Michael Chong

“moved: That this House approve in general the budgetary policy of the government. He said: Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), I would like to table, in both official languages, the budget documents for 2026, including the notices of ways and means motions. The details of the measures are contained in these documents. Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), I am requesting that an order of the day be designated for consideration of these motions. Mr. Speaker, it is budget day, and I will try to make this speech only half as long as last year’s, but with the same level of ambition and optimism, while bringing good news to Canadians. The moment in front of us is serious. Canadians know it. Our new government knows it. The moment demands an ambitious plan to be masters of our own destiny, maîtres chez nous. Canadians know that we are living through extraordinary times. The rules we counted on no longer seem to hold. The global trading system that brought stability for decades is being rewritten. Wars and geopolitical competition are reshaping supply chains. Artificial intelligence is transforming our economies at breakneck speed. For many Canadians, this uncertainty affects them daily. It means wondering whether their job or their children’s jobs will be secure, whether their business can survive another shock, and whether they will be able to afford a home, raise a family or build the life they have worked so hard for. However, Canadians have met moments like this before, and as the Prime Minister reminded the nation and the world, “Nostalgia is not a strategy.” As Canadians, we know how to turn global volatility into national opportunity. Let us remember that we are a nation of builders. We built railways from coast to coast and a seaway connecting our industries to the rest of the world. We founded leading universities, research centres, businesses and public institutions—pillars of knowledge and drivers of prosperity. We leveraged Canadian ingenuity to fight for freedom during both world wars and to explore outer space. We built a country in which generation after generation could aspire to something better, and every time the world changed, Canadians adapted. We do not retreat. We lead with purpose, determination and ambition because we are Canadians. In the face of adversity, we are seizing opportunities and working together to rebuild stronger. I sincerely believe that in a few years, Canadians will see this moment as another turning point in our history. Our ambition is clear: accelerate growth through an investment supercycle; make life more affordable for Canadians; and defend our sovereignty while celebrating our rich cultural heritage. One thing is clear: Our country is more united than ever in the face of these challenges. As Lester B. Pearson said in the House on November 28, 1967, “The future of Canada, Mr. Speaker, will be decided in Canada, by Canadians.” I even thought for a moment that the Conservatives would applaud for this part. This is the essence of who we are as a people. This is the essence of being masters of our destiny, maîtres chez nous. We have the strength to build, the discipline to deliver and the values to take care of each other. Canada enters this defining moment in history with every reason to be confident. We have one of the most highly educated workforces in the world. We have the energy and the critical minerals the world needs. We are a leader in key industries such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, nuclear energy, mining, agriculture, agri-food and advanced manufacturing. We have preferential market access to 1.5 billion consumers, and we will soon double that number and reach three billion consumers. This is the Canada of the 21st century. We also have the strongest fiscal position in the G7, with the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio, and we are projected to have the second-fastest-growing economy in the G7 in 2027. However, our greatest strength, as the Prime Minister said, is something that cannot be found on a balance sheet: trust. Trust is what defines Canada in an uncertain world. Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Hon. François-Philippe Champagne: Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives can laugh as much as they want, but Canadians know it. They know that what defines Canada is its values. The fact is that the world wants to engage with Canada, so they had better listen, because there is more good news. To inspire trust, we need a solid foundation. Through fiscal discipline, budget 2026 keeps us on track to meet both fiscal anchors by balancing day-to-day operating spending with revenue by 2027-28, a full year ahead of schedule, and by keeping the deficit-to-GDP ratio on the declining path, while unlocking Canada’s full growth potential. I even see in the members’ eyes and in their hearts how pleased they are. We are seeing what happens around the world when governments lose their fiscal room to manoeuvre. Choices become harder. Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Hon. François-Philippe Champagne: Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are so excited about the budget that they are already commenting, but they should wait a bit, because there is more good news. In Canada, our fiscal strength is giving us the freedom to live our life as we choose, to be masters of our destiny. With solid revenue growth and a shift toward capital investment and clear strategies, we are in a position to transform our economy toward stronger growth and productivity. Budget 2026 is the next step in our ambitious plan to help businesses of all sizes invest and grow, to help Canadians get ahead and to build a stronger, sovereign Canada. Let me start with the first pillar: economic growth. Investing in our future means having an ambitious growth agenda. We need the mines, the transmission lines, the ports and the trade corridors, the nuclear reactors, the electricity dams, the AI infrastructure and the factories to power our future. First and foremost, we need Canadian workers and Canadian companies building them, and we need to build faster. That is why our government will propose amendments to the Impact Assessment Act to bring greater legal certainty and predictability to projects, consistent with a “one project, one decision, one year” process, while maintaining environmental protections and upholding indigenous rights. Last year, budget 2025 laid out a generational plan to build a stronger Canada. The plan is working and is already paying dividends. We are already moving major projects forward, with 28 nation-building initiatives that have been referred to the Major Projects Office, including projects in energy, critical minerals and transportation, and with budget 2026, we are building on that progress. For too long, a lack of access to growth capital has held Canadian companies back. Too often, Canadian talent and Canadian ideas have had to look elsewhere to scale. Budget 2026 changes that with the most comprehensive revamp of business incentives in generations. At the heart of it is the new productivity mega deduction, which will boost Canada’s investment supercycle. Businesses, both large and small, will be able to immediately deduct the full cost of most new investments. That is a game-changer for small businesses across our nation. Over the next 10 years, this should expand Canada’s productive capacity by adding about $22 billion a year to GDP and supporting up to 80,000 jobs. This is a game-changer. This is how we boost the investment supercycle. The productivity mega deduction is available to a manufacturer buying more efficient machinery, such as the shoemaker Pajar, whom I visited in Montreal yesterday; a farmer purchasing newer silos and a combine harvester; or a mine adopting new technology to reach deposits. Let me be clear. We are making it easier for businesses to choose Canada, and we are also making Canada the global partner of choice. This country is going to grow like never before. Again I can see in the members’ faces and hearts how happy they are going to be next week to tell their constituents all this good news. We are not stopping there. With the Canada growth incentive, we are backing Canadian innovators and start-ups so they can grow their business here at home in Canada, allowing builders and key employees to keep more of the benefits when a business succeeds. With the enhanced small business rollover, we are making it easier for successful entrepreneurs to reinvest in the next generation of Canadian businesses. By expanding the scientific research and experimental development program to support commercialization, we are helping Canadian ideas become reality. By pursuing a balanced immigration policy, we are attracting the talent that our growing industries need, supporting communities and families and retaining the Canadian tradition of welcoming people fleeing conflict, while ensuring that we keep immigration levels at a sustainable level. This is Canada. Through the most ambitious efforts in decades to simplify Canada’s tax system, we are making it easier to invest, to grow and to do business in Canada. Not every Canadian business is in a position to invest today. Many have been hard hit with unjustified U.S. tariffs. I think tonight about the steelworkers in Hamilton. Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Hon. François-Philippe Champagne: Mr. Speaker, instead of shouting, they should probably listen to this. I am thinking about the aluminum workers in Saguenay, the forestry workers in British Columbia and the auto workers in Windsor and Oshawa who are affected and understandably worried. Canada’s new government has one simple message for them today: We will be there for them with whatever it takes and for as long as it takes. This is our commitment to their family and their community. To date, we have provided $44 billion to help our workers and businesses protect jobs, retool and find new markets. Colleagues have been doing great work to help our workers, our industries and our sectors. The measures in the budget will help them further, to adapt and compete for the long term. Our message to Canadian businesses is simple: We are behind them. Are they going through a difficult time? We will be at their side for as long as it takes. Do they have a great idea? They can bring it to life here, in our communities, in Canada. Are they ready to grow? We are here to support them. Are they a successful entrepreneur? We want them to reinvest in the next generation of small and medium Canadian businesses. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and this budget is designed to help young people succeed in the new economy. I am also from Shawinigan, a town that was at the cutting edge of economic development more than 125 years ago. Shawinigan showed Canada what is possible when energy meets ambition. Our ancestors harnessed the power of the Saint-Maurice River to build entire industries, create thousands of jobs and foster the economic prosperity of their region and province—and of our country. The same ambition guides our electrification strategy today, because the countries with abundant electricity will be the leaders of the 21st century. As we electrify our economy, demand for electricity will increase. Canada has a head start: Our grid is already 80% clean, and our electricity is among the most affordable in the G7. We are working with provinces, territories and indigenous partners to double Canada’s grid capacity by 2050. We will connect provincial grids. We will build thousands of kilometres of transmission lines. We will develop the nuclear energy sector. We will build Canadian, buy Canadian and create good jobs for Canadians. This is what it means to be masters of our destiny. These measures, as the Prime Minister said, also prove that we do not have to choose between the economy and the environment. The two go hand in hand. Our climate plan is built on four priorities: build more clean and affordable power, make it easier for Canadians to switch to electricity, transform how we use energy so we waste less and do more, and innovate and invest in Canadian clean tech right across this great country. Canada has had to think big in the past. It is time to think big once again, because we want to be masters of our destiny. Economic growth gives us the means. Our plan is to turn that growth into greater opportunity, greater security and a better life for all. I know that Canadians are watching. It is to deliver on what matters most: giving Canadians the opportunity for a better life. That means lowering the cost of living, making it more affordable to buy a home and ensuring that no Canadian is forced to sleep on the street because they do not have a place to call home. I even see the leader being very much interested in that. That is what the second pillar of budget 2026 addresses: making life more affordable for Canadians. Budget 2026 provides over $22 billion over five years in new measures to ease the day-to-day financial pressures on Canadians. This winter, the new 2027 Canada groceries and essentials benefit supplement will give more than 12 million Canadians a 50% boost to their benefit, which is $4.1 billion in extra help with groceries and essentials in 2027. We are investing more than $610 million to strengthen and expand the nutrition north program, helping lower the cost of food, supporting local harvesting and distribution, and reaching more communities across the north. We are launching the build Canada workers benefit to support 1.9 million workers, including 180,000 additional recipients, because hard work should always pay. We are also making the Canada caregiver credit fully refundable. That means more than $1,000 a year in support for 585,000 caregivers, including 180,000 who will get it for the first time. This is what I call making Canada stronger. This builds on the help we have already delivered in recent months to Canadians. We have suspended the federal fuel excise tax through January, reducing Canadians’ bills at the pump by up to 10¢ per litre on gasoline and four cents per litre on diesel. We are helping more than a million households retrofit their homes and lower their energy bills, saving a Canadian family an average of $1,400 every year afterward. We are also helping first-time homebuyers with the cost of a new home, saving them up to $50,000. By making life more affordable for Canadians and taking care of each other, we are masters of our destiny. The measures presented in budget 2026 could lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty in 2027. The new Canada groceries and essentials benefit supplement alone could lift 120,000 people out of poverty. I sincerely hope that all the members of this House will vote in favour of this budget so that we can show our unanimous support for the Canadians who need it most. With budget 2026, we are helping Canadians today and giving them a bridge to a better future by building more housing, by producing more renewable energy, by increasing competition and by building an economy where salaries and opportunities continue to grow. However, this also means facing a harsh reality. Tonight, sadly, thousands of Canadians will sleep in shelters or on the street, with none of the security or stability that adequate housing provides. We can do better. We must do better. We will do better. With budget 2026, we are putting Canada on a path to end homelessness within 10 years. We will renew the Reaching Home program and the veteran homelessness program. We will work with provinces, territories and indigenous partners to link housing with mental health, addiction and community care services. Through Build Canada Homes, we will build more affordable housing. The investments we make today will define our society tomorrow, a society where every Canadian has a safe and affordable home where they can thrive and make their dreams come true. To truly be masters of our destiny, we must make sure our prosperity benefits everyone. Finally, being masters of our destiny is about a safe and sovereign Canada, one where we celebrate who we are. Canada is an extraordinary country. We span three oceans, six time zones, two official languages and thousands of communities with different traditions and stories to tell. We have built something together, something beautiful, something inspiring. We have grown to be a strong and successful nation, one greater than the sum of its parts. That is worth protecting, and it is worth celebrating. In 2027, Canada will mark its 160th anniversary. It will be a moment for Canadians to come together to celebrate our communities, to discover more of our country and to pass on what we love about Canada to the next generation. This is why budget 2026 will invest in the places and experiences that bring Canadians together, the community spaces where neighbours meet and newcomers find their footing, the festivals where communities celebrate their traditions and the museums, parks and historic sites where Canadians discover their country. We will also revitalize the arenas and rinks where generations of Canadians have learned to skate, play and dream. This is Canada at its best. We will do more. We will renew the Canada strong pass for another year so that more families can discover their country, and we will make our national museums permanently free year-round for young Canadians so that young Canadians can discover our museums and history and dream. A strong country is one where people feel connected to it and to each other, and that connection comes from the stories we tell. However, today, a large part of what Canadians watch, read, and listen to comes from outside Canada. Canadian creators are among the best in the world, attracting the attention of increasingly connected consumers. Our writers, musicians, filmmakers, journalists and artists are carrying Canada’s voice to the four corners of the country. This is why we want to give them the best chances of succeeding at home. Budget 2026 will make it easier to discover and borrow books by Canadian authors through a new national digital collection. We will support the publishers, local journalists and cultural institutions that bring our stories to life. We will develop a new tax credit for Canadian creators, which will provide a tax relief of up to $45,000 on income derived from original works. This is our way of giving a shot in the arm to all artists across the country. Let us celebrate together. The unity of our vast country also depends on the ability of Canadians to travel and gather together. Our railways, roads, ferries and bridges have always represented more than just infrastructure. They connect families. They connect communities. They connect and unite our vast country. This is why we are investing in railways and ferries across the country to bring communities together. Building a strong and united Canada also means continuing the important work of reconciliation. It means ensuring that indigenous communities across our nation have the same foundations that every community needs to thrive: safe housing, clean water, good schools, reliable infrastructure, stable and culturally responsive policing services and the ability to shape their own future. It means advancing reconciliation with more than $50 billion in stable and predictable funding over 10 years for indigenous people in this country. It means we are providing stable and predictable funding, but we are also including a dedicated amount for first nations off-reserve, Inuit and Métis, and modern treaty and self-governing partners to invest in affordable, supportive and transitional housing, because being masters of our destiny must mean having the tools to shape a better future together. Yes, sovereignty also means being able to defend the country we are so proud to call home. At a time when the world is more dangerous and divided, Canada is rebuilding its armed forces. We are investing in the capabilities we need to defend our country, particularly in our north and in the Arctic, and we are strengthening our defence industry here at home so that Canada makes more of what our forces, and our allies, need to do the job. We are taking greater responsibility for our own security, just as we are for our economic future, because sovereignty ultimately comes down to the same idea: having the confidence, the capacity and the freedom to live our lives as we choose, to be masters of our destiny. As we speak about the men and women who serve our country, I want to pause to reflect on the tragedy in Wainwright. I want to draw attention to those who lost their lives and to those who were injured and are recovering. I think I can speak on behalf of all members of the House in saying that our thoughts are with them, their families and the entire community. We will honour their courage by providing $25 million to further support members of the Canadian Armed Forces, their families and local communities affected by this tragedy. We will also provide $3 million directly to the Wainwright Military Family Resource Centre. We are thinking about them. Finally, my thoughts are with the people at the heart of budget 2026. My thoughts are with Michèle Lafontaine from J’ai mon appart’ in Shawinigan, who is with her son Félix on Parliament Hill today. She works with vulnerable adults every day so they can have a place to call their own. I also think of Rachel Reid, Louise Penny, Barbara Fradkin and Fred Pellerin, some of Canada’s writers and storytellers who remind us that sovereignty also means having the confidence and the means to tell our own stories. I think of all the workers who, day to day, are building Canada strong. We have some great examples of those hard-working Canadians on the very first page of the budget. To all of them, to those watching at home and to Canadian workers across our great country, this budget is about them and what we can build together. I think they deserve a big round of applause. More than three decades ago, another finance minister came before Parliament at another moment of profound economic change. His message was that Canada has to confront the the world as it is, not as it wished it to be. This is one of those times for our nation. The world around us is changing. We must change to lead with purpose and ambition. We must have confidence in what Canada can become. We must build at an unprecedented speed and scale. We must take care of one another. We must defend our sovereignty. With budget 2026, we will build the strongest economy in the G7. We will make life more affordable for Canadians, and we will defend our sovereignty while celebrating who we are. This is the essence of being masters of our destiny. Let us seize the moment, let us be ambitious, and let us build Canada strong together. Long live Canada!”