“I want the minister to promise that the federal government will give Quebec its fair share of housing money without any conditions that cross into Quebec's jurisdiction.”

“Madam Chair, I thank my colleagues for being here. I send my regards to the minister and thank him for being here. We always appreciate him. Minister, officials from the Department of Finance and the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities gave us a briefing on Bill C‑26, which you yourself tabled. We were reassured. We understood that the bill would not impose any conditions on the transfer of $1.7 billion to improve housing supply in Quebec. However, in the legislation, the minister has the discretionary power to establish and allocate the amounts as he sees fit. Can the minister confirm that he will not impose any conditions that would infringe on Quebec’s areas of jurisdiction and that the money will be distributed in such a way as to ensure that Quebec receives its fair share?”

“I am asking the minister a question.”

“Madam Chair, thank you for reining in the minister’s enthusiasm. I think he needs that from time to time. Minister, your government decided to—”

“The government cut funding for farm research and closed the Quebec Research Centre. Farming groups are against this cut, and it will hurt research. I want to know where the budget has money to reopen this centre right away.”

“Madam Chair, I also need reining in. The government has decided to cut funding for agriculture and agri-food research, notably by closing the Quebec Research Centre in the riding of the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant. This cut is being criticized by the entire agricultural community, and it will hinder productivity gains and research. Where in the budget are the funds to allow us to reopen this research centre immediately?”

“The government is not spending money to reopen the farming research centre in Quebec. I also want to know where the extra $37 million is for the local news fund. French-language news outlets are struggling and need this help after recent funding cuts.”

“Madam Chair, the minister has just told us that there is not a penny in these estimates to reopen the agricultural research centre in the Quebec City region. Farmers in Mirabel and elsewhere will remember that. I would like to know where, in these estimates, the additional $37 million needed for the independent local news fund is to be found. Our francophone media outlets are in crisis, and that money would enable them to weather the storm more effectively, given that their funding has just been cut following a CRTC decision.”

“The Prime Minister canceled the digital services tax just because Donald Trump posted about it online. I want to know when the government will bring this tax back so we can fund arts and culture.”

“Madam Chair, on budget day, the minister no doubt appreciated the way opposition members demonstrated in a compelling and humorous fashion how the government lacked ambition when it came to supporting the media. The Prime Minister said he refused to pay an entry fee to negotiate a trade deal with President Trump, but all it took was a post on President Trump’s Truth Social for the Prime Minister to decide to repeal the digital services tax. I would like to know when he will reinstate the digital services tax so we can provide more adequate arts and culture funding. When will the government reinstate the digital services tax instead of capitulating to the U.S. President?”

“The government gave in to Donald Trump by exempting American companies from the global minimum tax. I want to know if the minister is worried that the company Brookfield is moving its headquarters to the United States at the same time.”

“Madam Chair, the Minister of Finance is well aware that his Prime Minister bent the knee to Trump and paid the entry fee to negotiate. That is why he is avoiding the question. Now, in Bill C‑31, the government is once again bending the knee to President Trump by amending the Global Minimum Tax Act to exempt American companies. Does it trouble the minister that this coincides with a decision by Brookfield, the Prime Minister’s baby, to move its headquarters to the United States?”

“The government cut spending on research and the arts, but gave more money to the Governor General. I want the minister to explain why.”

“Madam Chair, again, the minister calls bowing to the U.S. President’s demands generational investments. It is worth noting that the government has asked Statistics Canada, the agricultural research centres, the National Research Council of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the National Film Board of Canada to tighten their belts, yet it has made cuts while finding money for the Governor General. A full one-third of a million dollars has been allocated to the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. I would like to know whether the minister or his government intends to ask the Governor General and her office to conduct research on agriculture.”

“The government is cutting money for science, farming, and films, while giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Governor General.”

“Madam Chair, once again, he is cutting funding for science, agriculture and the National Film Board of Canada, but he managed to find one-third of a million dollars for the Governor General. Does he think the Governor General and her office now have the resources to produce a nice film for us about the $7,000 shoes the Governor General just might buy with that money?”

“Quebec's legislature voted unanimously to ask the federal government for $733 million to cover the costs of asylum seekers. The money is not in this budget. I want the minister to tell me if the federal government cares about what Quebec's elected members asked for.”

“Madam Chair, the Standing Orders allow members, during the consideration of the estimates, to ask the minister about the expenses of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, which are on page 6 of the estimates. That is what I just did, having given myself that right with all due respect for the head of state. Now, through a unanimous motion, the National Assembly has asked for $733 million to compensate it for the influx of asylum seekers, which the federal government is supposed to be responsible for. Naturally, I will not ask the minister where that money is in the estimates. I assume that it cannot be found anywhere, like most of Quebec’s requests. What does the minister think a motion unanimously adopted by the 125 elected members of the National Assembly is worth?”

“Quebec's legislature voted unanimously to get back $814 million from the federal government. The Liberals used that money for carbon tax rebates in other provinces. Why is that money missing from this spending plan?”

“Madam Chair, we know the Minister of Finance. He is very nice and gets along with everyone, but when it comes time to comply with the unanimous requests of the National Assembly, he disappears. That is what we see in these estimates: The amount is not there, just like—I am guessing, though I wonder why—the $814 million stolen from Quebeckers when the Liberals bought votes in the last election by sending out rebate cheques in seven provinces for a carbon tax that people had not even paid. The National Assembly is unanimously requesting that $814 million. Its 125 elected officials are unanimous. Where is that money in these estimates?”

“The government is giving $710 million more to Alto for its train project. I want the minister to tell us how much of that money will go to taking land in Mirabel, and how much will go to ads.”

“Madam Chair, the minister is allocating $710 million in additional funding to Alto, which is still officially called VIA HFR after a project that was scrapped at the last minute. I would like to know whether he is aware of how much of that amount will be used to pay for the expropriation of land, particularly in Mirabel, and how much of that amount will be used for Alto’s advertising blitz, as this company has effectively become a communications firm.”

“If the minister thinks infrastructure is so important, why did the government cut $5 billion from public transit?”

“Madam Chair, if he considers infrastructure so important, why did his government decide to cut $5 billion over 10 years from the public transit fund?”

“The government cut $229 million from Statistics Canada. This reminds me of Stephen Harper cutting data that lawmakers need. It makes me question the government's support for science.”

“Madam Chair, I am very protective of my time. I guard it as if it were a pearl. We note that, in the budget, $229 million has been cut from Statistics Canada. I understand that the government has decided to invest elsewhere in science and research, but the last person to make such significant cuts to Statistics Canada was Stephen Harper, as part of his effort to ensure that Parliament and parliamentarians could develop public policies with fewer open data. What does that say about his commitment to science?”

“The government gave about $225,000 more to the ethics commissioner. How much of that extra money will be used to investigate the Prime Minister's conflicts of interest?”

“Madam Chair, the minister increased the funding allocated to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner by 2.5%, or approximately $225,000. I would like him to tell me what proportion of this additional spending will be used to monitor the Prime Minister’s conflicts of interest.”

“Quebec business groups and steelworkers want wage subsidies to protect jobs hurt by new tariffs. I want to know how much money in this budget will go to that kind of wage subsidy.”

“Madam Chair, speaking of resources allocated in the estimates, the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec and steelworkers are calling for a wage subsidy to help maintain the employment relationship between employers and workers who have been hit hard by the new tariff calculation. From what I understand, not a single penny of the budget will be allocated to a wage subsidy program. The minister knows that we think that the measures that have already been announced are inadequate. Even though he will not answer, I would like to know exactly how much of the budget is allocated to the wage subsidy that the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec is calling for.”

“I am giving my remaining speaking time to the Chair.”

“Madam Chair, you know I appreciate you. You deserve these last five seconds and more.”