“Good news! Money from many countries will come to Canada. This means more jobs. I want to look like I'm bringing money to Canada.”
What they said. What they meant.
Plain-language translations from the House of Commons.
Recent debates
8 latest topics
Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act
57 statements
Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act
19 statements
Arab Heritage Month Act
5 statements
The Economy
15 statements
Government Priorities
2 statements
Government Priorities
2 statements
Housing
12 statements
The Environment
2 statements
Oral Questions
Small Business
During debate on small business, Conservative MPs cited statistics showing declining investment and entrepreneurship, and CFIB surveys finding most small businesses feel unsupported by the government. Liberal MPs responded by touting recent foreign investments, tax changes for businesses, and Canada's economic performance compared to other G7 countries. The real-world impact of government policies on small businesses was discussed more than usual.
“I'm saying nice things about small business because it polls well. I'm listing what we've spent. I want credit for the spending.”
“I think businesses are doing well even with problems. I think my party helped them do that. I think Europe trade is good.”
“You criticized our leadership, but where is your plan? We will make businesses invest and be more productive. We signed some trade deals and spent money on ports. Those are good numbers. That's my answer.”
“Global economy is bad, but Canada is less bad. I can count our deals with other countries. Small businesses need the government to make deals for them. They can't handle a tariff without us. Government should do more.”
“I want credit for taxpayer spending that helps some preferred businesses. Higher wages are good for everyone. My government helps business. Our program helps people buy things.”
“I ran a small business before, but you didn't, so there. Our government causes small businesses a lot of problems, but we won't stop, we'll just pivot in a new direction and spend money all over again.”