The Economy

Question period focused on the state of the Canadian economy, with Conservative members repeatedly asking whether the Prime Minister would acknowledge that Canada is in a recession, pointing to two straight quarters of economic shrinkage, weak productivity, rising borrowing, and forecasts from the Parliamentary Budget Officer and banks. Liberal ministers replied that the economy faces headwinds from U.S. tariffs but pointed to job growth, wages rising faster than inflation, falling rents, and government investments in housing, harbours, community infrastructure, trades training, and supports for affordability, and invited the opposition to support those measures. No new motions were introduced; the exchange stayed on these competing descriptions of the economy.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

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7 statements

Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries

Liberal
“Newfoundland and Labrador is growing. More people have jobs, and the government is spending money on harbours, fisheries, housing, roads, and community centres. The member across the way should support this.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my opposition colleague from Newfoundland and Labrador that employment numbers are up in our province. I also want to remind her once again of the almost $1 billion for small craft harbours, growing our rural, coastal and indigenous communities that support our fisheries, an essential part of rural Newfoundland and Labrador. There are also supports around housing, road construction, infrastructure, community centres, and on and on this goes. We are actually in a time of growth. I hope the member gets on board.

Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries

Liberal
“Our job training programs help young people get good jobs in construction. This improves the economy and increases employment. The opposition should work with us instead of using negative slogans.”
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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I will once again remind the member opposite that when we get people to work, when we invest in our young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians and Canadians with programs like the apprenticeship program, which walks with them throughout the journey to a Red Seal designation, and when we have construction jobs, it enhances our economy and it raises our employment numbers, which we are now seeing. This is what it takes to build Canada strong. Empty slogans and negative responses are not helpful. I invite the member to work alongside us.

Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

Liberal
“Rent has gone down across Canada for 20 months in a row. Our government is spending money on affordable housing, food programs, and money back for groceries and children. We vote to make life cheaper, but the opposition votes against it.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we are seeing rents come down across Canada right now. We are seeing 20 straight months of rents declining, which is a positive trend. We are investing in the affordable housing that Canada needs to make sure that Canadians can afford housing. We are investing in discounts and rebates with the groceries and essentials benefit, benefits for children and food programs, across the board. This side of the House votes for affordability. That side of the House votes against it.

Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

Liberal
“We are spending 51 billion dollars on community centres, transit, and housing needs. This will make life more affordable and train 100,000 new trades workers. The opposition does not support this.”
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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we are making unprecedented investments in Canada’s community infrastructure: $51 billion in the build communities strong fund, which is going into our communities for community centres, for housing-enabling infrastructure and for public transit. These are unprecedented investments to make Canada more affordable and to get jobs on the ground across Canada for our young people, with 100,000 new tradespeople who will be trained, supported by this House again. The other side of the House does not support any of this action. They are just negative. They should get with the program.

Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

Liberal
“Our economy faces challenges, including high U.S. tariffs. But our government is creating jobs, and people in British Columbia want us to keep going.”
  • Government answer in Question Period

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, British Columbians are talking to me about the fact that they see we are facing headwinds for our economy right now. They see the U.S. charging tariffs that have not been seen since the Great Depression. They see the work that we are doing to invest in labour and to invest in good jobs for individuals, and they see the employment numbers coming up. British Columbians are optimistic, and they want us to continue the work we are doing.

Jill McKnight, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence

Liberal
“The U.S. is raising tariffs to levels not seen since the Great Depression. Canadians want us to find new trade partners and spend money on big projects and workers. I want the other parties to support these investments with us.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as I said, British Columbians see that we are facing headwinds caused by geopolitical events and tariffs. The U.S. has fundamentally changed its approach to trade, raising tariffs to levels that have not been seen since the Great Depression. Canadians want to see the steps that we are taking to address this. They want to see the diversification of trade. They want to see us invest in major projects, and they want to see us invest in Canadian workers. Why can our colleagues not join with us to make these investments?

Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario

Liberal
“The opposition should help us build the economy instead of attacking it. In May, 88,000 new jobs were created. Wages have grown faster than inflation every month since we took office, and rents are down 9%. The Conservatives also oppose the money we put into local companies in Windsor.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, instead of gleefully running down the economy, which the opposition does every day, those members should help us build it up. They do not like to point out that 88,000 new jobs were created, as said in the May report. They do not like to point out that wages have grown faster than inflation every month since we took office. They do not like to point out that rents are down 9%. In Windsor, when we invest in Central Stampings and when we invest in Unique Tool & Gauge, which we have done, the Conservatives oppose investing in their own communities. They should get with the program and build this country up together.

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