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During question period, the Conservatives asked repeatedly about a new $2-billion heat pump subsidy program, arguing it creates a conflict of interest because the Prime Minister holds investments connected to companies in the heat pump business, including through Brookfield, and they called for an independent ethics screen and for government members to speak up. Liberal ministers replied that the program helps homeowners with $2,000 to $10,000 toward a heat pump, saving about $1,400 a year on heating, and questioned why the opposition opposes affordability help, citing other measures like grocery and child care programs. The exchange stayed largely on the conflict-of-interest allegations versus the program’s benefits.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

10 statements

Gabriel Hardy

Conservative
“Too many government deals connect to the company Brookfield. Canadians are struggling to afford food while the government spends money on things like heat pumps. I want the government to explain why all these deals link to Brookfield.”

  • A repeated line

    “Canadians are struggling to put food on the table.”

    Said 14 times by 12 members since April 27.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, there is the nuclear deal with Westinghouse, the hydroelectric deal with Evolugen, pension funds with the Maple Fund, real estate deals for data centres, the European Space Agency campus, and now there is Enercare and its heat pumps. Yes, Canada is now in the heat pump business. Come on. People are struggling to put food on the table, but there is no need to worry, because the Liberal government is going to help pay for their heat pump. What do all of these deals have in common? It is Brookfield. The Prime Minister is not even trying to hide his conflicts of interest anymore. Can the Liberals explain why every government announcement can be linked, directly or indirectly, to Brookfield?

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Julie Dabrusin

Liberal
“Our program helps people install heat pumps to make heating their homes cheaper. It will save Canadians an average of $1,400 a year, especially in Quebec. I do not understand why the Conservatives oppose this help.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 46 of 100

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

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, I was in Sherbrooke to make the announcement, and I have to wonder why the Conservatives are so opposed to helping Canadians and Quebeckers install heat pumps, which would make heating their homes more affordable. On average, Canadians will see a reduction of $1,400 per year in the cost of heating their homes. This will have a particularly significant impact in Quebec.

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Gabriel Hardy

Conservative
“The people watching the Prime Minister for conflicts of interest report directly to him. The government is spending $2 billion on heat pumps, a business connected to Brookfield, which is tied to the Prime Minister. I want independent people to run the government's ethics system.”
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, who administers the Prime Minister’s conflict of interest screen? It is his chief of staff and the Clerk of the Privy Council, both of whom report directly to the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, Brookfield is active in the nuclear, energy, real estate, and infrastructure sectors. Yesterday, the Liberals announced yet another debt-financed program. It involves investing $2 billion in heat pumps. Once again, Brookfield is involved in this sector. They are telling us to trust them. At the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy, and Ethics, members called for a more transparent mechanism. Will the government establish an effective ethics system administered by non-partisan individuals?

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Nathalie Provost

Liberal
“Canadians are struggling with high costs, but the opposition just attacks us instead of helping. We are working hard to make life more affordable with programs for heat pumps, groceries, and child care.”

  • 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

Madam Speaker, it is unbelievable. We spend days and days talking about affordability. We hear about the challenges facing citizens as we go through a major economic crisis, and yet people nitpick us when all we are doing is working for Canadians. We are working to promote affordability through the heat pump program. That is more than $1,400 per household. One million households across Canada will be eligible for the program, not to mention the Canada groceries and essentials benefit, child care, the Canada child benefit, and so on. There are tons of programs—

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John Brassard

Conservative
“The Prime Minister put two billion dollars into heat pump subsidies while owning shares in companies that make and sell them. This is an obvious conflict of interest that makes him money.”
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister pulled the curtain back on how he is using the power of his office, aligning public policy to line his pockets. When the Prime Minister announced that two billion tax dollars would be used to subsidize heat pumps, he stood at a microphone knowing he owned shares in Trane heat pumps, Schneider Electric and Brookfield, which owns Enercare, a seller and installer of heat pumps. The conflict of interest is so obvious, but, worse, it is a breach of trust. The Prime Minister is funnelling billions of dollars to heat pump subsidies while he and Brookfield-connected companies are positioned to benefit. Are Canadians supposed to believe that this is just a coincidence?

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Julie Dabrusin

Liberal
“The Conservatives want to cancel a program that saves families about $1,400 a year on home heating. We need to keep this program to help people who need it the most.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 46 of 100

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

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Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, leave it to Conservatives, as we head into the heating season and Canadians are thinking about affordable energy to heat their homes, to talk about knocking out a program that on average will save Canadians $1,400 a year. That is a lot of money in the pockets of Canadians in all of their communities and all of our communities. This is important for making sure that we are supporting families who need it the most.

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John Brassard

Conservative
“The Prime Minister is using his office to spend billions of tax dollars on policies that help his own personal wealth. This is a clear conflict of interest. Government members need to speak up and call him out on it.”

  • Opposition question in Question Period

    Respect 94 of 100

    This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “he knows it”.

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Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, Canadians are concerned about corruption and cronyism. This is about breaching public trust by using the power and levers of the Prime Minister’s Office to announce public policies funnelling billions of tax dollars that will personally benefit the Prime Minister’s assets, blind or not, and he knows it. At a minimum, this is cronyism, but some could argue that this crosses the line of not just a conflict of interest but self-dealing happening within the Prime Minister’s Office. Will someone on the other side have the guts to call the Prime Minister out on this conflict like so many Canadians have over the past 24 hours?

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Kevin Lamoureux

Liberal
“The Conservatives need to stop attacking people's character. Our government has delivered big projects, tax breaks, and a stronger economy over the last 18 months. The Conservatives should work with us instead.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 16 of 100

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

    See full analysis

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Signal 42 of 100

    Much of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

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Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, shame on the Conservatives. They are all about character assassination. Let me tell the House what the government and this Prime Minister have accomplished over the last 18 months. That is how we deliver for Canadians. We deliver by major projects. We deliver by tax breaks. We deliver by dealing with issues like affordability and the environment and by building a stronger and healthier economy. They should stop the character assassinations and get onside with team Canada.

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Andrew Lawton

Conservative
“The Prime Minister helps his wealthy friends instead of ordinary Canadians. His new two-billion-dollar heat pump plan will benefit companies he owns millions of dollars of stock in.”
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, the only thing higher than the member’s voice is the Prime Minister’s stock portfolio this week. The Prime Minister is delivering for Liberal insiders, not ordinary Canadians. His $2-billion heat pump announcement yesterday stands to benefit companies like Trane and Enercare. The Prime Minister’s ethics filing shows that he owns shares in Trane, and guess who owns Enercare. It is Brookfield. We know that the Prime Minister’s ethics disclosure shows he has millions of dollars of shares in Brookfield. What is he pumping, heat into Canadian homes or cash into Brookfield?

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Julie Dabrusin

Liberal
“Our program gives homeowners between $2,000 and $10,000 to buy a heat pump. This will save them about $1,400 a year on energy bills. People can apply online and get an answer in 24 hours, so they can replace broken heating fast.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 44 of 100

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

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, since we are not going to be able to count on Conservatives to tell their constituents how the program works, let me explain it. What we have done is created a program that will give all homeowners access to $2,000 to $10,000 to buy a heat pump so they can lower their bills. On average, that is going to deliver $1,400 a year in savings. They will be able to apply online and get a response within 24 hours. That means if their heating conks out, they will be able to get funding to support a new heat pump quickly.

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