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?
