime, he will back our common-sense Conservative law to keep criminals in jail and to restore safe streets. Will he do that?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, dangerous people who commit serious crimes should not be walking freely in our streets if they pose a public safety threat to Canadians. I have good news—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

After the first couple of seconds, I could not hear.

Would the minister like to start from the top?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my Conservative colleagues for the applause. I hope they will meet that with their votes when it comes time to support the legislation we will be advancing this fall.

I have good news for my friend opposite. This legislation would include serious reforms to make stricter bail conditions for people who are repeat violent offenders. It would have harsher sentences for those people who would pose risks to the public's safety.

We will do what we can to strengthen Canada's laws. We will do what we can to bring the provinces along with us. My hope is only that all members of this House will do the right thing and vote for the legislation when it comes forward.