Guillaume Deschênes-Thériault · TranslatePolitics.ca

Government Orders

Business of Supply

2026-05-05

“I want to list all the ways our government is spending money to help businesses and make the Canadian economy more self-reliant. We're giving loans and grants to steel, aluminum, and lumber companies. We're helping businesses sell to the government instead of to the U.S. We're signing trade deals with other countries so our businesses can sell more things there. And we're making it easier for businesses to sell things inside Canada without so many rules. This is all very good for Canada and my riding.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Mississauga—Lakeshore. Today's motion concerns measures to support the manufacturing sector in the face of unjustified and illegal tariffs. The United States, the world's largest economy, is fundamentally reshaping its trade relations with the rest of the world. This rapid transformation is causing significant disruption and major upheaval for Canada, as well as for many other countries, and for our industries, our workers and our communities. Faced with this reality, Canada has demonstrated that it is serious, committed, and ready to take action. We have approached negotiations with the United States with rigour and in good faith. However, let us be clear. While we wait for our American partners to be ready to engage in serious and constructive discussions, we are not sitting idly by. On the contrary, we are taking action. We are focusing on what we can control and on building Canada strong. We have already announced a comprehensive tariff response plan to help Canadian businesses adapt, compete and grow in a new global environment. This includes support to help businesses retool and reinvest, measures to increase domestic demand for Canadian products, and actions to strengthen Canada's long-term economic resilience by building a stronger domestic market and diversifying trade abroad. We are taking a truly comprehensive approach to strengthen the Canadian economy and make it more resilient. Of course, our government took immediate action to support and strengthen the strategic industries that are at the heart of our prosperity and that are particularly affected by these tariffs. These include steel, aluminum, copper and softwood lumber, critical sectors that help build our country, drive our exports and create thousands of high-quality jobs. Behind these industries are skilled workers, families and entire communities that depend on a sector to live and prosper. That is why we have put in place concrete measures to support workers and businesses affected by the unjustified tariffs, while continuing our efforts to get the tariffs lifted. We recently created a new $1‑billion Business Development Bank of Canada program to provide support and funding for businesses in our steel, aluminum and copper industries to help them address immediate pressures and transform their operations. We are also allocating an additional $500 million to Canada's regional development agencies, as part of the regional tariff response initiative, to ensure that this support reaches every corner of our country. This will considerably strengthen our existing tariff response, which includes maintaining countertariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum, reducing freight rates for Canadian steel, adjusting tariff quotas to fight dumping, implementing a buy Canadian procurement policy so that new national infrastructure is built with Canadian steel and aluminum, and making diversification tools available to businesses through the $5-billion strategic response fund. I would like to give a specific example of how this support is felt on the ground. Through the regional tariff response initiative, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency administers $80 million to support small and medium-sized businesses. This funding enables businesses to modernize their operations, strengthen their supply chains and explore new markets. In March, in my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche, I announced the very first investment made through this tariff response initiative in Atlantic Canada. Max Steel, founded in 1987 and located in Clair, in the Madawaska region, is hailed as a regional leader in the design, fabrication, welding, and laser cutting of steel structures. I had the pleasure to announce, on behalf of the Government of Canada, a $750,000 contribution to support this local business. This investment will allow Max Steel to acquire specialized equipment such as a CNC structural steel beam production line and welding robots. This major project will strengthen the value chain for my region's steel industry while integrating modern technologies that improve efficiency and encourage innovation. As Max Steel's chief executive officer said when the announcement was made, this support from the Government of Canada comes at a strategic time and will help the company accelerate its modernization, improve its productivity, and strengthen its competitiveness in the face of current business challenges, while also creating and maintaining skilled jobs in New Brunswick, including in the Madawaska region. This initiative is the perfect example of what we want to accomplish: giving our businesses, including in rural areas, the tools they need to succeed in the current context of instability. Building Canada strong also means building regions strong, and this means supporting our local businesses. I want to emphasize that point. Our rural regions are not on the margins; they are an essential pillar of our country and of our economy. As a member of Parliament, I am always pleased to announce investments that support local businesses and support good-quality jobs in my region. In addition to our efforts to support businesses, we are also actively working to strengthen Canada's economy by diversifying and strengthening our trade partnerships around the world. That is why our government is implementing the most ambitious trade diversification strategy in a generation. Canada has everything the world needs: abundant natural resources, a skilled workforce, and recognized expertise across a range of leading-edge sectors. We must capitalize on these strengths. We are therefore entering into mutually beneficial trade agreements with reliable partners across the globe. In just 11 months, Canada has concluded 20 new economic and security agreements across four continents, and the results are already visible. In 2025, Canadian exports of goods and services to markets other than the United States increased by $33 billion over the previous year. This is just the beginning, because we will continue working to open new markets in order to expand opportunities for our businesses and our workers. I want to give a concrete example of the benefits of our efforts to diversify our economy. In February, our government led a successful trade mission to Mexico, and we will soon be hosting a Mexican economic mission to Canada. These exchanges are not just symbolic. They produce tangible results. Recently, for example, Canada and Mexico agreed on new provisions allowing Canadian potatoes to be exported to the Mexican market for both processing and consumption. The potato industry plays a major role in the Canadian economy and in the economy of my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche. Potatoes are the fifth most important crop in Canada, contributing approximately $2.1 billion in farm cash receipts in 2024. Our agreement with Mexico will give this industry access to a market of over 130 million consumers. From discussions I have had with farmers in Grand Falls, who are very excited about the idea of developing new markets, I know that this news was very well received back home. For our farmers and processors, this agreement represents a concrete opportunity to export their products to Mexico. In addition to our efforts to provide immediate assistance to the businesses that need it most and to diversify our markets abroad, we have been working hard since day one to strengthen our domestic market. In June, we passed Bill C‑5, the One Canadian Economy Act, which removed federal barriers to domestic trade and labour mobility. Since then, the provinces and territories have also worked toward eliminating trade barriers, and we look forward to the provinces' and territories' next steps. The buy Canadian policy makes it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to sell their products to the federal government and strengthens our supply chains. We value leading by example and being our own best customer to stimulate domestic demand. We are also making major investments in building our country. That includes historic investments in housing and infrastructure that are part of an overall strategy to increase demand for Canadian products and an important tool to strengthen our economy and support our businesses. In my riding, for example, softwood lumber is a mainstay of our economy. History shows that Canada was literally built by our forests and forestry workers. Today, we want to continue building our country with our softwood lumber, our steel and our aluminum. The willingness to buy Canadian is central to our strategy of becoming our own best customer and boosting domestic demand. In closing, I would like to remind members that the challenges ahead are real, but that our government is determined to take action. Canada has a history of resilience, innovation and determination. By investing in our industries, workers and regions, we are not just responding to present-day challenges; we are building a future where our economy is stronger, more diversified and more independent, a future where Canada continues to stand out on the world stage.

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“You're complaining that the government didn't fix everything. But the government is doing many things to help businesses, like giving them money and finding new partnerships. Isn't that what you really want? Why don't you just agree that the government is already doing a good job?”

“I agree with the government's plan. It spends money on businesses, infrastructure, and buying Canadian products. The plan has many parts.”

“I want to cheer for our trade diversification strategy. I think the government should keep spending money on it. My examples are the tariff and seafood spending. They make me happy.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, in the member's introduction, he mentioned the trade diversification strategy that we are putting in place. He made reference to the various trade agreements. We have signed about 20 agreements in the last 11 months, and those trade agreements are making a difference. Already, in 2025, we have increased the value of our non-U.S. exports by $33 billion over 2024. This will have a tangible impact on key sectors of the Canadian and Quebec economies. The aerospace industry, the agri-food sector and the lifting of the tariffs on seafood come to mind. In addition to negotiating a good agreement with the United States, how could this economic diversification strategy be essential to supporting the vitality of economic sectors in Canada and Quebec?

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Government Orders

Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act

2026-05-01

“You mentioned the importance of helping youth. I want you to cheer for our big spending on sports programs.”

“That's great news for my party. I want to talk more about how it's good for my colleague's riding.”

“We're spending your money on many projects. Some are clean energy. Some are mining. Some are small. Investing will change communities.”

“I want my colleague to cheer for this bill. It spends money on infrastructure, EI, and housing in all of Canada. Quebec gets a share. That's good for everyone.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I do not share my colleague's interpretation. When we look at the economic update, we can see that there are positive benefits for the whole of Canada, whether in Atlantic Canada, Quebec or elsewhere in the country. I would like to again mention small craft harbour infrastructure. I know this is important for Quebec. Then there are the EI measures we announced in relation to the spring gap. That was a Bloc Québécois request. I am also thinking of the investments being made in Quebec in several major infrastructure projects of national interest, which the Bloc Québécois has often spoken to us about in the House. I am thinking of the update we are making regarding housing. Quebec and Ottawa signed an agreement as recently as January to speed up housing construction in Quebec. When my colleague says there is nothing for his province in the economic update, I would invite him to take another look and see that there are in fact a number of positive benefits for the whole country.

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“I represent the riding with the best salmon. I'm glad the government is spending $82 million to protect salmon there. I've been talking directly to the Minister of Fisheries about that money. I want to make sure the money gets spent in my riding.”

“I want to cheer for a program that spends money in my riding. Spend more on seasonal workers in my region! That's good for my re-election.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by informing you that I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg South Centre. For over a year now, I have had the pleasure of serving as the member for Madawaska—Restigouche, and since day one, our government has remained focused on what we can control: building a stronger Canadian economy, diversifying our international trade partners, managing the budget rigorously and responsibly and supporting Canadians who are struggling because of the cost of living. We are on the right track. We have more work to do, but over the past year, we have been on track, and our 2026 spring economic update is the next step in our plan to build a stronger Canada for everyone. Building Canada strong and meeting our housing, infrastructure and defence needs will require workers who are already qualified. Our workers are the engine of our economy in Canada. That is why, with the economic update, we are launching our plan to recruit and train workers, and hire 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trades workers over the next five years. That is important because we want to build big, but we need the manpower to do it. We will modernize the Red Seal program to reduce certification delays and improve national consistency. We will introduce online exams and digital logbooks and create a single national registered apprenticeship number. All of this will help to simplify the process. We will also introduce financial incentives. As part of their Red Seal certification training, apprentices have to accumulate a certain number of hours of on-the-job training, which is essential to their apprenticeship. To help employers hire, train and retain apprentices, we will put in place wage subsidies of up to $10,000 for their first-year salary. This is a financial incentive to support employers who give our apprentices on-the-job training opportunities. Of course, there is also the classroom training component. We will be providing apprentices with an additional $40 week in income while they are completing their mandatory classroom training. This amount will be in addition to measures already in place, such as employment insurance benefits for eligible apprentices and the student loan and grant program. We will also introduce a new $5,000 success bonus upon obtaining Red Seal certification. By comparison, the previous version of this bonus was approximately $2,000, so this is a substantial increase. Why is this being introduced now? It is because we want to provide apprentices currently in their training program with an incentive to complete their training and obtain the Red Seal. When we talk about training the next generation, it is also important to offer meaningful employment experiences. That is why I am very pleased that the economic update reiterates our government's decision to increase funding for the Canada summer jobs program. We are already seeing real results. In my riding of Madawaska—Restigouche, this represents an investment of more than $1.5 million for the summer of 2026, which will support more than 400 jobs for young people in my region. This includes jobs in a variety of sectors, such as summer camps, tourist sites, care homes, day cares and the cultural community, to name a few. In addition to giving young people a great job experience, it also supports our community organizations, our small and medium-sized businesses and our municipalities because it allows them to hire summer workers who are essential to their activities. That in itself is great news. I would also like to draw my colleagues' attention to the fact that Canada covers a vast area and its economic realities vary across the country. Many sectors, including agriculture, fishing, forestry and tourism, especially in rural areas, rely heavily on seasonal workers. As we know, these industries have to cope with weather and seasonal constraints, as well as variations related to fluctuating demand. For that reason, EI provides temporary income support to these workers during the off-season, while they wait for a new season of employment to begin. It gives them some financial stability and lets them remain in their community. Supporting seasonal workers through EI this way also benefits employers in the sectors I mentioned earlier, as well as our regional economies, by allowing employers to retain skilled workers and to ensure they remain on hand for the coming season. A program consisting of five additional weeks of EI was created in 2018 to support seasonal workers. It was active in 13 of the country's economic regions where seasonal work employs a significant portion of the labour market, as it does in Madawaska—Charlotte and Restigouche-Albert, which make up the entirety of my riding. These measures enable seasonal workers to receive five additional weeks of benefits. This is essential because it allows them to bridge the gap between one working season and the next, thereby avoiding what is commonly referred to as the spring gap. These support measures were initially intended to be temporary and were due to expire in October 2026. My colleagues from the affected regions and I have held discussions with our colleagues, and I am very pleased to say that the economic update has announced additional funding to extend the five‑week measure, so that seasonal workers in our regions can continue to receive benefits during what is known as the spring gap. The economic update also extends some of the temporary measures we put in place in response to the tariff dispute. For example, the one-week waiting period for receiving EI benefits has been temporarily removed. Initially, this was intended to last for six months. We have extended this period until the fall and will reassess the situation at that time. This is good news for workers. In the economic update, we also announced that we will make it easier to access the disability tax credit. The disability tax credit provides significant tax relief to persons with disabilities and their supporting family members. As members know, eligibility for the credit serves as a key requirement for other federal supports, including the Canada disability benefit. It is important for us, as a government, to ensure that people who need help are able to access all the assistance to which they are entitled. We realized that certain bureaucratic procedures could sometimes make it extra challenging to access the disability tax credit. For example, health care professionals are required to certify a person's disability and its impact on their daily activities by filling out a form that can sometimes be time-consuming. Our experience over the past few years has shown us that, for certain medical conditions, it would be possible to streamline the process and reduce paperwork to simplify the process for health care professionals. That is why we announced in the economic update that we will implement a simplified application process for individuals with a formal diagnosis of certain long-lasting medical conditions. It is important to note that the eligibility criteria are not changing, but based on our experience, we have observed that people with certain illnesses do, in fact, meet the criteria, so they will no longer be required to fill out the entire form. I will give a concrete example. If a health care professional certifies on the form that their patient has Alzheimer's disease, they will not need to answer all the questions about how the disease is affecting their daily life, because that information has already been documented, and we will consider the person with the disease eligible for the tax credit. This will apply to more than 40 medical conditions, such as stage three or higher chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cystic fibrosis and schizophrenia. A whole series of other medical conditions are listed, and this will simplify the process for people living with those conditions. We will also expand the list of health care professionals who can certify eligibility for the tax credit in order to ease the burden on health care workers. Podiatrists, physiotherapists, speech therapists and occupational therapists will all be able to certify certain conditions related to their areas of expertise. These are just some of the various measures we are putting in place to ensure that people who need help actually get the support they need. This economic update brings more good news for the Atlantic provinces. As we know, investments in small craft harbour infrastructure were long overdue. This was a long-standing request from coastal communities. I am pleased to say that, in this budget, the Atlantic provinces have been heard, and we will see historic investments in this harbour infrastructure, which plays a vital role in the economies of rural and coastal communities. I look forward to hearing questions from my colleagues, and I hope we can work together to pass this economic update. I hope that my colleagues in the opposition will support us, because I believe this update contains good news for all Canadians.

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“I'm going to list many things the government is spending money on. I think that proves our budget helps Quebec. Do you agree the budget helps Quebec?”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech, and I must admit that I am rather surprised. He seems to believe that Quebec was overlooked in this economic update. However, what I see, when I read the update, is a historic investment for small craft harbour infrastructure that coastal communities have been waiting for for a long time. There are many such communities in the Atlantic provinces, but also in Quebec. This is a historic, long-awaited investment. We are also investing in sports to expand access to sport for young people. That will benefit all of Canada, including Quebec. There is also the update on the housing strategy. In January, Quebec and Ottawa signed an agreement to speed up the construction of housing and the infrastructure needed to support housing construction. There are projects of national interest. I am thinking about the Contrecoeur port. Does my colleague agree that these are important investments for Quebec?

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Government Orders

Business of Supply

2026-04-30

“Why is it so important to create this big new fund that the government will control?”

Government Orders

Government Business No. 9—Changes to the Standing Orders

2026-04-27

“I'm just trying to run down the clock with nice-sounding words about tradition and principles instead of answering the real issue. I don't want to admit any problem with our government blocking accountability.”

Statements by Members

Université de Moncton Edmundston Campus

2026-04-27

“I'm filling time with kind words about a school in my riding. This sounds like a nice, safe thing to celebrate. I want to associate myself with that nice feeling.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, this year, 2026, we are proud to be celebrating 80 years of French-language post-secondary education in northwestern New Brunswick. Collège Saint‑Louis, founded in 1946 by the Eudist Fathers, and Collège Maillet, founded in 1949 by the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph, laid the groundwork for what would later become the Edmundston Campus of the Université de Moncton. Since then, this institution has played a vital, essential role in regional development and in the economic, social and cultural vitality of our francophone, Acadian and Madawaska communities. Over the decades, the Edmundston Campus has trained generations of students and nurtured cutting-edge research. To mark this 80th anniversary, the Association des anciennes, anciens et ami.es de Saint‑Louis—Maillet, the Edmundston Campus' alumni and friends association, is sponsoring a series of activities, including homecoming celebrations in June. Congratulations to everyone who has played a role in shaping this institution's rich history. Long live the Edmundston Campus of the Université de Moncton.

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Government Orders

Government Business No. 9—Changes to the Standing Orders

2026-04-27

“I want the government to get its way in committees. The other side's ideas are bad traditions. Our traditions are good traditions.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, my colleague put it well when he said that in Canada, our political system is based on respect for traditions and principles. This ensures that the system is stable and the government is able to function properly. If we look at the last 10 majority governments in our history, whether they were Liberal or Conservative, we see that there has never been a case where a committee chair had to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie. This morning, I heard some opposition members taking issue with the proposed composition of committees. I would like to ask the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons whether the government's proposed composition better reflects the traditions of our parliamentary system than the suggestions put forward by the opposition during this morning's debates.

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