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Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:05 p.m.

“We know affordability is a problem but we're doing a lot to fix it. Trust me, we have this covered.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:05 p.m.

“I want to spend a lot of money on many things. I want Canadians to feel good about the government spending money.”

Official Hansard

Madam Chair, I have the opportunity to speak before you tonight, which I would say is a great privilege. I want to thank my colleagues for being here this evening and for taking the time to debate important issues, because we are talking about the budget, after all. We are talking about Canada's public finances. I also want to thank the deputy chair, who plays a very important role in Canada's democracy. I thank the Chair for giving me the opportunity to speak this evening. Needless to say, as some members have mentioned, Canada, like many other countries, is going through a time of tremendous upheaval. From new geopolitical dynamics to supply chain disruptions to rapid technological breakthroughs, including in artificial intelligence, the world is changing at an unprecedented speed, scope and scale. Canada, quite simply, must adapt to thrive. That is exactly why the government presented generational investments in budget 2020, and we have continued the work in the spring economic update. We understand that this is the time to be bold. This is the time to build at a speed and scale not seen in generations. This is a time to build Canada strong, and that is exactly what we are proposing to Canadians. Last year, as the Chair will recall, because she and my colleagues were here, I was honoured to rise in the House to present budget 2025, which laid out our government's ambitious plan to act swiftly to make and unlock generational investments to foster vibrant communities, empower Canadians, protect our country and build the strongest economy in the G7. I am happy to report that we are on track to build the strongest economy in the G7. Last month, we built upon that progress with the 2026 spring economic update, which further outlined our plan to build a stronger and more resilient Canadian economy, purpose-built to meet the unique challenges of the 21st century and the very challenging times that we are facing in the world. Many of these initiatives were, of course, reflected in the main estimates tabled this year. I am honoured to join you today to discuss the main estimates and our bold plan to build a stronger, more independent, more resilient Canada, to deliver for Canadians and to ensure that growth is felt by Canadians across the country. This is about building a Canada for all. Today, thanks to the 2026 spring economic update, we are staying on the right track. We are building homes and carrying out major projects across the country quickly and sustainably. We are creating more opportunities for our workers and for young Canadians. We are promoting stronger, safer communities. Together, we can build a stronger Canada for all. I see that my colleagues are smiling. I understand why, because everyone in this place wants to work to build a stronger, more resilient Canada. First, I want to highlight the Canada strong fund, Canada's own sovereign wealth fund designed to deliver generational infrastructure and nation-building projects and ultimately to grow wealth for future generations. This new fund will invest in key strategic Canadian projects and companies alongside the private sector, creating jobs, supporting innovation and making Canada more competitive. What is more, Canadians themselves will have the opportunity to invest in the fund, sharing in its success. I was pleased to see the international press say that Canada was creating its own sovereign wealth fund, but that, in a very Canadian way, people would be able to invest and share in the growth that we will see in this country. Like us, Canadians believe in Canadian workers and in the Canadian economy. By taking part directly in our shared successes by investing in the fund, Canadians will be given the opportunity to share in our growth and contribute to the country we are building together. Because we know that Canadian workers will be the ones who ultimately build the strongest economy in the G7, our government is also launching team Canada strong, a nationwide effort to recruit, train and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trade workers across the country. This innovative program will provide young people in this country with a clear path into the skilled trades and related careers in housing, infrastructure and defence. We are offering Canadians pursuing apprenticeships up to $16,000 in weekly top-ups during the training, a $5,000 completion bonus and direct incentives for employers, including up to $10,000 in wage subsidies per apprentice. That is what I would call a win-win-win approach, and that is why we are proud to announce this to Canadians. To support young people, our government is making education more affordable by extending the increase in Canada student grants and interest-free Canada student loans for another year. This will benefit thousands of students across the country. The goal is not just to create jobs, but to create new opportunities for young Canadians to serve their country, build a fulfilling life and shape their collective future. Second, I would like to note that the spring economic statement of 2026 highlights many measures to support Canadians at a time when global cost pressures are weighing heavily on households here in the country and among our G7 partners. From permanently removing the consumer carbon price and suspending the fuel excise tax until Labour Day and making groceries and essentials more affordable to getting 6.5 million Canadians dental coverage, our government has been relentlessly focused on making life more affordable for Canadians and providing relief where people need it most. That includes significant progress in making housing more affordable. Colleagues were asking questions and we are on track to make housing more affordable, which is indeed a key pillar of overall cost-of-living stability. Home prices in Canada are now down 21%, and rents are down 8% nationally. For many families, this is starting to translate into real relief. The spring economic update builds on the progress made through Build Canada Homes and even includes new investments aimed at increasing the housing supply, reducing costs and helping more Canadians access safe and affordable housing. This includes cutting red tape to build homes faster, supporting innovation in construction, accelerating over $7 billion in low-cost financing, boosting the housing supply, and protecting construction jobs across Canada in partnership with the provinces and territories. Our government is helping those most in need by expanding support for people experiencing homelessness and ensuring that survivors of domestic violence have access to safe housing. The government is also continuing to strengthen Canada's independence in key sectors and working more closely with our trusted partners to protect our security and our resilience. In 2025-26, we invested more than $63 billion in the Canadian Armed Forces, the single largest year-on-year increase in defence investments in this country, as part of our ambitious plan to rebuild, rearm and reinvest in our armed forces. I want to say that we want to thank them. I think I can speak on behalf of all my colleagues in the House tonight. We want to thank the men and women in uniform for their service to this country. I think they deserve a big round of applause. Thanks to these investments, Canada is now on a path to meet the NATO defence investment pledge of investing 5% of GDP in defence by 2035. These and future investments in Canada's sovereignty will be guided by Canada's first-ever defence industrial strategy and support the more timely and transparent acquisition of military goods through the new Defence Investment Agency. Obviously, I have a lot to say this evening, because what we are presenting to Canadians is an ambitious plan. Our plan addresses the most pressing issue of the moment, the urgent need for action. I attended a G7 meeting last week, and I can say that the G7 countries are united in their desire to take action. We sometimes hear about the fog of uncertainty that has descended on the world. What I can say is that Canada is like a beacon in that fog, with strong institutions, a generational plan and investments that will grow the economy. I can report to Canadians that Canada is on the right path. We will build Canada strong. We will be protecting our communities. We will empower Canadians. The best thing is that we are just getting started to work, and we will continue to fight for Canadians every single day.

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Hon. Kevin Lamoureux

Liberal 7:05 p.m.

“I want to talk about how our government helps Canadians. I want Canadians to feel good about the government spending money. I will list many things that our government does. I want Canadians to think we are helping with affordability. I want Canadians to believe our spending will build a strong country.”

Official Hansard

Madam Chair, I appreciate many of the words the Minister of Finance has put on the record this evening. I want to pick up on a couple of points. As a government and as the Minister of Finance, we have seen action on two fronts. One is in terms of building Canada strong, a Canada that is there for all Canadians, and there are many examples, some of which the Minister of Finance has referenced. The other issue is, of course, taking a look at the issue of affordability. We all know that affordability is a very important issue for Canadians. Again, what we have seen through the Department of Finance is some very specific action to support Canadians on the issue of affordability. I would like to expand very quickly on those two points. When I think of the affordability issue, I think of the groceries and essentials benefit. It is an excellent example. In the month of June, there is going to be substantial payments going to, I believe, somewhere around 11 million Canadians. I think that will help on the affordability issue. Also, there has been a great deal of discussion, and the government has come forward on the excise tax on gasoline with what is about a 10¢-a-litre break for Canadians. The minister made reference to the summer months. We are going to see a lot of Canadians staying in Canada, touring and taking a look at the different regions of the country by vehicle. The 10¢ reduction is very helpful on the issue of affordability. As we provide affordability programs, and I should have also mentioned the national school nutritional program for 400,000 children, at the same time we are investing in building a stronger Canada by looking at the national sovereign wealth fund, which is something the minister has made reference to. It is a fund that is going to assist with billions of dollars of investment and growth. I am wondering if the minister can provide his perspective in terms of supporting Canadians on the affordability file alongside building that stronger Canada.

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Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:20 p.m.

“We want Canadians to think we are helping with affordability. I will list three things our government does: housing, groceries, and gas. We spend a lot of money on housing. The IMF said some countries like Canada can spend on it. We send money to Canadians to help with groceries. We want Canadians to think we are helping them now and in the future. We want Canadians to believe our big spending will make things more affordable.”

Official Hansard

Madam Chair, I thank the member for providing a very good summary to the House of the affordability measures we have presented. It is right to say that affordability is top of mind for the government. I would say it is top of mind for Canadians. The three issues when we talk about affordability with people are the cost of housing, the cost of food and the cost of gas. The good news is that we have been acting on these three fronts. We have made generational investments to provide more affordable housing in this country, because we know this is the first pillar of affordability. Finding a home that is secure and affordable is the first pillar for Canadians and their families, which is why we have put forward a generational investment. This investment has been applauded by institutions like the International Monetary Fund. I will tell members that when I was in Washington, they mentioned that only two countries of the G7 can do this. They are Germany and Canada. Why? It is because these are the two countries that have the fiscal capacity, they have a AAA credit rating and if they make the right choices, this will support growth and at the same time tackle affordability. Therefore, housing has been one of the key pillars. The second thing is groceries. We have seen the inflation when it comes to groceries. We understand that this is a real challenge for Canadians across the nation, which is why we did not wait. We decided to act with the groceries and essentials benefit, which is going to help. My colleague said it would help 11 million people, but it is even more. There are 12 million Canadians who are going to receive that boost. This is very important because it is a 50% boost this year, but it is also bridged. We understand that we need to bonify the Canada groceries and essentials benefit so that Canadians will still have a bridge. We understand that when it comes to food inflation, not only do we need to do that but we also need to invest in structural things in order to grow more in Canada. That is why, on one end, we are helping people now, but we are also making structural investments so that we can grow more food in Canada and become more resilient. At the same time, we are pushing for competition, because competition in this sector and other sectors is the best way to provide better prices for Canadians.

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Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:25 p.m.

“I'm filling time with kind words and saying nothing anyone could pin down later. Quebec is getting money for housing. Quebec can decide how to use it. Quebec likes this.”

Official Hansard

Madam Chair, I would like to begin by thanking my colleague for being here this evening to ask his important question. I have already been in touch with the Government of Quebec and the other provincial governments to inform them of the amount that will be allocated. In the spirit of co-operative federalism, at the request of our provincial colleagues, we allowed the provinces to use these amounts for housing within existing provincial programs. What I can say to my colleague this evening to reassure him is that the amount that is allocated to Quebec was based on a formula that Quebec fully understands. At the same time, we worked together to ensure that the funding could be quickly put to use in Quebec. Our colleagues in Quebec are very pleased.

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Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:25 p.m.

“I want my colleague to know we protected research funding while cutting other spending. We think this is important for our communities and for Canada's future.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:25 p.m.

“Look, the $37 million fund for local news is in the spending estimates. I announced it in the spring economic statement, so he should be happy.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:25 p.m.

“I won't answer your narrow question about that one tax. Instead let me rattle off numbers to sound smart and caring without committing to specific action.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:30 p.m.

“I don't want to answer that. I want to look like I'm helping workers and growing the economy.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:30 p.m.

“I want to cheer for my own party. I think it's normal for our government to spend a lot of money. We say we found a way to spend a little less while still spending a lot.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:30 p.m.

“I'm protecting spending everywhere I can. Defence, indigenous services, research and development - I protected budgets in all those areas. I know how important they are and I made sure they were safe.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:30 p.m.

“I'm dodging the specific question about asylum seeker money. Talking about my good relationship with Quebec instead. Everything is fine. No need to worry. I'm pals with Quebec.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:30 p.m.

“I don't like how you said that. I will pretend you didn't mean it. I just want to say that our party cares about Quebec. I represent part of Quebec. I want the Quebec voters to like me.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:35 p.m.

“The company is connected to me but I'm going to ignore your question. I want to list big spending projects my government is proud of. That's a lot of taxpayer money!”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:35 p.m.

“We are spending a lot of money on many things. I want you to be happy that we agreed to spend money on a thing you asked for.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:35 p.m.

“We cut $229 million from Statistics Canada. I want you to think that's fine. I'll use buzzwords like efficiency and technology to try to sell it.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:35 p.m.

“I'm not going to admit anything about the Prime Minister. The Ethics Commissioner's independent. He has the money he needs. That's all I'll say.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:35 p.m.

“You're from Quebec too. Look how much we spent in Quebec! I want you to praise us for spending all that money.”

Hon. François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal 7:35 p.m.

“I'm also using my time to flatter the chair instead of answering the question.”

Steeve Lavoie

Liberal 7:40 p.m.

“I'm filling time with kind words and saying nothing anyone could pin down later.”

Official Hansard

Madam Chair, I rise today to speak to Bill C-30, the spring economic update 2026 implementation act. I will also address a fundamental issue for our country, our regions and the people we represent, which is to build a strong, more resilient and more accessible Canada for all. We are currently at a hinge moment. The world we live in is undergoing profound change. It is more uncertain, more fragmented and marked by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and increased pressure on the cost of living. For many families, these realities are not just theoretical. They are felt every day, when shopping for groceries, searching for a place to live, or managing a household budget. In my riding of Beauport—Limoilou and across the country, people are under immense pressure. Groceries cost more, affordable housing is harder to find, and every dollar counts. When an organization like Patro Roc-Amadour in Limoilou sees an increase in requests for food assistance, that is not just a statistic. That is a human reality. In this context, our responsibility as parliamentarians is clear. We must act ambitiously, effectively and with discipline. We must focus on those factors that we can control, such as the strength of our economy, our country's ability to invest and, most of all, Canadians' quality of life. The spring economic update is closely aligned with those principles. It offers a structured, coherent and future-oriented approach. It strikes a crucial balance between building more, strengthening our economy and easing pressure on the cost of living. Canada leads the G7 in per capita foreign direct investment inflows. To be specific, that is $1,231 per person in the first three quarters of 2025 alone, which is almost twice as much as what the United States took in. Considerable progress has been made over the past year. Major projects have been launched, drawing significant investment and creating tens of thousands of jobs. In my riding, Beauport—Limoilou, these issues are very real. We are smack dab in the middle of a strategic region for trade, transportation and logistics. Our proximity to the St. Lawrence, our infrastructure and our geographic location make us a key player in Canadian supply chains. Every investment in commercial infrastructure, every initiative to improve the flow of trade and every strategic project has a direct impact on us. That means jobs, contracts for our businesses and a more dynamic and resilient local economy. In addition to infrastructure, the strength of our economy and our environment is another important pillar. Yes, they can both appear in the same sentence. Those who know me know how much these two societal issues matter to me. They are inextricably linked to my values: economic development and the environment. All too often, people portray the economy and the environment as being incompatible, as if we had to choose between prosperity and protection, between growth and responsibility. However, when Leger was conducting a survey in June 2023, while I was president of the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Québec, I insisted that one last simple but fundamental question be included: Should we always put economic development ahead of environmental issues or, conversely, should we always put environmental issues ahead of economic development, or alternatively, should both carry relatively equal weight in our decisions? The answer was clear: 66% of respondents, or two out of three people, said that economic development and environmental issues should have relatively equal weight in decision-making. People are done with choosing between options. They want to move forward by having both. They want us to be ambitious enough to accomplish both. Since that day, this idea has become more than just a thought exercise to me. It has become my mantra. Canada is in a position of strength. Our country is fortunate enough to have a highly skilled workforce, privileged access to international markets and rich deposits of strategic resources. We are one of the few countries to possess such a vast network of trade agreements that we have access to a significant portion of the global economy. This puts us in a good position despite the international uncertainty. We have to keep diversifying our markets, supporting our businesses and investing in strategic sectors to ensure our long-term growth. Once again, this has a direct impact on my riding of Beauport—Limoilou. Our businesses, our workers and our young people are benefiting from all these opportunities. Let me be clear. Despite the progress, people's main concern remains the cost of living. For families in my riding, as for all families across the country, the reality is simple. Everyone wants to be able to afford groceries, put a roof over their heads and plan for the future with a modicum of security. That is why measures to improve affordability are essential. For a family in Beauport—Limoilou, this means real and tangible benefits. It means having a little more breathing room at the end of the month. It means being able to handle unexpected expenses. It simply means a little more stability. Measures aimed at accelerating housing construction, supporting innovation in the construction sector and making home ownership more attainable are essential. Every housing project and every initiative aimed at increasing supply directly contributes to improving the situation. In Beauport—Limoilou, these measures are not abstract. They address real needs expressed by our constituents. We live in a world where the rules of the game are changing rapidly. Supply chains are being redefined, economic alliances are shifting and international tensions are directly influencing the market and costs. As I said earlier, the cost of living remains the top priority for our constituents. Numerous concrete measures to help with that have been or will be put in place. I will give a few examples. There will be a Canada groceries and essentials benefit of up to $1,890 for a family of four this year. More than 12 million Canadians will receive this support. A tax cut for the middle class is planned, providing savings of up to $840 for a dual-income family. The consumer carbon tax, amounting to around 18¢ per litre of gas, will be eliminated. There will be a temporary suspension of the excise tax, delivering savings of up to 10¢ per litre of gas. For a family in Beauport—Limoilou, these savings make a difference. They help pay for some of the grocery bill, reduce travel costs and create a little breathing room in a tight budget. This means a family can do their grocery shopping with a little less stress; a worker can count on a stable, well-paid job; a business can invest and grow; and a young person can picture a future here at home. This is exactly what we must continue to build: a Canada firmly rooted in its regions, a Canada that invests in its future, a Canada that supports its citizens, a strong Canada. I now have a few questions for the Minister of Finance. In my riding, Beauport—Limoilou, and across the country, housing remains a major concern, particularly for young families and workers. The 2026 spring economic update proposes several measures to accelerate residential construction, including low-cost loans, support for prefabricated housing, and investments in skilled trades. These measures complement initiatives the government has already implemented, such as the launch of Build Canada Homes, measures to reduce and eliminate the GST for first-time buyers of new homes, efforts to expedite major projects, and investments aimed at increasing the country's construction capacity. Could you explain how these measures work together to form a comprehensive economic capacity strategy, not only to build more housing, but also to develop the expertise and workforce needed to complete these projects more quickly and at a lower cost?

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