Finance

Question period focused on the government’s latest economic update, particularly the size of the federal deficit. The Conservative leader said the Prime Minister had doubled the previous deficit to $65 billion, that debt interest would cost families thousands of dollars, and repeatedly asked whether the government would stop spending and admit its economic choices were hurting Canadians. The Prime Minister replied that half the measures in the update were aimed at affordability, that the deficit had been reduced by $11 billion and debt lowered despite tariff and trade pressures, and pointed to savings, lower gas prices, grocery benefit cheques, and co-operation with provinces on energy and nuclear power. The exchange also featured repeated comparisons to Justin Trudeau’s record from the Conservative side and references to each side’s past positions and votes.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

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6 statements

Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Opposition

Conservative
“The Prime Minister is spending too much money and driving up the deficit to 65 billion dollars. This debt will cost every Canadian family 3,400 dollars in interest. I want to know if he will ever stop spending.”
  • A repeated line

    “The Prime Minister is just another Liberal.”

    Said 22 times by 14 members since April 23.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, more costs, more taxes, more debt, more money on the credit card: This Prime Minister is just another Liberal. He has doubled Justin Trudeau’s $31‑billion deficit to $65 billion, with $27 billion in new spending this year alone. Now he is forcing Canadians to pay $3,400 per family in interest on the debt. Is there any limit on the Liberal credit card?

Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Opposition

Conservative
“The Prime Minister has doubled the deficit and caused high food prices. Canada is now spending $60 billion on debt interest, which is more than we spend on health care. I want to know why.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, he just stole Justin Trudeau’s talking points, although he has doubled Mr. Trudeau’s deficit. Not only has this Prime Minister left Canadians with the worst food inflation in the G7, but his costly credit card budget is forcing Canadian families to pay $60 billion in interest on our debt. That is more than the government spends on health care and more than it collects in GST. Canadians are paying more to bankers than they are to nurses and doctors. Why?

Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Opposition

Conservative
“The Prime Minister has doubled the deficit. He is adding more debt and taxes, and families now pay $3,000 each just for the interest. Will the government stop spending so much?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it is just that the Liberal Prime Minister has gone from writing Justin Trudeau’s policies to plagiarizing his talking points. Actually, that is not fair to Justin Trudeau. This Liberal Prime Minister has done the impossible: He has doubled the deficit that Trudeau left behind. There is more cost, more debt, more taxes, more on the national credit card and more interest payments for Canadians. Once again, with Canadians spending $3,000 per family on interest for the debt, is there any limit on the Liberal credit card?

Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Opposition

Conservative
“The Prime Minister planned for a $31-billion deficit this year, but yesterday he announced a $65-billion deficit instead. The government is spending too much money and mismanaging the country's finances.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the deficit Justin Trudeau had provided for this year was $31 billion. Yesterday, the Liberal Prime Minister provided a deficit of $65 billion, and 65 is bigger than 31. I will speak slowly for the Liberal mathematicians on the other side of the House. As The Globe and Mail said, “In the upside-down land of the Liberals, a spending spree is a spending cut, blowing a windfall of billions of dollars is prudent and failing to prepare for a fiscal storm is, well, just good management.”

Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Opposition

Conservative
“The Liberals said borrowing more money would help the economy, but Canada now has the worst growth, the highest housing costs, and the most debt in the G7. The Prime Minister is making the same mistakes with more debt and higher taxes. Will he admit that Canadians are paying for this?”
  • A repeated line

    “The highest housing costs and the second-highest unemployment in the G7.”

    Said 15 times by 12 members since April 27.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, these Liberals are like the Bourbon dynasty: They learn nothing, and they forget nothing. Over the last decade, they told us that if we racked up the credit card, somehow it would grow the economy. What did we get? We got the worst growth in the G7, the highest housing costs in the G7, the worst household debt in in the G7 and the worst investment per worker in the G7. Now, it is déjà vu all over again with the Prime Minister repeating exactly the same policies: more debt, more costs, more taxes. He is just another Liberal. Will the Prime Minister recognize that Canadians are paying for his mistakes?

Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Opposition

Conservative
“The Prime Minister has been wrong about the economy for ten years. His choices on taxes, oil, and spending make life cost more for Canadians. I want him to admit his mistakes.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal Prime Minister has been wrong about every major economic issue of the last decade. He was wrong to push for bigger and broader carbon taxes, wrong to say that we should leave 50% of our oil in the ground, wrong to oppose the northern gateway pipeline, wrong to say COVID would lead to deflation, wrong to say money printing would not raise the cost and wrong to say that affordability is the best that it has been in a decade. He keeps getting it wrong. Yesterday, he repeated the same mistakes. When will he realize that the more he gets it wrong, the more the Canadian people have to pay?

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