The Economy

Question period focused on the state of the Canadian economy. Conservative members repeatedly said Canada is the only G20 country in a recession, citing negative growth, rising food and energy costs, growing debt, and Parliamentary Budget Officer comments on the government’s fiscal targets, and pressed the government to acknowledge a recession and change direction. Liberal members pointed to 88,000 new jobs, low interest rates and inflation within the Bank of Canada’s range, foreign investment, and the first payments of the Canada groceries and essentials benefit as evidence their plan is helping with affordability, and said the Conservatives ignored U.S. tariffs on Canadian sectors that the government is working to remove. Several exchanges centred on whether it was appropriate to highlight grocery benefit payments, with Conservatives saying such payments signal economic trouble and Liberals defending them as concrete help.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text (opens in a new tab)

14 statements

Luc Berthold, Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière

Conservative
“Our economy is shrinking, jobs are being lost, and government debt is growing. I want the government to admit that Canada is in a recession.”
  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. Three of the last four quarters have seen negative growth. Workers are losing their jobs. Businesses are putting their investment plans on hold. Deficits are skyrocketing. At what point will Liberal ministers admit that we are in a recession? Will they do so after two quarters? Will they do so after three quarters, or after four quarters? Will the Liberal Prime Minister finally tell Canadians whether we are in a Liberal recession or a technical recession?

Luc Berthold, Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière

Conservative
“Canada is the only G20 country in a recession under this Prime Minister. Life is getting harder for Canadians and they are taking on more debt. I want businesses to be able to grow, but the Prime Minister does not see what is happening.”
  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, what we want is for all Canadian businesses to be able to prosper and grow, but under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. I have said it before and I will say it again. When the economy slows down, businesses invest less and the government needs to step in more. Who is paying the most for this? It is costing all Canadians more, as their debt load rises and they have a harder and harder time making ends meet. That is exactly what is happening in Canada today. Everyone sees what is going on, except the Liberal Prime Minister. Will he tell us whether—

Luc Berthold, Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière

Conservative
“The Liberals should not celebrate handing out money for groceries. It proves our economy is in trouble. They need to admit we are in a recession and fix it.”
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, how can anyone take such delight in people’s poverty, as we have just seen? When a government is forced to hand out money so that people can eat, something is not right. We just heard the entire Liberal Party applaud a measure to help people pay their grocery bills every month. This is unacceptable. Is this really where Canada has ended up? We applaud when the government hands out money because people cannot afford groceries? If the Liberals recognized that we are in a recession, they would do something about it.

Joël Godin, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier

Conservative
“Canada is in a recession, and the government is almost certain to miss its financial goals. I want the government to admit that our country is in a recession.”
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, a full week has already been wasted. We learned last Friday that Canada is in a recession. The Liberals insist on burying their heads in the sand. They are playing word games. The Parliamentary Budget Officer said yesterday that the Liberal government has a 1% chance of meeting its fiscal anchors. That means it has a 99% chance of failing economically. Will the Liberal government stop burying its head in the sand and admit that our country is in a recession?

Joël Godin, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier

Conservative
“Canada is in a recession, and people cannot afford groceries. The Liberals need to admit their plan is not working and fix this.”
  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate to hear what we just heard. It is rather pathetic to be rejoicing about the fact that the government has to give Canadians money so that they can afford to eat. Canada is the only G20 country that is in a recession. The Liberals have a long list of excuses. Meanwhile, seniors are being forced to cut back on groceries. Families are being forced to make big sacrifices to make ends meet. The Liberals need to admit that what they are doing is not working. They need to quickly find solutions to stop this decline. That said, they need to start by admitting that we are in recession.

Rachael Thomas, Lethbridge

Conservative
“Canada is in a recession under this Prime Minister. Child visits to a food bank in my area are up 112 percent, while the Prime Minister spent almost $200,000 on airplane food for three flights. I want him to tell us if Canada is in a real recession.”
  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. The impact is real, not theoretical. Over the past four years, in Lethbridge, one of our food banks has experienced an increase in child usage of 112%. That is children going to the food bank. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister spent nearly $200,000 on inflight catering for just three flights. To put that in perspective, that is enough to treat a family of four to monthly steak dinners at The Keg for 50 years. Will the Prime Minister finally tell us, are we in just a technical recession, or is this a real full-blown Liberal recession?

Rachael Thomas, Lethbridge

Conservative
“Families in my riding cannot afford food while the Prime Minister wastes taxpayer money on luxury travel. I want to know if he is enjoying his expensive lifestyle while Canadians suffer through a recession.”
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, what the member just said is that those children in my riding who are suffering from poverty and food insecurity should be thankful for the government because they have never had it so good. Shame on that member for claiming that. These are individuals who are finding it very difficult to make ends meet. Food insecurity is rising and Canadians are struggling. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister splurges on fine wines, braised beef, Normandy butter cups and all sorts of things, while jetting around the world. Is he enjoying his luxurious lifestyle at the expense of taxpayers during a true recession or is it just a technical recession?

Dane Lloyd, Parkland

Conservative
“Canada is in a recession. Food and energy prices are going up, and the government is failing to meet its budget goals. I want the government to change direction and fix the economy.”
  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country to fall into a recession, with an economic decline in three of the last four quarters. The Parliamentary Budget Officer is saying that the chance the Liberal government will achieve its fiscal anchor is at less than 1%. We are on the brink of a major energy crisis, with rising inflation from higher energy and higher food prices that are guaranteed. Canada is in a recession today, and it is not looking good for the rest of the year. When will the Liberal government reverse course and stop this economic slide?

Dane Lloyd, Parkland

Conservative
“The government is causing our recession, high food prices, energy costs, and massive debt. I want them to change direction.”
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, this is great news. The Liberal government is finally taking responsibility for something. If it is taking responsibility for today’s job numbers, it must also be responsible for the reason we are in a recession today. It cannot have its cake and eat it too. Canada’s economic growth is negative. Energy and food prices are rising dramatically. Canadians cannot take it anymore. The Liberals promised an economy that would move at speeds not seen in generations, but the only thing we see growing is our massive debt. When will they reverse course and stop failing Canadians?

Todd Doherty, Cariboo—Prince George

Conservative
“Canada's economy is shrinking, and we are in a recession. The government will not meet its spending goals. I want the Prime Minister to tell us if we are in a recession or a technical recession.”
  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, every Liberal campaign is on the Prime Minister being the man with the plan and an economic genius. However, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country to fall into a recession. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has now confirmed that there is less than a 1% chance the government will meet its own fiscal anchor. After an economic decline in three of the last four quarters, he cannot even tell us whether we are in a recession or a technical recession, so I will ask again: Which one is it?

Todd Doherty, Cariboo—Prince George

Conservative
“The government's policies have caused people to lose jobs, and businesses are investing in other countries instead of Canada. We are in a recession. I want the Prime Minister to admit that.”
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, as a British Columbian, the member knows that more British Columbians are out of work because of the Liberal government. The Parliamentary Budget Officer is sounding the alarm, saying businesses are postponing expansion plans and investing elsewhere. Under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country to fall into a recession and Canadians are paying the price. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it probably is a duck. I will give the Prime Minister one more chance. If he is the economic genius he says he is, will he stand and tell us whether we are in a technical recession or a recession?

Michael Cooper, St. Albert—Sturgeon River

Conservative
“Canada is in a recession. Our economy is shrinking while other major countries are growing. I want the Liberals to admit the Prime Minister has made the economy weaker.”
  • A repeated line

    “The Prime Minister promised the fastest-growing economy in the G7.”

    Said 10 times by 7 members since April 27.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, despite today’s headline numbers, Canada is in a recession. The Prime Minister promised the strongest economy in the G7. Instead, he has delivered the only shrinking economy not only in the G7, but also across the entire G20. That is three out of four quarters of negative growth. Will the Liberals simply acknowledge that Canada’s economy is weaker after one year of the Prime Minister?

Michael Cooper, St. Albert—Sturgeon River

Conservative
“Jobs, business investment, and the economy are all down this year. Workers are making less money. The Prime Minister is wrong to call our economy strong.”
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, here are the facts: There were 25,000 net jobs lost this year, and productivity, business capital investment and GDP are down. Today’s numbers show that wage growth is down, with Canadian workers taking home less. If this is the Prime Minister’s idea of a strong economy, what would a weak economy look like?

Eric Melillo, Kenora—Kiiwetinoong

Conservative
“Canada has high unemployment, high debt, expensive housing, and is in a recession. People cannot afford food, gas, or bills. I want the Prime Minister to admit his government caused this.”
  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country that is in a recession. We also have the second-highest unemployment in the G7, the worst household debt and the worst housing costs. The Liberals will say that this is just a technical recession, but there is nothing technical about Canadians who are struggling to feed their families, fill their gas tanks or make their bill payments. Will the Prime Minister tell us finally whether this is a Liberal recession or just a technical recession? Which is it?

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