Translate Politics Parliament in plain language.

The Economy

During Question Period on the economy, the Conservative leader asked why, despite the Prime Minister’s statement that affordability is the best it has been in a decade, constituents are struggling: a woman cutting back cancer treatments to work, a family stretched by an $879,000 mortgage, and a rising number of children using food banks. He argued government spending funds bureaucracy rather than helping people and asked the Prime Minister to explain affordability to these individuals directly. Liberal members replied by pointing to programs such as dental care, child care, and the national school food program, which they said reaches most public schools and has served millions of meals, and noted the Conservative leader has voted against these measures. A Liberal member also criticized the Conservative leader’s record in Parliament while citing GDP growth and investment figures.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

9 statements

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“The Prime Minister says life is more affordable now than it has been in ten years. But a woman with cancer told me she must stop her treatments and work because she cannot afford rent and food. Will the Prime Minister tell her that life is affordable?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told the House on March 25 of this year that “Affordability is the best it has been in over a decade.” Markita might disagree. She wrote me a letter recently saying that she is on chemotherapy, but she is going to have to stop her cancer treatments so that she can go back to work because she cannot afford to pay her bills. She cannot afford her rent and her groceries. Will the Prime Minister look into the camera now and tell Markita that affordability is the best it has been for her in over a decade?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A+ View analysis

Patty Hajdu

Liberal
“We are helping Canadians with dental care, child care, and food for kids. The Conservative leader votes against all of these programs.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 22 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, if Markita knew that for every single measure we have put forward for people just like her, the Leader of the Opposition has voted against them, I think she would be deeply disappointed. Every step that we take, whether it is to feed kids, support building trades, make sure that people have access to dental care or provide lower costs for child care, we have been working diligently to ensure that Canadians have what they need to make it through these times. All we get from the opposition members is them voting down those very measures that Canadians tell us they need.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“The government's spending and promises have not made life affordable for struggling Canadians. I want the Prime Minister to stand up and tell these people that life is more affordable now than it was ten years ago.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, when Conservatives hear stories of suffering Canadians, we stand up, and the Prime Minister sits down. He cannot answer to Markita, who cannot pay her bills a year and a half after he promised to make life affordable, but maybe he can answer to Robin. She measures affordability by whether she can afford the three-dollar snack that her children ask for, or whether she has to tell them that this week is rent week. All the spending and promises and programs in the world have not helped her. Will the Prime Minister stand up now, look her in the eye and tell her that affordability is the best it has been in a decade?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A View analysis

Anna Gainey

Liberal
“Our school food program saves families with two kids $900, and it reaches 80% of public schools. The Conservatives voted against it. I want them to support it.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 45 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I think this is a good opportunity to remind members of the House that those across from me voted against the national school food program, which represents a savings of $900 for families with two children in the program. We have reached 80% of public schools across Canada, in partnership with the provinces and with organizations that are there every day working with kids and working with schools to ensure kids have a healthy start in life. It would be great if they would get on board with the national school food program.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade B View analysis

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“I oppose this school food program. It pays for government bureaucracy instead of feeding kids. Since it started, twice as many children have to use food banks.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, another program that feeds bureaucracy rather than feeding kids. That is why the number of kids relying on food banks has doubled since that program came into place— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“Housing is too expensive and fewer homes are being built. I want the Prime Minister to tell struggling Canadians to their faces that life has never been more affordable.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, if the Prime Minister does not want to answer to Robin or Markita, maybe he will answer to Mike, who is working as a small businessman and a firefighter, on top of his wife’s job. They had to pay $879,000 for a home. They wrote to say they are barely keeping their heads above water as homebuilding declines and housing costs become more out of reach for Canadians. Will the Prime Minister look Mike in the eye and make his ridiculous claim that affordability has never been better in the last decade?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A+ View analysis

Adam van Koeverden

Liberal
“Our school food program has served millions of meals to over a hundred thousand kids in Ontario and Alberta. It helps children. The Leader of the Opposition is wrong to call it just bureaucracy.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 0 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Respect 78 of 100

    This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “one would think he would know that he works for Canadians”.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, let the record show that the Leader of the Opposition, the former member for Carleton, the member for Battle River—Crowfoot, just said that the more than 9.8 million meals served to over 130,000 kids in schools in Ontario is just bureaucracy. How about the 58,000 kids from Alberta who received school food? Is that just bureaucracy? He claims that he was raised by teachers, yet he does not want to accept that a school food program is helping kids. After 22 years in this place, one would think he would know that he works for Canadians. Canadian kids are included in that.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade F View analysis

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“Government policies made food too expensive, and many children have to use food banks. One woman told me she only has four dollars left before her next paycheque. I want the Prime Minister to explain how she will pay her bills.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, if only the government did not inflate food costs and deprive kids of the ability to eat, if only a record number of kids were not lined up at food banks, maybe Liberal promises and bureaucracy would mean something. I think of Jennifer. Jennifer says she has to make up recipes at the end of the month because she is living on her four final dollars to get through to her final paycheque. The Prime Minister is out of touch and Jennifer is out of money. Instead of sitting there and doing nothing, will he stand up and tell Jennifer how she is going to pay the bills?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A+ View analysis

Wayne Long

Liberal
“The Leader of the Opposition has spent decades in Parliament and achieved nothing. Meanwhile, Canada's economy is growing fast and beating the United States for investment. Our party is doing well, and the Conservatives need a new plan.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 22 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, threes are wild in the House today. The Leader of the Opposition is in his third decade in the House, but he has produced nothing: three caucus revolts and three image reboots. On this side of the House, our economy is growing at an annualized rate of 3.3%. We are three times more competitive than the United States for investment. By the way, we just added three new caucus members. We have a winning hand. It is time for them to reshuffle the deck.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade D+ View analysis

Discussion

No comments yet

See the full discussion

Comment rules

More from sitting 143

All 39 items ·
  1. Government Orders Building Canada Strong Act 111 statements
  2. Oral Questions Condolences 2 statements
  3. Oral Questions Taxation 7 statements
  4. Oral Questions The Environment 4 statements
  5. Oral Questions Public Safety 10 statements
  6. Oral Questions Indigenous Affairs 2 statements
  7. Oral Questions The Economy 18 statements
  8. Oral Questions Indigenous Affairs 2 statements
  9. Oral Questions Artificial Intelligence 2 statements
  10. Oral Questions Transportation 2 statements
  11. Oral Questions Indigenous Affairs 2 statements
  12. Oral Questions Business of the House 2 statements
  13. Oral Questions Taxation 6 statements
  14. Oral Questions The Economy 9 statements
  15. Oral Questions Intergovernmental Affairs 6 statements
  16. Government Orders Building Canada Strong Act 65 statements
  17. Oral Questions Fisheries and Oceans 2 statements
  18. Oral Questions Taxation 12 statements
  19. Private Members' Business Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act 14 statements
  20. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  21. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  22. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements