A debate about military spending and budget items. The Conservatives critiqued the government's plans, charging the Liberals have underinvested in the military and are hiding weakness with accounting tricks. The Liberals fired back that Conservative governments didn't invest either, and touted their own counter-recession plans. Members also argued over deficit spending, whether a sovereign wealth fund is a good idea, and protections against sole-source contracts.
“You did nothing for the military. We're spending more than you did. I'm tossing out lots of numbers and saying we met our target quickly to make us sound good. You closed offices so I'm using that to make you look extra bad.”
“My political opponent can't say anything critical about our military spending. His party didn't spend as much as we do. It's a lie for him to say we don't support the military. He should only say things that help me.”
“You Conservatives don't want to spend money on my favorite programs. You just want to cut taxes. I like when the government spends lots of money. Government spending is how we show we care.”
“I want the Conservatives to support our Canada Strong fund. They should agree with us and give us what we want. I'm going to ignore their concerns about borrowing money and try to make them look bad if they don't support our plan.”
“When you say 'government should get out of the way,' I think you read too much Ayn Rand. I want the government to protect businesses from US tariffs. I'm going to challenge you to say what would happen if the government didn't help.”
“I want Canada to stand up to Trump's trade threats. I don't want to give in to his demands even if it takes time to get a good deal. I want to spend money to protect Canadian interests.”
“I don't want to talk about the bill. I want to say the other party is mean for criticizing us. I will keep saying they attack people so I don't have to answer the question.”
“The budget spends more money on my preferred program. It hands out $5000 each to attract people to my preferred jobs. That will help me pose as generous and pro-youth.”
“I want to offer the Conservatives a variety of possible topics to respond to, so that they can choose how they would like to proceed. I'd like them to acknowledge the significant impact that our programs related to affordability, such as dental care, child care, and the national school food program, have had on my constituents. On the topic of defense, I want to highlight that we have not only doubled our spending, but also significantly grown our economy. Furthermore, I want to address the misconception that we are anti-development by pointing out the record bitumen production, royalties, and corporate profits in Alberta, demonstrating our government's successful development initiatives.”
“I want to re-emphasize my love for Canada's national health program. I am passionate about it because it is part of our identity. I want to be part of a government that not only preserves but grows our healthcare system. We need to work with provinces to ensure a universal health care system based on five fundamental principles, so that Canadians can receive similar care no matter where they live.”
