Caroline Desrochers · TranslatePolitics.ca

Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-06-18

“I don't like your facts. I have my own facts. Most Canadians need our help. We are spending lots of money helping them. Maybe Conservatives should help Canadians too.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I do not know where my colleague is getting his information, but I would encourage him to refresh his search skills, because then he would see that we added 88,000 new jobs to the economy, that the cost of rent is starting to drop and that wages are on the rise. However, we know that too many Canadians are still unable to cope with the high cost of living. We cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. We implemented a national school food program. We have the Canada groceries and essentials benefit for 12 million Canadians. I really hope that, while the Conservatives are in their ridings this summer, they will take some time to think about all of the times that they voted against Canadians during this parliamentary session.

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Government Orders

Government Business No. 13—Proceedings on Bill C‑22

2026-06-17

“Avoid the topic. Accuse the other party.”

Statements by Members

250th Anniversary of the Battle of Trois‑Rivières

2026-06-17

“Come visit my riding this summer because something famous happened here 250 years ago.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 250th anniversary of the battle of Trois‑Rivières, a historic milestone that occurred on June 8, 1776, in my beautiful riding. At the time, the American colonies were trying to make Canada and Quebec their fourteenth colony. However, they suffered a crushing defeat at Trois‑Rivières and retreated. That battle marked a turning point. It helped to preserve our identity, our territory and our ability to stand up for ourselves. In many ways, this is where it all began for the sovereign and independent country that we are today. This battle helped shape the destiny of what would become Canada and reminds us that my region played a defining role in our country's history. Two hundred and fifty years later, we are commemorating not only this historic event but also the rich heritage of Trois‑Rivières and the work of those who preserve our collective memory. I therefore invite everyone to come visit our region this summer and discover this important chapter in our history.

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Government Orders

An Act to Authorize Certain Payments to be Made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund

2026-06-16

“I want to defend my party and attack the other party. I think the other party votes against bills I like. I don't think the other party supports their arguments.”

“I want this bill to pass so the government can claim it is helping families.”

“Build Canada Homes isn't even a real thing yet. We're still waiting for the Senate. But once it exists, we promise it'll be great. We'll work closely with everyone and I'll personally stay in touch. You can trust us.”

“I ignored your calculation, repeated talking points instead, and hope you won't notice my government is failing to meet its housing targets.”

“I want this bill to pass so the government can claim it is helping families. I will list many spending programs to make us look good. They know the housing market varies but still want to make the federal government the hero. Conservatives should not criticize our spending. They don't really care about affordability!”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Bill C-26, an act to authorize certain payments to be made out of the consolidated revenue fund for the purpose of improving housing supply. This bill would authorize the Minister of Finance to make immediate payments to the provinces and territories to support measures aimed at increasing the housing supply. The proposed funding of more than $1.7 billion would help make housing more affordable for all Canadians. This federal funding would be transferred to the provinces and territories and used exclusively for measures aimed at increasing the housing supply, such as reducing development and new home construction fees, as well as for additional investments in existing provincial and territorial housing creation programs. Because we know that the housing market varies from one province or territory to another, we believe that they are in the best position to ensure that the funds are invested where they will have the greatest impact for Canadians. Unfortunately, after calling for such measures for months, the Conservatives are once again trying to throw a wrench in the works and stall this bill in order to prevent the provinces and territories from accessing these funds. Earlier today, the Conservatives moved to adjourn the House instead of allowing this bill to move forward. This is the third time that the Conservatives have moved such motions to adjourn in recent days. Why are they doing this? They know full well that the measures that we are proposing, such as Bill C‑26, will have a positive impact on the housing market. We know that they do not like good news. I am a new MP, and I never thought that elected officials could take satisfaction in the headwinds we are facing, with the tariff war affecting businesses and the geopolitical turbulence that brings new challenges every day. However, we on this side of the House are rising to the challenge. The Conservatives know that Bill C‑26 is part of a series of concrete measures that our government is creating to make a difference and fix the housing crisis. They heard this from many experts, developers, non-profits and government officials who appeared before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities to testify about the importance of lowering building costs and increasing the supply of affordable housing in order to ease the pressure on rents. This is part of what Bill C-26 proposes. They know that this bill complements Build Canada Homes, the new investment agency working to increase the supply of affordable housing across Canada. Since its launch last fall, Build Canada Homes has already reached agreements to build over 11,400 units, most of which is affordable housing. I am tired of hearing them mislead Canadians day after day by saying that Build Canada Homes has not done anything yet. I will provide a few examples. In Nova Scotia, there is a partnership worth up to $300 million to build up to 1,430 affordable housing units. In Manitoba, Naawi-Oodena, a historic redevelopment project carried out in partnership with Treaty 1 first nations and the Canada Lands Company, will see 320 affordable homes built. A total of 2,100 units could be built on the entire site. In Quebec, our governments announced in April a joint investment of nearly $200 million to build 865 new affordable housing units across Quebec. This is on top of the 1,055 units that had already been announced in Longueuil in December 2025. In the north, we have reached an agreement in principle with the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated to build 750 units, including affordable public housing with support services. In Ontario, we partnered with the City of Ottawa to build up to 3,000 affordable homes for mixed-income households. To sum up, the number of agreements and projects that are shovel ready far exceeds the time I have to speak. These projects also mean thousands of jobs for construction workers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and many local businesses across the country. In an uncertain economic environment, our government is choosing to invest in Canada and Canadians. Last week, the House of Commons passed the bill to make Build Canada Homes a Crown corporation. We now hope that it will be passed quickly by the Senate so that this new agency can have all the tools it needs to speed up housing construction. It is important to note that the Conservatives did not make any changes to this bill. However, they voted against it. They voted against the thousands of affordable housing units that will be built across Canada, in the ridings of all my colleagues here in the House. They voted against affordable housing for families struggling to make ends meet. They voted against better housing for seniors who need a bit of a break. Now, once again, they are opposing Bill C-26. I hope that the Canadians listening to us today take note of this and understand what it means, specifically that the Conservatives do not care about affordability. Bill C-26 is part of a package of measures we are introducing to accelerate housing construction in partnership with provinces, territories, municipalities and indigenous communities. These include measures like the build communities strong fund, which will invest more than $51 billion in our communities, including in infrastructure that enables housing construction, such as water and sewer systems. Housing cannot be built without the underlying systems needed to support it, and the need is great across Canada. Just two weeks ago, the Prime Minister, together with the Premier of Quebec, announced a historic agreement between Canada and Quebec for $10 billion in investments to build more housing across Quebec. That includes $2.6 billion for infrastructure. This is the kind of constructive federalism we support. Our goal on this side of the House is to work and serve Canadians, not to play political games. Bill C‑26 includes other measures, among them targeted tax relief, such as the elimination of the 5% GST on new rental housing. Here again, the goal is to reduce upfront costs and move projects forward. Programs such as the apartment construction loan program and the CMHC's mortgage insurance products are available to help builders secure financing. The proposed $1.7 billion in Bill C-26 would give the provinces and territories the flexibility they need to take targeted measures to increase the housing supply quickly and effectively where communities need it most. This flexibility is essential, because housing needs are not the same in Whitehorse, Montreal, Halifax, or Iqaluit. The provinces and territories are best positioned to determine the measures that will rapidly increase the housing supply in their communities. Collaboration with the provinces and territories is at the heart of this bill. Solving Canada's housing crisis requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires a concerted effort in which everyone pitches in, an effort based on collaboration, flexibility, and immediate action. On this side of the House, we understand that. Bill C-26 will help turn our ambitions into meaningful results. We must act now. Canadians need more housing, communities need support, and our economy needs us to keep building. Above all, Canadians need the opposition to get to work. I therefore urge all members of Parliament to support Bill C-26.

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“I just want to say nice things about my friends here today.”

Oral Questions

Housing

2026-06-16

“I don't like that you're making this political. Taxpayers are already spending a lot on housing programs. We have a big national strategy. We gave money to groups. That should be enough.”

“I am listing many things the government is doing. I do not understand why you don't support us. I want you to support us.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I find my colleague's remarks odd. She knows full well that we are focused on finding solutions to homelessness. She sits with me on the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, where we discuss this issue. She also knows full well that Build Canada Homes was set up with over $1 billion for transition houses. More than 1,000 units have already been announced. We are working hard on this. On top of that are all the programs that we introduced, such as the school food program for children. We have cut taxes. We are here to help Canadians and improve affordability. I do not know why the Bloc Québécois members are not supporting us.

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Government Orders

Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tłegǫ́hłı̨ Got’įnę Act

2026-06-12

“I want my party to look good. I'm going to pretend this agreement is about defense and the north. Maybe then people will like the government more.”

“I want to make my colleague happy by asking her to say good things about the kind of process that created this bill. Talking about consultations first lets us both look like we're doing lots of hard work.”

Statements by Members

Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi de Trois-Rivières

2026-06-10

“I like when young people from my riding visit Parliament. It's good when people understand how Parliament works. I want to cheer for the Carrefour jeunesse-emploi program. They do good things for youth in my riding.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, today, I am pleased to welcome a group of young people from Trois‑Rivières to Ottawa along with Carrefour jeunesse-emploi de Trois-Rivières. This visit is a great opportunity for these youths to better understand how our democratic institutions work, to learn more about the role of parliamentarians and to see how decisions that affect their daily lives are made. Carrefour jeunesse-emploi, or CJE, plays a key role in our community by supporting young people in their endeavours, their studies, their integration into the labour market and their civic engagement. I want to thank the entire team at the CJE for their dedication. I also want to thank the young people here today for their curiosity and interest in democratic life. I hope that this experience will inspire them to get involved and contribute in their own way to building the future of our community and our country. I welcome them to the House of Commons.

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Adjournment Proceedings

2026-06-09

“My job is to say nice things about our spending instead of answering whether we should spend even more. I know this is really important to you. But let me talk a lot about what we already do, to make it sound like we already give enough. Maybe if I list lots of nice-sounding words about how much we care and how much we already give, you'll forget that I never actually said no to more.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his work and for his advocacy on this important issue. As I mentioned before, ferry services in Canada are a lifeline for communities to get goods to market and support the economy. BC Ferries is one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It provides an essential public service that plays a critical role in the day-to-day lives of British Columbians, in terms of bringing together smaller communities and facilitating connections to key services such as doctor's appointments and education. We are very well aware of the importance of the ferries to these communities. That is why, since 1977, we have provided an indexed annual contribution to the Province of British Columbia for the coastal ferry service within the province. This year alone, it is nearly $38.6 million. In exchange for an annual grant, the Province of British Columbia assumes sole responsibility for determining which ferry services receive financial assistance, and the Government of Canada was relieved of all obligations related to the funding and operation of ferry service within the province. In addition to the grant, we also provide funding to BC Ferries.

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“I just want to sound like I care about ferry services and appreciate how important they are. But I'm not actually going to do anything more about the specific issue of BC ferry funding the previous speaker raised.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I want to speak today about the importance of ferry services in Canada and reaffirm our government's commitment to ensuring that these services remain reliable, affordable and sustainable for generations. Ferries are lifelines for communities, and they are a responsibility that the government takes seriously. From visiting friends and family to getting goods to market, Canadians and businesses across Canada rely on safe and efficient ferry services to keep communities connected and to help build an economy that works for everyone. On the Pacific coast, BC Ferries is one of the largest ferry operators in the world, carrying more than 22 million passengers and nine million vehicles each year. It is an essential public service that is critical to the daily lives of British Columbians. It operates as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company, with the single voting share held by the provincial government's, B.C. Ferry Authority. For the residents of Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, the Sunshine Coast and countless smaller coastal communities, ferries are not a convenience; they are the only connection to health care, education and opportunity. The Government of Canada has long recognized this reality. Since 1977, Canada has provided an indexed annual contribution to the Province of British Columbia, recognizing that ferries are part of the provincial highway system. This year alone, that assistance amounts to nearly $38.6 million. This is a tangible expression of the partnership between Ottawa and British Columbia. During the pandemic, federal funding through the safe restart agreement allowed ferries to continue to sail. Without this partnership, communities would have had to deal with higher fares or reduced services. Neither option was acceptable, and the government stepped in to keep the system afloat. The Government of Canada has also taken steps to support ferry operators in Canada, including through the removal of importation duties on used ferries and by providing loans to BC Ferries to help renew its fleet with modern vessels. These efforts are supported by the national shipbuilding strategy. Since 2012, this strategy has created or maintained more than 20,000 jobs per year, contributed tens of billions of dollars to our GDP and restored stability to a sector that was once plagued by boom-and-bust cycles. Ferries are not regional amenities. They are part of the national infrastructure. They are constitutional obligations in the east, vital corridors in the west and vital arteries everywhere else. Investing in ferry services is an investment in Canadians, in communities and in the unity of our country.

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Government Orders

2026-06-09

“I worked with you on the committee. You asked good questions. But now you're saying things that don't match what we heard there. Promoters and developers told us this bill helps. More affordable homes will lower market pressure. CMHC's head said they work together and this bill helps. CMHC could maybe do this work but it would take them time. Can you really say we didn't hear all that at committee?”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I really enjoyed working with my colleague on Bill C‑20 at the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities. He asked good questions. We really felt that he truly wanted to understand. After listening to him today, however, I have to wonder whether we were on the same committee or heard from the same witnesses. I find the premise of the member's speech a bit disingenuous. We heard the committee witnesses, including promoters and developers, talk about how BCH would help, because increasing the number of affordable homes would ease the pressure on the market. We heard, including from the head of CMHC, about how BCH and CMHC are collaborating and how their work is complementary. Most important, the CMHC CEO said that while CMHC does have the legislative mandate to do some of the work that BCH will be doing, it is not set up for it. It would take it quite some time to ramp up to get to that point. I am just wondering if my colleague can really stand here today and say that none of these things were heard at committee.

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Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-06-04

“The opposition is inventing a crisis. The Liberals are spending billions of dollars in Quebec. They are spending on post-secondary campuses, community centers, infrastructure, hospitals, and public transit. The Liberals believe this spending is necessary and helping people.”

“You complain about spending, but we are sending grocery benefit payments to millions of voters. You aren't serious about cost of living - we're the ones mailing out checks.”

Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-05-29

“We are the good guys. We will give more money to middle class Canadians. We will build homes. The Conservatives are the bad guys and they are hurting Canada.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we are still hearing rhetoric from the other side. On this side of the House, we know that the cost of housing and food are the biggest expenses for families. That is why we cut taxes for 22 million Canadians and why a groceries benefit for 12 million Canadians will be deposited into their accounts next week. We also put in place a school food program for 400,000 children. We created Build Canada Homes. We have already reached agreements to build tens of thousands of units, with the work scheduled to start in the coming weeks. They voted against all these measures. They need to stop showing contempt for Canadians. My question for them is this: When will they get out of their echo chamber, listen to Canadians and get to work?

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