Rhonda Kirkland

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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise on behalf of Oshawa to speak to Bill C-31, the second budget implementation act. I want to begin by pointing out something that perfectly illustrates the Liberal government’s inability to manage the country’s finances and the business of Parliament. We are debating legislation to implement last year’s federal budget, yet this Thursday, the government is prepared to table an entirely new budget. If the government can barely get last year’s budget implemented before introducing the next one, it might make Canadians wonder if they can have confidence in the government’s ability to manage their hard-earned money. While the Liberals struggle to manage their own parliamentary agenda, Canadians, at the same time, are struggling to manage their household budgets. The government has become very good at making announcements and promises and, of course, spending money, but Canadians are still waiting to see any results that would bring meaningful improvements to their lives. After 11 years of the Liberal government, Canadians are working harder, paying more and falling further behind. Families are struggling to afford groceries. Young Canadians are losing hope of owning a home and seniors are watching their savings disappear as they struggle just to cover everyday expenses. According to The Salvation Army’s 2026 report, 31% of Canadians are skipping or reducing meals because they cannot afford groceries. That is up 27% from last year. Among Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34, that figure rises to 41%. The same report found that half of Canadians surveyed have used their savings to cover basic necessities, while 40% have taken on debt or relied on credit and 30% have delayed or completely missed bill payments. The Daily Bread Food Bank’s 2026 report found that one in eight children in Toronto is now relying on food banks. These challenges are deeply personal in my hometown of Oshawa. Our community was built by generations of automotive workers, skilled tradespeople, small business owners and hard-working families who believed that if they worked hard, they could build a better life. In a recent affordability survey conducted in Oshawa, more than 8,000 residents shared their experiences and concerns. Of those who responded, 73% reported that their financial situation had not improved. In fact, 5% said they were living paycheque to paycheque. One unexpected car repair, one increase in rent or one additional household expense can be enough to push them further in debt or, worse, unable to pay or cover their bills completely. Our local food banks like Feed the need in Durham and other community organizations do extraordinary work supporting those in need. I want to recognize the volunteers and staff who dedicate their time to help our neighbours. However, food banks should be a temporary safety net, not something working families must rely on to get through each and every month. Beyond the affordability crisis, there is another deeply concerning issue with Bill C-31 that deserves serious attention. Throughout the legislation, the Liberals are seeking to grant ministers sweeping and discretionary powers yet again over important areas of our economy and government, including taxation, defence procurement, air transportation, and mining and natural resources in Canada’s north. These are significant powers involving decisions that can affect Canadian businesses, taxpayers, workers and entire communities, yet Conservatives are concerned that the legislation does not provide what Liberal legislation never seems to provide: transparency, safeguards and parliamentary oversight to ensure these powers are exercised responsibly. In several areas, the government is asking Parliament to give ministers greater authority to make consequential decisions with limited opportunity for scrutiny. That should concern every Canadian, regardless of political affiliation, and I think it does, because accountability is a fundamental responsibility of government, even if it is not a principle of the Liberal government. Let us take the proposed changes to the Canada Revenue Agency as an example. The bill would allow the CRA to automatically file certain tax returns for eligible low-income Canadians, with a process that could treat a failure to respond as an authorization to proceed. Helping vulnerable Canadians to access the benefits they deserve is a worthwhile objective, but it should never come at the expense of their rights. Canadians should not be expected to shoulder the consequences of errors, for instance, in tax returns they neither prepared themselves nor expressly approved. Even the taxpayers’ ombudsperson raised concerns about the proposed approach and recommended stronger safeguards here. When Conservatives sought to strengthen protections for taxpayers at committee, the Liberals rejected an amendment intended to ensure that individuals would not be held responsible for errors or omissions in returns that were filed on their behalf and not even by them directly. How the Liberals can reject such an amendment is beyond me. That same troubling pattern appears in the government’s approach to defence procurement. Division 16 of Bill C-31 would establish the Defence Investment Agency and expand ministerial authority over defence purchasing and investment. Conservatives support getting our brave men and women in uniform the equipment they need, but we are deeply concerned about the broad exceptions to competitive procurement and the discretion being placed in the hands of ministers yet again. The government should not be able to award significant contracts without competition or exclude potential suppliers on national security grounds without appropriate safeguards and accountability. It is funny how those two words keep coming up: safeguards and accountability. Our military needs equipment, not another layer of bureaucracy. Our soldiers, sailors and aviators deserve a procurement system that delivers the equipment they need efficiently, transparently and at the best possible value. For communities like Oshawa, where manufacturing has been the backbone of the economy for generations, these decisions matter. Our automotive workers, skilled tradespeople and manufacturers have the experience and expertise to contribute to Canada’s industrial and defence capabilities, but Canadian businesses need fair, predictable procurement rules that reward competitiveness and innovation, not a system where political discretion can determine who gets the opportunity. Similar concerns arise with the bill’s provisions affecting air passenger complaints and mineral rights in the north. Whether the government is changing who makes decisions about passenger rights or expanding federal authority over northern resource development, Canadians deserve clear rules, meaningful recourse and proper scrutiny. These concerns are particularly important when we consider the government’s broader record of economic management. In fact, let us remember that it was the Liberal Prime Minister who told Canadians very recently that affordability is the best it has been in a decade, yet his government continues to pursue higher spending and growing deficits while families struggle to make ends meet. Conservatives believe there is a better approach. The government must cut wasteful spending, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and excessive consulting costs, and keep its commitments to reducing debt and deficits relative to the size of our economy. When transportation costs increase, those expenses are passed along through the supply chain, affecting the prices Canadians pay for groceries and other necessities. That is why Conservatives are calling for the elimination of federal taxes on diesel until Canada Day, a suspension of the GST on fuel until the summer and a permanent removal of the federal clean fuel regulations. My neighbours in Oshawa are asking for a fair chance to get ahead. They want to afford their groceries, save for a home, raise their children and retire with dignity.