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Business of Supply

This was a Business of Supply debate taking place during consideration of the government’s recent economic update legislation. Conservatives pressed the Finance Minister on deficit spending, asking when the budget would be balanced, how many homes are being built, the costs of a planned sovereign wealth fund, and details of specific spending items such as a spaceport lease, while repeatedly saying the minister was not answering their questions. Liberals defended the government’s record, saying the economy is strong, the deficit is lower than expected, and housing prices and rents have come down. The Bloc Québécois asked about the exemption of American companies from the global minimum tax in Bill C-31 and about wage subsidies for workers affected by tariffs, and the NDP asked why the government is not taxing oil company excess profits or banning surveillance pricing. Some members also raised local matters such as support for regional media.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

132 statements

Pat Kelly

Conservative
“The government broke its promises to build infrastructure and balance the budget. I want the minister to tell me what year the budget will finally be balanced.”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, for clarity, I am speaking for five minutes and then sharing my time with the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk and the member for Calgary East, for five minutes each, after I have concluded. In 2015, the minister’s government promised to run modest deficits that would fund unprecedented infrastructure spending and would allow the budget to balance itself, as they put it. Instead, they created a structural deficit for 10 years, and, 10 years later, they have broken the same promise that they made back in 2015 about infrastructure. Perhaps tonight will be the night when the minister will finally answer this question and tell me in what year the budget will be balanced.

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Pat Kelly

Conservative
“The minister did not answer my question. We are paying $54 billion in interest this year. Is that more or less than the money the government sends for health care?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, the minister has not answered the question. He has just repeated the same promise that they have been breaking since 2015. Canada’s current interest costs for this year are $54 billion. Is that amount more or less than the current federal health transfer?

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Pat Kelly

Conservative
“I want the minister to answer my questions. The interest on Canada's debt will rise to $81 billion by 2031. Is that more than what we plan to spend on health care?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, Canadians are not going to learn anything tonight if the minister will not answer any questions. The interest on Canada’s debt is projected to rise by 50%, from $54 billion to $81 billion, in 2030-31. Is that more than future health transfers are budgeted for?

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Pat Kelly

Conservative
“The minister did not answer my question. Canadian families are paying about $3,400 this year just toward the interest on the government's debt. How much more interest does he think a family can afford to pay?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, that is another non-answer. The per family debt charge is about $3,400 right now, this year. How much does he think a Canadian family can afford to spend on interest on the federal debt?

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Pat Kelly

Conservative
“The government promised the debt would shrink compared to the size of the economy, but it is growing. I want a yes or no answer: is this debt ratio higher this year than last year?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, they have been claiming for years that there would be a declining debt-to-GDP ratio, but there is not. The debt-to-GDP ratio is rising. Is the debt-to-GDP ratio higher this year than last year, yes or no?

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Pat Kelly

Conservative
“The government's debt grew faster than the economy, breaking its own promise. How much debt interest does the minister think Canadian families can afford to pay?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, the answer is that the debt-to-GDP ratio went up, even though that is the fiscal anchor that they have been claiming for most of the last 10 years. They have broken their fiscal anchor. How much interest per household does he think Canadian families can afford for his debt?

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Pat Kelly

Conservative
“The government keeps breaking its own spending rules. What new rule will it invent next year after it breaks this one?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, those are new ones. He has discharged and cut loose every anchor that they have assigned for themselves. What is going to be their new fiscal anchor they make up next year when this fiscal anchor is cut loose like so many before it?

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Gérard Deltell

Conservative
“I am glad the minister finally settled a tax dispute with the City of Laval. Why did the minister refuse to testify about it to the committee for two and a half months?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, I am going to start with a positive question. We are very pleased to see that the minister was able to reach an agreement with the City of Laval concerning the scandal over the Canada Revenue Agency, which had demanded $1 million from Laval taxpayers in connection with the former corrupt mayor. Ten years later than Revenu Québec, the Canada Revenue Agency, or CRA, finally came to terms with the City of Laval. Why did the minister refuse to come testify before the committee for two and a half months?

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Gérard Deltell

Conservative
“The minister has been in cabinet for ten years while Canada's debt grew past one trillion dollars. I want him to tell us how much interest Canada pays on that debt each year.”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, it took the Liberal government’s CRA a decade to do the right thing, which was a decade longer than it took Revenu Québec. The minister was elected at the same time as me, in 2015. The Prime Minister put him in cabinet almost immediately, which means that he has been one of the senior ministers in the Liberal administration for the past decade. That makes him one of the top architects of the debt that grew to over $1 trillion over that decade. Can the minister tell us what the interest on the debt costs Canada every year?

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Gérard Deltell

Conservative
“The minister broke his promise to balance the budget by 2019. He borrowed too much money instead of saving it, and our children and grandchildren will have to pay off this huge debt.”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, the minister seems to forget that he was elected in 2015 on a promise to run three small deficits and achieve a zero deficit in 2019. He did none of that. On the contrary, even when the global economy was doing well, the government did not set any money aside. That would have been the right thing to do. However, the man with a trillion-dollar debt, that is one thousand billion dollars in debt, cannot tell us how much the interest on that debt costs. He talks about intergenerational investments. Does he realize that our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be paying for this government’s debt and reckless deficits?

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Gérard Deltell

Conservative
“The deficit has grown to $68 billion. Cutting the fuel tax is a good first step, but it is not enough for families. The government should cut more taxes.”

  • Question or comment in debate

    Respect 85 of 100

    This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “what a shame that the minister seems to have such a selective memory”.

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Official Hansard

Madam Chair, what a shame that the minister seems to have such a selective memory. Just 15 months ago, his predecessor said the deficit would be $31 billion. What is the deficit now? It is $68 billion. However, the good news is that the minister has eliminated the excise tax. That is a good thing. On the other hand, we wanted more. I can understand that, for a Liberal, eliminating a tax is a giant leap forward. For Canadian families, however, these are small steps. What we want is to go further. Why did the government put the brakes on tax cuts when it was off to a good start? We would have liked the government to follow our plan.

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Gérard Deltell

Conservative
“GST money is being used to pay interest on the national debt instead of services. Also, I want to know when the government will provide the promised money for the Quebec City tramway.”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, I would like to say to everyone listening to us right now that not every cent they are paying in GST is going to federal services. It is paying down the interest on the debt that the man with a trillion-dollar debt has racked up over the last 10 years. I have one final question about the Quebec City region. When will the federal government provide the funding promised for the tramway?

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Jasraj Hallan

Conservative
“The finance minister promised 965 days ago that food prices would drop quickly. Food costs 20% more now instead. Why?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, it has been 965 days since the finance minister said that the price of food would go down within weeks. It has gone up 20% since then. Why?

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Jasraj Hallan

Conservative
“Does the minister understand that government fuel rules and carbon taxes make food cost more, yes or no?”

  • A repeated line

    “Including the industrial carbon tax and the clean fuel standard.”

    Said 10 times by 9 members since April 28.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, it was three years ago that the finance minister himself promised that. Does the minister understand that Liberal taxes, including the industrial carbon tax and the clean fuel standard, make the cost of food go up, yes or no?

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Jasraj Hallan

Conservative
“I want the minister to admit that taxes on fuel make food more expensive for everyday shoppers.”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, does the minister understand that Liberal taxes put onto the cost of fuel, including on the trucker, the farmer and the people who sell the food, end up getting paid by the person buying the food, yes or no?

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Jasraj Hallan

Conservative
“The minister agrees that cutting the fuel tax lowers food prices. Will he agree that getting rid of the clean fuel standard and the carbon tax on big polluters will lower food prices too?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, the minister acknowledges that removing the excise tax makes the cost of fuel and food go down. Would he agree that removing the clean fuel standard and the industrial carbon tax would also make the cost of food go down, yes or no?

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Jasraj Hallan

Conservative
“The Liberals promised to build 500,000 homes this year, but their own agency says they will only build 280,000. When will they build the 500,000 homes?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, the Liberals promised to build 500,000 homes this year. Their own housing agency says they will only build 280,000 homes. When will they build 500,000 homes?

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Jasraj Hallan

Conservative
“The budget watchdog says the government's plan will build only 5,200 homes a year. Will it meet the promise to build 500,000 homes, yes or no?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, the PBO says that Build Canada Homes will only build 5,200 homes per year. Is that close to the 500,000 homes they promised, yes or no?

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Jasraj Hallan

Conservative
“The government's own housing agency says we need 480,000 new homes a year to make housing affordable, but fewer homes are being built. The Liberals promised 500,000 homes a year. When will they actually build that many?”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, the minister’s own housing agency says that 480,000 homes need to be built per year, over the next few years, to restore home affordability. The Liberals promised 500,000 homes per year. Their own housing agency says that home starts will decrease over the next few years, with a max of 280,000 homes per year. When will the Liberals build 500,000 homes per year?

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Jasraj Hallan

Conservative
“The minister is not answering my questions. The Liberals promised to build 500,000 homes a year. I want to know the exact date they will reach that goal.”
Official Hansard

Madam Chair, the minister has not answered a single question tonight. The Liberals promised 500,000 homes per year. When will they deliver 500,000 homes per year, just the date?

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  6. Oral Questions Justice 6 statements
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  11. Oral Questions Public Safety 8 statements
  12. Oral Questions Women and Gender Equality 2 statements
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  14. Oral Questions Natural Resources 2 statements
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  16. Oral Questions Labour 2 statements
  17. Oral Questions The Environment 2 statements
  18. Oral Questions Business of the House 2 statements
  19. Government Orders Government Orders 2 statements
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  21. Oral Questions Emergency Management 3 statements
  22. Government Orders Business of Supply 15 statements
  23. Government Orders Business of Supply 15 statements
  24. Government Orders Business of Supply 27 statements
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  26. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
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  28. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements