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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

366 statements

Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“The minister has not answered my last two questions. I want to know if he knows how many vehicles were made in Canada in 2025.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, it is very frustrating when ministers will not answer questions. That is two questions I have asked, and two questions he did not answer. Does the minister know how many vehicles were manufactured in Canada in 2025?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“Canada still has a strong car-making industry. We are working with unions and supporting autoworkers to make sure that industry succeeds.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, Canada is one of the very few countries in the G7 that still has a very strong auto sector. That is why my colleague will be happy to see that we have supported workers, we have worked with Unifor and we have worked with unions to make sure that we position the auto industry for success.

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Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“The minister did not answer my question. Of the 1.2 million vehicles, how many were electric cars made in Canada?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, once again, the minister is either unwilling or unable to answer a question that I am asking. The answer to that question is this: 1.2 million vehicles. Does the minister know, of those 1.2 million vehicles, how many were electric vehicles that were manufactured in Canada?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“We are investing in projects like Volkswagen to prepare our country for new vehicle technology.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, as I have said, what we have been doing in terms of investment, and we can think about the Volkswagen investment, is to prepare the country to make sure that we will have an industry that can support a different kind of technology, whether we are talking about an internal combustion—

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Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“The minister has not answered my questions. Canada makes 1.2 million vehicles, and only 20,000 are fully electric. I want the minister to tell me what percentage that is.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, it is becoming quite embarrassing now. I have asked three questions, and the minister has not even attempted to answer any of them. I will answer that question as well. It is 20,000 vehicles. Out of 1.2 million vehicles manufactured in Canada, 20,000 of those are fully electric vehicles that will meet the zero-emission vehicle mandate. Does the minister know what percentage that is of the vehicles manufactured in Canada?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“I will keep sharing the facts with Canadians. Our government has invested money to support the car industry, including both gas-powered and electric vehicles.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the member may not like my answers. I know that the Conservatives are allergic to good news, but I am an experienced member of the House and will continue to answer and to provide the facts to Canadians who are watching at home. What I was saying is that we have made sure that the industry could succeed. Whether we are talking about internal combustion engines or whether we are talking about electric vehicles, I think the member has seen us investing to support the industry.

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Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“Only a tiny fraction of cars made in Canada meet the government's zero-emission rules. Almost all of the cars we make will be banned by 2035. Why did the government make a rule that does this?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, 1.6% of the vehicles manufactured in Canada will meet the Liberal zero-emission vehicles mandate. That means that 98.4% of the vehicles manufactured in Canada will not. Why did the Liberals set up a zero-emission vehicles mandate that will make 98.4% of the vehicles manufactured in Canada illegal by 2035?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“Our government is bringing a lot of business investment to Canada. We are supporting the car industry today while also bringing in money for electric cars.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I am talking about the facts. I am just trying to help the member understand the nature of the industry in Canada, and I will continue to do so because people at home understand that we have different investments in the country. We have been able to attract significant investment. What I said is that we are supporting the industry with respect to internal combustion engines, but at the same time, we have also played a big role in attracting investment in the vehicle of the future, so we have—

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Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“Canada only makes a tiny share of electric cars. The government's plan for electric cars just means bringing in over 50,000 electric vehicles made in China.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, when he says that electrification is the north star in Canada, and we only manufacture 1.6% of our vehicles as electric, what he must mean by “electrification is the north star in Canada” are the 50,000 Chinese electric vehicles that he is now allowing into Canada. Is it not really what he means when he says electrification is the future or the north star, that it is the 50,000-plus Chinese electric vehicles that he is going to be bringing into the country?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“We need to get ready for the cars of the future. It is normal that people take time to get used to new technology. Major car changes in the past took years to become successful, too.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, what I am saying is that we need to prepare for the cars of the future. In fact, it is nothing surprising that when the same thing has been done for 100 years and the technology is changed, there is a longer time of adoption. I will just remind my colleague that Tesla took 17 years to be profitable. The Model T of Henry Ford was not an instant success. It is normal that when we do the same thing for a century, we have consumer adoption and change in technology. We can look to Europe and around the world and talk to the manufacturers. We do not need to look at talking points. Talk to the CEOs of the global—

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Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“If electric cars are the future, why did the government give Ford $464 million to switch a factory back to making gas cars?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, if electrification is the future, as he keeps saying, then why did he just give $464 million to Ford to convert its factory, which was going electric, back to an internal combustion engine factory?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“We need to invest in different technology right now. We must support the car industry today and also get ready for the future.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, that is what I said; just look at the record. We need to invest in different technology for now. The north star is the long-term view. That is why we have these investments that prepare us. We need to support the industry with the cars we make today, but also prepare for the future. That is what we see. If we look at the automakers, they have—

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Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“Canadian car makers cannot switch from making mostly gas cars to only electric cars in eight and a half years. The minister promised not to let in cheap Chinese cars, but his government is letting 50,000 of them into Canada each year. Does he still stand by his promise?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, so in eight and a half years, he is saying that Canadian auto manufacturers will go from producing 1.6% of their vehicles as fully electric to 100%. No, that is absolutely impossible. The minister said Canada “would never be a back door to cheap Chinese vehicles which are overly subsidized”. Does he still believe that, in light of his government letting in 50,000 Chinese vehicles into Canada every year?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal

Linked statement

“I want to correct what was said about my words earlier. We are investing in the car industry. We need to support the cars companies make today, and also help them prepare to make the cars of the future.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, let me just correct the record of what I said before, because there were statements made that did not reflect it. What I said is that we are investing in supporting the industry. We need to support the industry with the cars they are making today, but at the same time, if we talk to the OEMs, the car manufacturers, they are also preparing for the cars of the future. Therefore, we want to invest in what they produce today, but also be able to support them when they are going to be producing the cars of the future.

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Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“The minister said Chinese electric car makers use unfair practices and break labour and environmental laws. Yet the government is letting 50,000 of these cars into Canada each year. I want the minister to explain why his actions do not match his words.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, the minister also warned that Chinese EV producers benefit from “unfair, non-market practices” and “don’t respect labour law and environmental laws”, and yet his government is letting in 50,000 Chinese electric vehicles every year. Were his words wrong then, or is his position wrong now?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“We have always supported the auto industry. We are working with unions and bringing in big investments, like Volkswagen in St. Thomas, to help Canadian auto workers succeed.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, we were supporting the auto industry when I was industry minister, and we continue to do that today. We want to position Canadian auto workers for success; they understand that. We have been working with unions very closely. We have been attracting investment like Volkswagen in St. Thomas, which, as I said, is going to build—

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Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“If electric cars are the future, why did Honda just cancel its 15-billion-dollar electric vehicle plant under this government?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, if electrification is the future, as he keeps saying, then why did Honda just cancel its $15-billion electric vehicle manufacturing plant under his government’s watch?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“Other major countries are also facing delays with these plans. We need to invest in current industries while preparing for the future.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, my colleague is a very experienced member of the House. He will have seen that in all G7 countries, and I have just come from the G7, these plans have been delayed. What we are saying about the north star is that we need to invest in what they make today, but also prepare for the future.

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Kyle Seeback

Conservative
“I want the minister to explain how Canadian car makers can switch from making almost no electric cars to making only electric cars in eight years.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, how will Canadian auto manufacturers go from producing 1.6% of their vehicles as full EVs to 100% to meet their EV target, zero-emission vehicle target, in eight years? Can the minister please explain exactly how that is going to happen?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“The member already understands what I said and is just looking for a video clip. We want to invest in vehicles.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Chair, I am happy to repeat what I just said, but I know my colleague understood. He is looking for some kind of clip, but he is not going to get it. What I can say tonight is that we want to invest in the vehicles that are—

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  1. Government Orders Business of Supply 64 statements
  2. Government Orders Business of Supply 45 statements
  3. Oral Questions Indigenous Affairs 4 statements
  4. Oral Questions Taxation 4 statements
  5. Oral Questions The Economy 4 statements
  6. Oral Questions Justice 6 statements
  7. Oral Questions The Economy 16 statements
  8. Oral Questions The Environment 4 statements
  9. Oral Questions Finance 6 statements
  10. Oral Questions Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship 10 statements
  11. Oral Questions Public Safety 8 statements
  12. Oral Questions Women and Gender Equality 2 statements
  13. Oral Questions Indigenous Affairs 6 statements
  14. Oral Questions Natural Resources 2 statements
  15. Oral Questions Fisheries and Oceans 2 statements
  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
  20. Oral Questions Taxation 4 statements
  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
  25. Private Members' Business An Act to repeal certain restrictions on shipping 12 statements
  26. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  27. Government Orders Business of Supply 366 statements
  28. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements