“The Liberal government has caused a recession through high debt, slow approvals, and bad policies. Canadians are struggling with high prices, expensive housing, and job losses while the government only makes empty announcements. We need the government to cut taxes, approve projects quickly, and fix the economy instead of making excuses.”

“Mr. Speaker, there are moments in the life of a country when people stop asking for promises and start asking for honesty, and this is one of those moments. Canadians are not confused about what is happening around them. They see it every day, with their bills, when they put groceries back on the shelf or when their adult children move back home because even full-time work no longer guarantees independence. They know something is wrong. What makes it worse is that they are being told not to believe their very own eyes. The Liberal government says that the economy is not in a recession and that affordability has not been this good in 10 years, but Canadians know the truth because they are living the truth. The truth is that under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada has become the only country in a recession in the G7. The truth is that Canadian households now carry the worst debt burden in the G7. The truth is that housing costs in Canada are now among the worst in the industrialized world. The truth is that our unemployment rate is now the second-highest in the G7. This did not happen by accident. Policies have consequences. The Liberal government has governed as though debt were imaginary, as though growth would somehow appear without productivity and as though governments can endlessly spend money they do not have without asking working people to eventually carry the cost, but Canadians are carrying the cost. They carry it every time their rent goes up, every time interest rates rise and mortgages are up for renewal and every time they hear another announcement from a government that mistakes press conferences for progress. The Prime Minister likes to say that Canada will move at speeds not seen in generations. I will say, when Canadians first heard those words, they wanted to believe them. Now, after more than a year of this government, the results have not matched the rhetoric. The Liberal recession means declining growth. It means our economy is shrinking. It means Canada is not moving at speeds not seen in generations. It means Canada is falling behind. This is not just a criticism but the reality that Canadians are living with and that businesses are responding to. The Prime Minister is travelling the world trying to sell Canada to investors, while blowing $200,000 on inflight catering over three flights, but what is he selling? He is selling a Canada where major projects still take too long and approvals are uncertain, a Canada where the tanker ban remains in place and Bill C-69 continues to scare away billions of dollars in investment, a Canada where housing starts are not rising at speeds not seen in generations but slowing to a pace not seen in generations. We hear members opposite boast about the Prime Minister’s résumé, but a fancy résumé does not matter to investors looking for opportunities in a business-friendly environment. In fact, in 2025, 45% of all foreign direct investment into Canada, or $44 billion, consisted of foreign purchasers buying up Canadian businesses rather than building new facilities or expanding productive capacity. Canada used to build national champions, but increasingly, we are selling them. We do not need better marketing. We need a Canada that is actually open for business. We have energy, critical minerals, the workers, the talent and the geography. We have people who are hungry to build, to work, to invest and to grow. What we do not have yet is a government creating the conditions for investor confidence. The Liberal government has given itself extraordinary powers. It has the Major Projects Office. It has given itself a majority government through dirty backroom deals, so it should have the ability to move. Where are the major projects? Where is the urgency to meet this moment? The Liberals talk about unleashing Canadian energy, but the tanker ban remains. They talk about building homes, but housing construction in the GTA and in Vancouver has collapsed, and 100,000 people are now out of work. They talk about mines, manufacturing and productivity, but the regulatory reform needed to restore investor confidence is still not there. They talk about moving quickly, but Canadians keep seeing the same pattern: announcement first, action later and, too often, action never. Should we really be surprised? The Prime Minister is surrounded by the same Liberal team that delivered the last decade. He can steal our ideas, but does he really believe in them? We know the team around him is not willing to do what it takes to fully implement those ideas and restore Canada’s economy, so Canadians are stuck with the same Liberal pattern: announcement followed by failure to follow through. Conservatives put forward practical ideas more than a year ago, such as the Canadian sovereign act, the removal of industrial carbon tax, the removal of HST on all new homes worth up to $1.3 million, shovel-ready project zones and capital gains deferrals so we can kick-start our economy and bring wealth home for our people. In the last election, we laid out an ambitious agenda for the first 100 days to set the tone on energy, crime, competitiveness and affordability, because urgency matters. Now, more than a year later, only a tiny sliver of that vision has been implemented, and the Liberals are wondering why things have not changed. The Liberals dismissed most of those ideas, and then they copied them halfway and failed in the implementation. The ideas that would have had the biggest impact are still sitting on the sidelines. Half measures will not reverse a lost decade. Yes, Canada faces challenges with the U.S., and trade uncertainty is real, but Canada is not the only country facing those challenges. Still, the government wants to blame every failure on geography. On the one hand, the Prime Minister says Canada has the best trade deal with the U.S. of any country in the world and says he wants to help make America great again. On the other hand, he blames our proximity to the United States for our lack of growth and says there is a permanent rupture in our relationship. Which is it? The truth is that Canada has what the world wants, but the world is not yet convinced that the Liberal government will do what is necessary to unlock it. Let us think about this. Oil prices have soared, yet Canada is still in a recession. We have the best free trade agreement with the U.S., yet Canada is still in a recession. We have the critical minerals the world needs, yet Canada is still in a recession. As I sit in the House, all I hear from the Liberal benches is deflection after deflection and excuse after excuse. They need to wake up and take responsibility. This is not simply something that is happening to Canada. It is a result of slow execution and weak confidence in a government that confuses announcements with achievements. When will the Liberals realize that the cause of the recession is not Canada or Canadians but them and their failed policies? Canadians do not need more hollow speeches. We need ambition in law, in approvals, in construction, in energy, in mining, in manufacturing and in paycheques. We need a government that passes laws and delivers results because the problem is not that Canada lacks potential. The problem is that the Liberal government has not yet had the courage or the urgency to move beyond announcements, get serious about implementation and finally unleash our economy.”

“Our economy is shrinking, and we are the only G7 country in a recession. We have the worst debt and housing costs in the G7, and the second-highest unemployment. The government is ignoring these facts and will not fix the problem.”

“Mr. Speaker, the member says that we appear to be gleeful, when the only ones in the House who stand up question period after question period to say, “We have good news” are on that side of the aisle. The reality is we are talking about statistics. Our economy has shrunk in three out of the last four quarters. Canada is the only country in the G7 to be in a recession, with the worst household debt in the G7, the worst housing costs in the G7 and the second-highest unemployment in the G7. We have countless indicators to tell us a story. What is most concerning is that the member wants to deny all of this and pretend it is not happening. The Liberals are never going to fix this problem.”

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“The government fails to admit our country has a problem. Conservatives have a plan to boost our economy. We want to cut the carbon tax on businesses, remove sales tax on new homes under $1.3 million, and delay capital gains taxes. We have had this plan ready for over a year.”

“Mr. Speaker, the member is right. Part of drafting a solution is actually acknowledging the problem, which is what the Liberal government is failing to do. The Conservatives put forward practical ideas more than a year ago, and I provided a list, which I will repeat: the Canadian sovereignty act, the removal of the industrial carbon tax, the removal of the HST on all new homes worth up to $1.3 million, shovel-ready project zones and the capital gains deferral so we can kick-start our economy and bring wealth home to our people. In fact, we had provided a plan for the first 100 days to set the tone on energy, crime, competitiveness and affordability. This is the plan the Conservatives have put forward and have been advocating for.”

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“Statistics Canada says Canada is the only G7 country in a recession. Why do the Prime Minister and the Liberals refuse to admit our economy is in trouble?”

“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Newmarket—Aurora for her excellent analysis of the situation we find ourselves in here in Canada, where the Liberals, and the Prime Minister in particular, refuse to acknowledge the data provided by Stats Canada that we are in a recession and are the only country in the G7 in a recession. I am wondering if the member has any thoughts on why the Prime Minister and his Liberal colleagues refuse to admit the seriousness of our financial situation here in Canada.”

“The Prime Minister gives big speeches, but he ignores how hard life is for Canadians. The economic numbers show that people in our ridings are struggling.”

“Mr. Speaker, it is inconvenient for the Prime Minister to acknowledge the reality and it goes completely against what he campaigned for and what he says every single day. He talks about moving at speeds not seen in generations. He delivers grand speeches, but the reality is these indicators we are looking at in terms of the economy are confirming the stories we have heard from the people in our ridings, the people who are struggling. They already knew these indicators were about to be released because they have been living them. They know the truth, but the Prime Minister is so disconnected that he cannot even acknowledge the reality that Canadians are living.”

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“Canada is heading into a recession because of this government's policies. I want the member to admit that instead of blaming others, and tell us what the government will change to fix the economy.”

“Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the member on the other side. He gave a speech about what the opposition is doing right now. I am a little dismayed, because I think he needs to speak to what the motion is, which is about the recession that Canada is very clearly heading into now. There are a number of data points we have to give here, but the member has to identify, and probably has to own, quite frankly, some of the policies the government has pushed the country to that have led us to the economic point we are at right now. Would the member please address that as opposed to blaming others, either south of the border or on this side of the House, saying that we are the ones misspeaking on this? The data speaks for itself. The country is in economic decline. Can he tell us what he thinks he should change on the other side of the House in order to arrest that trend?”

“Feeding hungry kids at school is important, but the government's food program only gives $2.70 a day per child. Instead of this program, the government should fix the economy so parents have the money to feed their own kids.”

“Mr. Speaker, I have a question about the school food program. We have school food programs in Saskatchewan for kids who come to school hungry. I think it is really important. However, the government committed $216.6 million annually to the food program and is making it permanent. An additional 400,000 children will benefit from this commitment every year. There are 5.5 million students in school right now and 3.5 million are in elementary. With the money the government is giving, it works out to $2.70 per day per child. How is that caring for children? Why does the government not give the money back to the parents through a proper economy and let them feed their own kids?”

“Canada is in a recession because of Liberal policies. High taxes, red tape, and government debt have driven away investment, cost people their jobs, and made food and housing unaffordable. The government must cut spending, lower taxes, and remove the rules that stop major projects from being built.”

“Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Calgary Centre. I rise today because Canadians deserve a government that lives in the real economy, not in Liberal talking points. The facts are now impossible to deny: Canada has entered a recession. Canada’s economy has contracted in two consecutive quarters. It has shrunk in three of the last four quarters. Business investment has fallen for a fifth straight quarter, and household savings have fallen to their lowest level in years. Business and capital investment has also fallen by 0.7%. However, on Friday, a Liberal stood in the House and said, not once but twice, “let us be clear: Canada is not in a recession.” That is not economic leadership. That is economic denial. Canadians do not need another lecture from the Liberals about projections, models, forecasts or fine words. They need reality. They see reality every time they open their credit card bills. They see it every time they go to the grocery store. They see it every time they check their savings accounts, and they see it every time their paycheques run out. The Liberal Prime Minister likes to remind Canadians that he is an economist. He likes to quote projections. He likes to hold signing ceremonies. He likes the language of global summits, high finance, transition plans, industrial strategies and bureaucratic frameworks, but Canadians live in reality, and the reality is this: The Liberal Prime Minister is the only one in the G7 who has taken his economy into recession. Every other G7 country is facing tariffs. Every other G7 country is facing global uncertainty. Every other G7 country is operating in the same world economy, but only Canada, under the Liberal Prime Minister, is in recession. That means this is not simply a global recession due to global factors. It is not simply a tariff recession. It is not simply an outside shock. This is a homegrown made-by-Liberals recession. Let us start with a simple economics lesson. Growth comes from work, investment, productivity, innovation and capital formation. A country becomes richer when workers become more productive, when businesses invest in machinery and technology, when entrepreneurs take risks, when capital stays in or is attracted to the country, and when government policy rewards production and innovation instead of punishing it. Over the last 11 years, the Liberals have done the opposite. They increased the industrial carbon tax. They layered on antidevelopment laws. They buried our resource sector in red tape. They chased away investment, domestically and abroad. They created new Liberal bureaucracies staffed by Liberal insiders, new Liberal slush funds that benefited Liberal friends, new bloated programs and new political photo ops. They even doubled Justin Trudeau’s deficit and told Canadians it was all an investment. In capital markets, there is a simple rule: Capital goes where it is welcome and stays where it is rewarded. Under these Liberals, capital is not being rewarded in Canada. It is being regulated, taxed, delayed, blocked and politicized. That is why business investment is falling. That is why major projects cannot get built. That is why Canadian productivity is weak. That is why dollars that should be building Canadian mines, energy projects, factories, homes, ports, pipelines and technology are leaving the country. Since the Liberal Prime Minister took office, $109.3 billion in investment has left Canada, while only $88.4 billion has returned. That is a net loss of $20 billion. That is not a rounding error. That is lost opportunity, lost jobs, lost paycheques, lost productivity and lost national leverage. Canadian households now carry the highest debt in the G7, the least affordable housing in the G7, the highest food inflation in the G7, the lowest investment per worker in the G7, the second-lowest productivity in the G7 and the second-highest unemployment in the G7, and now Canadians are paying the price for this Liberal failure. Canada has lost 112,300 jobs in just three months. There are 45,800 more Canadians who are jobless now than when the Liberal Prime Minister took office a year ago. There are now three unemployed Canadians for every job vacancy. The promise of a better future is being replaced by the fear of falling behind. That is what happens when governments forget the basic lessons of economics. When we tax production and innovation, we get less production and innovation. When we punish investment and capital, we get less investment and capital. When we make it harder to build, fewer things get built. When government consumes more of the economy, families and businesses are left with a smaller part of the pie. That is not complicated; it is basic economics, but after 11 years of Liberal economic policies, Canada has become a case study in how a rich country can make itself poor. The Liberals inherited one of the world’s most resource-rich, highly educated and stable democratic economies. They inherited a country rich with energy, minerals, farmland, ports, universities, entrepreneurs and workers who want nothing more than to build a good life. They spent 11 years vandalizing this country by making it harder to work, harder to build, harder to invest, harder to hire, harder to buy a home and harder to feed a family, and now the consequences of this Liberal economic vandalism are being felt everywhere. Food Banks Canada’s 2026 poverty report card found that one in four Canadians is experiencing food insecurity and that food bank usage has more than doubled since 2019; one in 10 of greater Toronto area residents now relies on food banks. In 2025, food banks in the GTA saw a record 4.1 million visits, which is up 340% since 2019. Food bank visits have doubled since 2020. One person in five now visiting a food banks is employed, so a job is no longer enough to guarantee stability. That is an indictment of the Liberal government’s economic vandalism. That is what this homegrown made-by-Liberals recession looks like. It looks like empty fridges, empty grocery baskets and empty bank accounts. It looks like parents skipping meals so children can eat. It looks like workers doing everything right, but still falling behind. The Liberal Prime Minister and his state-sponsored Liberal media machine may call it technical, but there is nothing technical about a quarter of Canadians being unable to adequately feed themselves. There is nothing technical about a young family paying double the rent they would have paid a decade ago. In 2015, rent for a one-bedroom unit in major Canadian cities was about $970 a month. Today, it is about $1,850. That is not a technicality. That is a generation locked out of independence. There is nothing technical about housing costs. In November 2015, the typical housing cost in Canada was $435,000. Today, it costs $659,000, so it is up 51%. In 2015, it took 39% of median pre-tax household income to own a home. Today, it takes 52.4%, and that does not even account for housing units having smaller square footage today than they did in the past. Every leading economic indicator is flashing. That is not prosperity. That is a decline managed by Liberal press releases. In public finance, Liberal deficits matter because they have consequences. A deficit is tomorrow’s tax bill with interest. It is a claim on future wages due to higher inflation. It is a transfer from young Canadians, working families and seniors to fund today’s Liberal ideological vanity projects. The Liberal Prime Minister is expected to increase our federal debt to nearly $1.63 trillion by 2031. That is $1 trillion more than when the Liberals took power. Canadians are expected to pay $58.3 billion per year just to service the interest on that debt, which is more than what the Liberals collect on the GST and what the federal government pays provinces for health care. While Canadians were tightening their belts, the Liberal government was loosening its own. While families were cutting back, the Liberals were spending more. While small businesses were watching every dollar, the Liberals were expanding government and bureaucracy. The Liberals wonder why inflation became embedded, why affordability collapsed and why household balance sheets are breaking. Canada now has the highest household debt-to-disposable income ratio in the G7. That is according to Statistics Canada. That means Canadian families are more exposed, more leveraged and more vulnerable when interest rates rise, when household costs increase or when their jobs disappear. Equifax has reported severe stress in household credit. More than 1.5 million Canadians missed a credit payment in the fourth quarter of 2025. Mortgage delinquencies are up 32%. Consumer insolvencies are up 19%. The financial stability is gone for too many households. This is where economics and finance meet real life. When Liberal governments run inflation deficits, it pushes costs into the economy. When inflation rises, interest rates rise. When interest rates rise, households get squeezed. When households get squeezed, consumer spending slows. When consumer spending slows, businesses need to pull back net new investment. When businesses pull back, jobs disappear and productivity tanks. That is how a homegrown Liberal recession is made. It is the chain reaction of disastrous Liberal policies. The Liberals taxed energy and made everything that is moved by truck, train, ship and tractor more expensive. They blocked development and weakened the investment case for Canada. They ran deficits that fed inflation. They created uncertainty with endless rules, reviews, delays and political favouritism. They expanded bureaucracy instead of productivity. Then when the bill came due, the Liberals blamed global factors, but the world did not pass Liberal antidevelopment laws in Canada. The world did not impose Liberal carbon taxes on Canadians. The world did not double Justin Trudeau’s Liberal deficit. The world did not create Liberal slush funds for connected Liberal insiders. The world did not chase away Canadian investment. The world did not tell the Liberal government to put politics ahead of everyday Canadians. The Liberals here in Canada did all of that. Liberal excuses do not create growth. Liberal speeches do not create growth. Liberal signing ceremonies do not create growth. Liberal Party slogans do not create growth. Growth comes from workers, builders, farmers, miners, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, innovators and families that are allowed to keep more of what they earn and build more of what this country needs. That is why Conservatives are calling on the Liberal Prime Minister to reverse the policies that created this homegrown made-by-Liberals recession. That means ending inflationary spending and Liberal credit card deficits, repealing Liberal antidevelopment laws, scrapping uncompetitive Liberal red tape and stopping the creation of new Liberal bureaucracies and slush funds for Liberal insiders. We need to get projects built, bring investment home, reward work, restore productivity and put money back in the pockets of Canadians. Canada does not need managed decline. Canada does not need another Liberal lecture. Canada does not need another glossy strategy document written by Liberal consultants and announced at a podium. Canada needs a government that understands the economy is not built in Ottawa boardrooms. It is built by Canadians who get up every morning, go to work, take risks, pay taxes, raise families and keep this country moving. They have done their part. Now it is time for the government to let Canadians build again, let Canadians work again, let Canadians invest again and let Canadians hope again. That is how we reverse this Liberal recession.”

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  “Canada has the worst food inflation in the G7.”

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“The Liberals are cherry-picking numbers about investment. More money is leaving Canada than is coming in, with 20 billion dollars lost recently and about one trillion dollars lost since the Liberals took power.”

“Mr. Speaker, this is another example of a Liberal Party mouthpiece laundering their disinformation here in Canada. The Liberals like to accuse Conservatives of cherry-picking information, but that is exactly what they are doing. They are cherry-picking statistics here. The truth is that $109 billion of investment has left Canada, while only $88 billion was attracted. That is a net loss of $20 billion. The Liberals can brag about foreign direct investment, but more money is leaving Canada at a faster pace. About a trillion dollars has been lost since the Liberals took power. Those are the facts. Liberals need to live in reality. Canadians do not live in Liberal speeches.”

“More than two million people use food banks each month in Canada, including record numbers in Richmond Hill. Canada has the worst food affordability among the G7 countries. What is the member hearing from our community about this?”

“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want to talk about these fancy big things. It is a complete disconnect from the reality we see. Food banks have 2.2 million people visiting them every month. In Richmond Hill, a municipality that the hon. member and I have the huge honour of sharing the responsibility of representing in this House, the Richmond Hill Community Food Bank has record numbers of visitors. I wonder if the member can tell us what he is hearing in the community about the fact that Canada is not number one, not number two and not number three, but in fact the very last of all G7 countries in terms of food affordability.”

“Food banks are running out of food, and Canadians are struggling with debt, expensive housing, and job losses. I blame the Liberal government for this after 11 years in power.”

“Mr. Speaker, the member and I have both visited the Richmond Hill Community Food Bank, and have seen the conditions that everyday Canadians in Richmond Hill are facing. The facts prove what we are seeing on the ground. Canadian households now carry the highest debt in the G7. We have the least affordable housing in the G7, the highest food inflation in the G7, the lowest investment per worker in the G7, the second-lowest productivity in the G7 and the second-highest unemployment in the G7. It really pains me to see that we live in a G7 country with food banks that are busting through the seams with people lining up, and the food banks are running out of food. That is the Canada that this Liberal government has delivered after 11 years.”

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“The government should stop spending so much and remove taxes on fuel and packaging to make food cheaper. We put forward a plan to end these taxes, but the Liberals voted against it.”

“Mr. Speaker, one way we could bring immediate relief on food price inflation is by stopping the crazy Liberal inflationary spending and by scrapping the food taxes like the industrial carbon tax, the package tax and the fuel standards tax that the Liberals keep piling on Canadians, day in and day out. Conservatives proposed a motion to scrap those taxes. The Liberals called them imaginary and voted down our motion. It is shameful. The Liberals are not living in reality. They are living in press releases. Canadians are watching their credit card bills, their bank statements and their mortgage statements. That is the reality that Canadians are living in.”

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“Our economy is heading into a recession because of government spending and bad policies. Unemployment and debt are high, while investment and production are falling. The government needs to stop running big deficits, cut regulations, and support our energy industry so businesses will invest here again.”

“Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise to speak about an economic matter in the House of Commons today again. Before I actually get into my speech, I want to talk about the broader terms we are talking about here. We are talking about what a recession is. Of course, there is a technical definition of a recession, but the real indication is usually in the rearview mirror. It is an indication that there has been a significant decline in economic activity that has spread across the economy and has lasted more than a few months. A wide range of data go into that, including GDP decline, which we have had and jobs decline, which we have. We are now at a 6.9% rate of unemployment. Other indications include incomes going down, which is clearly the case in Canada; production going down, so manufacturing and all these other industries that are actually declining in Canada at this point in time; and an inverted yield curve, which we had in 2023 and is usually an indicator that down the road we will enter a recession. All of these indicators are here right now, so we are looking at where we are going to be. There is falling consumer confidence. Once people are losing their jobs and are out of work, we are going to see them participating less in the economy. That makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy because they pull in their spending. They decide to forgo the expenses that would lead us to where we need to go as an economy. Rising bankruptcies are an indicator. Let us look at the debts that Canadians have right now. There is a significant amount of debt. We are the most indebted country in the G7. There are a whole bunch of statistics here. I know they are just statistics when we talk about numbers. They are not just statistics to real people who are losing their houses and are having to refinance their mortgage at higher rates. These are pain points that people are feeling across Canada and that we have to make sure that we are looking at rather effectively. Let us think about our unemployment rate now. It was 6.9% this last month. When we had what is called a technical recession in the rearview mirror in 2015, the unemployment rate was 7%. That is 7% versus 6.9%. We are not far off from an unemployment indicator that would be severe for this country. To get down to the real pain points here, we have half a million former students in Canada who are still unemployed and who do not have the jobs that they trained for in their educational institutions. These are real lives. They are real contributions that people are trying to make to our economy that are not being fulfilled right now. We need to move in that direction. Payrolls are down, but let us think about where they have gone. Since 2023, we have 300,000 more public sector employees and what we call MUSH employees, municipalities, universities, schools and hospitals, and there is less private sector employment. That is a problem in an economy running a huge deficit, and we note that the current government is not shy about running higher deficits. That is what is contributing to inflation and what is going to contribute to the fact that we are going to have economic pain here going forward and we need to get ahead of that as quickly as possible. GDP is going down. Labour productivity is not improving. I want to talk about this motion today in support of Canadians who are increasingly asking a very simple question: Why is it getting harder to get ahead in this country? The debate is not just about G7 rankings. It is great to make sure we compare ourselves to other economies, but it is about whether Canadians feel progress in their daily lives. In my riding of Calgary Centre and across the country, people are working hard, doing everything right and still finding themselves falling behind. That should concern every member of this House. The motion before us reflects a troubling pattern. Canada is underperforming relative to its peers. Growth is weak. Household debt is high. The unemployment rate is rising faster than in comparable economies. This did not happen overnight and it did not happen by accident. Choices have been made all the way along that have caused us to be exactly where we are right now. For years, there were warning signs. Economists raised concerns about persistent deficits during periods of economic growth. My Conservative colleagues and I on this side of the House spoke about it repeatedly here. The Liberal government was told that continued spending without corresponding productivity gains would eventually create inflationary pressure. Those warnings were dismissed. We saw early signs of declining business investments, particularly in key sectors like energy. We saw capital beginning to leave the country. Those signals were ignored by the Liberal government. We told the Liberal government that global demand for Canadian energy would remain strong, and it has, but instead of positioning Canada to meet that demand, the Liberals layered on uncertainty and delay through job-killing policies, like Bill C-69 and Bill C-48, that told investors loud and clear to take their capital somewhere else, and that is exactly what they did, leaving Canadian workers and communities behind. Again, the warning signs were there, even on productivity. Long before today, experts pointed out that Canada was falling behind our peers: less investment per worker, slower output growth and weak gains in competitiveness. None of this is new. The real concern is that these warning signs were not only ignored then; in many cases, they continue to be ignored now, because instead of correcting course by repealing Bill C-48 and urgently amending the Impact Assessment Act to provide certainty, the government has doubled down on the very approach that caused the problem: more regulation, more delay and more confusion for those looking to invest in Canada. The signs have been clear for years. Economists warned us that persistent deficits would lead to inflation. Investors pointed out that regulatory uncertainty was driving them to look elsewhere. Workers saw opportunities dwindling in key sectors. However, the Liberal government did not take these warnings seriously. Today, Canadians are paying the price. It is time to acknowledge these mistakes and change course to restore the conditions necessary for Canadians to succeed. The consequences of these choices are now showing up in the daily lives of Canadians. Household debt has reached historic highs, not because Canadians are reckless, but because many have had to rely on credit to maintain their standard of living. At the same time, inflation drove up interest rates, and now families are facing the combined pressure of higher borrowing costs and higher everyday expenses. I hear it constantly. People who felt financially stable just a few years ago are now reassessing everything, from major investments to everyday spending. This is not abstract. This is real, and it is widespread. Nowhere is the gap between potential and performance more obvious than in Canada’s energy sector. We are one of the most resource-rich countries in the world. We have the expertise, the workforce and the environmental standards to be a global leader, and yet, at a time when the world was actively seeking secure, democratic sources of energy, Canada failed to step forward. That was a moment of opportunity, and we missed it. In Calgary, the consequences are clear. Investment decisions are delayed, projects face prolonged uncertainty and the new memorandum of understanding does very little to solve that problem. Capital looks for more predictable environments. This is not because the resources are not in Canada. It is not because the talent is not in Canada. It is because the policy framework has not kept pace with reality. The world continues to need energy, and Canada should be part of that solution, responsibly, sustainably and competitively. This leads to a broader issue: productivity and investment. Canada is falling behind. We are attracting less capital per worker than our closest peers. We are seeing weaker productivity growth, and over time, that erodes living standards. When investment slows, everything slows: job creation, wage growth and economic mobility. Investors are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for clarity, clear rules, predictable timelines and confidence that Canada is a place where long-term investment is welcome. Today’s motion calls for a plan, and rightly so. A credible plan must start with recognizing how we got here. Then it must focus on restoring the fiscal discipline to reduce inflationary pressures and rebuild economic confidence; re-establishing Canada as a destination for investment through clear, stable and competitive policies; and embracing a realistic approach to energy, one that supports both economic growth and environmental progress without undermining either, because growth is not accidental. It is the real result of consistent, coherent choices over time. Canada has everything it needs to succeed, the resources, the talent, the entrepreneurial spirit, but potential is not enough. Without the right policies, opportunity is lost.”

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  “Ordinary Canadians are paying the price.”

  Said 8 times by 8 members since May 7.

  Every time it was said →

“The government's new plans are not clear enough to attract business investment. It costs companies more time and money to deal with our rules than to actually build infrastructure. We need to fix this process so we can get things built.”

“Mr. Speaker, there is a memorandum of understanding that some provincial governments say is a change in direction in the Liberal government but a change in direction on paper only. When we actually analyze that paper, as many of us have, we see that those changes in direction are not clear enough to actually indicate that people want to invest here. Ask the private sector entities that are impacted by those announcements and those words on paper that the government has put forward. It is still not committing capital. The reason it is not is that there is no clarity about the outcome for the process they have to go through. Getting infrastructure built in Canada requires an onerous process in which the companies involved, large companies, have to spend more time, resources and money going through the process than they actually have to spend putting the infrastructure in place. That has to change. The process cannot be the only thing that matters. We have to get things built in this country again.”

“Canada had the best economy in the G7 eleven years ago. Now, under the Liberals, we are in a recession and business investment is the lowest among wealthy countries. How would Conservatives fix our economy and make better use of our natural resources and workers?”

“Mr. Speaker, that was an excellent speech. Eleven years ago, Canada had the best-performing economy in the G7 and the OECD. After 11 years of the Liberals and their disastrous policies, we are the only G7 country in recession, and we have the lowest private sector investment of any economy in the OECD. What would Conservatives do to close the gap the member talked about, in terms of the immense resource wealth we have, and the smart people, yet poor results?”

• Echo ×8

  A repeated line

  “We are the only G7 country in a recession.”

  Said 8 times by 8 members since May 29.

  Every time it was said →

“We would make the rules clear and speed up the approval process. Investors need to know how long projects will take so they can build things in Canada again.”

“Mr. Speaker, that actually was an excellent question, because people ask me all the time, “What would you do differently?” I think we need to be very clear. We would make sure that those rules are very clear, unlike the muddled rules we keep coming up with where we are talking out of one side of our mouth to this group of people and the other side of our mouth to another group of people. There will be clarity about how we get through process quickly and sustainably in Canada. That is something every investor is looking for. What is the process? How long will it take? When can they start building and get a return on their investment? That has to be clear to all investors, all proponents, in getting things done in Canada once again.”

• Vague
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  Clarity 39 of 100

  Much of this statement used imprecise wording, lacked details on timing or responsibility, or made broad claims without support.

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“Alberta already has a strong social support system for housing, health, and other needs. The federal government should not add programs on top of provincial ones. We should let provinces handle their own jobs.”

“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from my colleague. I know that Alberta, frankly, has a very robust social welfare system, the envy of many provinces across the country. Whether those funds come from the federal government or the provincial government, they are stacked and actually represent a level of sustenance across the economy that people in need actually require. That includes money for housing, for health and for all the things we look at in a social system, where people need to have a basic life and make sure they are taken care of. That is part of governing in this country: making sure we look after the people who do not have the ability to quite look after themselves and that we are there for them in that respect. Layering on a federal program on top of provincial programs is no way to approach federalism in Canada. That is something we want to make sure of: that we give the province the ability to solve this at its level when it has that jurisdiction to take care of.”

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“The member for North Vancouver—Capilano is leaving Parliament to take a job representing Canada abroad. We disagreed on many policies, but we always treated each other with respect. I wish him well in his new role.”

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note the departure of the hon. member for North Vancouver—Capilano, who will be leaving this place to serve Canada abroad in a new capacity. The member and I have spent a good deal of time on opposite sides of some very important debates, such as on net-zero legislation, the 2 billion trees initiative and broader Conservative concerns about the government’s environmental approach. Those disagreements were real. I stand by them, just as I am sure the hon. member does. While most of those exchanges were during his time as the minister of the environment and minister of natural resources, I also want to thank him for his service as the minister of fisheries. I know he cared very much in that role about salmon policy, and it is always welcome, as I have said many times, to have another British Columbian voice in Ottawa, particularly one in a position of authority. In fact, when it comes to the debates we had, I suspect we may both continue to believe we were on the right side of those debates. Perhaps the only fair way we can resolve that is to compare notes in the years ahead, say, in 2030, and maybe again in 2050, when the results of those policies are clear. What is worth noting is that even through those disagreements, we never lost the ability to have a conversation. Whether it was in the House, at committee, at the parliamentary gym or even when we found ourselves seated next to each other on a long flight, there was always professionalism and mutual respect. As a fellow British Columbian, I can attest to the travel demands that come with representing a riding on the west coast. It is not always an easy schedule. I recall mentioning to the member at the gym that perhaps in his new role, he might finally find himself ahead of events happening in Ottawa rather than living life feeling three hours behind. I recall one moment during COVID at committee when I yielded my time, and of course, members would know that the opposition never has tricks for ministers when they show up at committee. When I yielded my time to the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands to question the minister on his net-zero bill, in that instant, a minister’s staffer sprung, or I should say flung, into action, diving onto the desk, pulling one book out and somehow switching it with a completely different book. It was a small moment, but it allowed the minister to switch the answers fitting the perspective of a Conservative to that of a Green member of Parliament. It may have been a small moment, but it reflected not only the preparation but also the strength of the people we count on. Moments like this remind us that none of us do this work alone. We often rely on dedicated staff who work behind the scenes, often under pressure, to help us perform our duties as elected officials as ably as possible. They may not often be recognized, but they should be, and we should thank them not just today but, I believe, every day. There comes a time when many who serve here look for new ways to continue contributing. Canadians have been well served by former parliamentarians at the federal and provincial levels who have stepped into roles abroad. It was Prime Minister Harper who began appointing experienced political leaders such as Gary Doer, followed by Gordon Campbell. Prime Minister Trudeau continued this practice, with Stéphane Dion and John Horgan of British Columbia. These individuals said yes to continuing to serve and to putting their years of insight and experience to work for Canada in a new way. I suspect having a prime minister make that personal call helps in one’s decision-making. I would just point out before I finish that there are many experienced parliamentarians who have since left active political life whose insight and perspective could likewise be drawn upon. On that basis, I wish the hon. member for North Vancouver—Capilano well. While I have said we have disagreed, I respect his willingness to serve and have no doubt he will continue to do so in his next role.”

“Canada is in a recession. The government says its economic plan is working, but it is not. Liberals claim our economy is growing and getting foreign investment, but more money is leaving Canada than coming in.”

“Mr. Speaker, it is always a great honour and privilege to rise in the House and speak on behalf of the citizens of Calgary Signal Hill. First, I want to recognize the hon. member and the comments he made in the House. While I did not know the hon. member on a personal level, the degree of emotion and genuine goodwill expressed today is a testimony to the depth of commitment, sacrifice and hard work undertaken by members of the House, and it should hearten all Canadians. We have all been struck by the hard news that Canada is in a recession. Given the Prime Minister’s background in economics, I suspect more than a few Canadians were surprised and dismayed at this news. Earlier today, the government House leader told us here in the House that the government has a plan that is working, but the member for Nepean has been Prime Minister for over a year, and Canada is in a recession. It is clear to me and to Canadians that whatever the plan is, it is not working. Now the Liberals seem to be leaning heavily on what they seem to think are a couple of bright economic statistics. As a Canadian, I would like to say that, thank goodness, there is at least a tiny bit of hope, but then again, let us have a closer look. A collection of Liberal MPs, from cabinet ministers to further back in the ranks, have stated that Canada has “the second-fastest growing economy in the G7”. Quite frankly, I have no idea how the Liberals put that statement together with the fact that Canada is in a recession. Recession means economic contraction and shrinkage, not growth. The second suggestion has been that Canada has foreign direct investment at twice the rate of our nearest G7 peer. That is an awfully strange statement from the Liberals, given that the report just last week by the Royal Bank of Canada stated that more than $1 trillion in investment left Canada between 2015 and 2024. That is two dollars leaving for every dollar that came in. In fact, just late last week, Stats Canada announced that, in the first quarter of 2026, more investment left Canada than came in.”