Jennifer McKelvie · TranslatePolitics.ca

Oral Questions

Youth

2026-05-08

“You say we spend too much. But we create jobs and housing, and I will list many projects we fund. I challenge you to say which ones you would cut. Would you cut these ones? I dare you to say it.”

Statements by Members

Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month

2026-05-06

“Today is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Day. Many Canadians are suffering from this disease, including my mother. I want the government to spend more money on MS research.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, May is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, a time for the MS community to come together and raise awareness about this neurological disease. Canadians are wearing carnations today because they are a symbol of hope for the MS community. Everyone's experience with the disease is different. The symptoms, severity and effectiveness of treatment can vary, which is why the work of MS Canada is so important. Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world, with more than 90,000 Canadians living with this disease, including my mother, who has been paralyzed by MS. This is a pivotal moment for Canada to invest in MS research. The latest science provides hope that MS can be prevented in our lifetime. Let us work together to build a stronger future for Canadians with multiple sclerosis.

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Oral Questions

Finance

2026-05-01

“You say we spend too much. But all our spending is good! Name something you would cut. I dare you. If you won't support every project I listed, then get out of our way. We'll spend this money with or without you.”

“You want to spend less? Which program in your own province should we cut first? I'd like to see you explain that to voters. We want to keep spending everywhere.”

Adjournment Proceedings

2026-04-30

“We're giving people money. It's a lot of money. $1890 for a family this year. $950 for one person. We increased the GST credit by 25% for five years. Plus a one-time 50% top-up. We really care about affordability.”

Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, I should also mention another important affordability measure to support those most affected by the rising price of food. In January, the government announced the new Canada groceries and essentials benefit to help more than 12 million Canadians afford day-to-day essentials. The benefit builds on the existing GST credit and will provide additional support through a one-time top-up payment to be issued on June 5, equal to a 50% increase in the annual 2025-26 value of the GST credit. Combined with a 25% increase in the value of the GST credit for the next five years, this means that a family of four would receive up to an additional $1,890 this year and about $1,400 a year for the next four years, and a single person would receive up to $950 this year and about $700 a year for the next four years. Our government cares about affordability.

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“I want to look like I'm helping with affordability. I'll spend money to lower prices and fees. Gas taxes are suspended for a few months. Businesses and truckers will save money. The government will lower pension contributions. That helps workers and businesses. First-time homebuyers get more time to repay a program. We cut sales tax on some expensive houses. Government is doing a lot!”

Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, in a rapidly changing world, the government is focused on what we can control, which is building a stronger economy to make life more affordable for Canadians. Many Canadians continue to face affordability pressures as the cost of essential goods, housing and everyday expenses remain high. That is why the government has also taken action to help Canadians with daily expenses. For example, starting April 20, the federal fuel excise tax on gasoline and diesel, across Canada, will be suspended until Labour Day. This reduces gas station fill-ups by 10¢ per litre on regular gasoline and four cents on diesel. This will help Canadian drivers and reduce operating costs for truckers and businesses in the food, agriculture, housing, construction and delivery sectors. Now I would like to talk about some of the new measures announced in the April 28 spring economic update that will help make life more affordable for Canadians. For one, the update announced the government's intention to introduce legislative amendments to the Canadian pension plan to reduce the contribution rate in the base CPP from 9.9% to 9.5%, effective next January 1. This would translate into annual savings of about $133 for an employee earning $70,000 a year, with an equivalent savings for their employer for each worker. This change was agreed to by provincial ministers of finance as co-stewards of the plan, and it would maintain a prudent financial buffer to protect the CPP against future economic and demographic risks while providing meaningful contribution relief. For new homebuyers, the update proposes to extend the grace period before starting repayments on the homebuyers' plan withdrawals from RSPs from two years to five years for participants making a first withdrawal between January 1, 2026, and December 31, 2028. This would provide cash flow relief of up to $4,000 per individual per year for the additional three years they are no longer required to start repaying the amount into their RRSP. This follows the recent elimination of the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes up to $1 million and the reduction of GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes between $1 million and $1.5 million, providing savings of up to $50,000. These are just some of the ways the government is helping to make life more affordable for Canadians.

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“I know people have trouble paying for food. The government should make a big plan to fix it. Our plan will have a nice name: 'national food security strategy'. It will magically create cheap, healthy food for everyone. We really care about the little guy. We put people first. We believe in a Canada where everything is for everybody.”

“We want Canadians to think we're doing a lot to help on food and housing prices. We introduced Bill C-30. Lots of benefits in there. Money for greenhouses. A food security strategy. Extending the homebuyers' plan grace period. Reducing the Canada Pension Plan contribution rate. We don't want you to think about what it costs, whether it will work, or what got us here. Just focus on how much we're doing.”

Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, our government is relentless in its efforts to make life more affordable for Canadians. Many hard-working Canadians continue to face affordability pressures as the cost of essential goods, housing and everyday expenses remains high. This is why our actions have been focused on ensuring Canadians keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets. The spring economic update, “Canada Strong for All”, which our government delivered on April 28, includes the next steps toward meeting our objective of building a stronger, more resilient and more affordable country. We recently introduced Bill C-30, an act to implement certain provisions of the spring economic update tabled in Parliament on April 28. It is a key piece of legislation to help ease the sting of higher prices. Let us begin with the rising cost of food, which is a major concern for Canadians. On June 5, more than 12 million Canadians will receive additional support through the new Canada groceries and essentials benefit. The spring economic update, via Bill C-30, is proposing additional measures to support Canadians even more as they deal with the financial squeeze of food bills. The passage of Bill C-30 would help growers supercharge domestic food production in Canada with tax changes that would allow the immediate expensing of greenhouse buildings. The measure is projected to provide $41 million of tax relief over six years. The government is also committed to developing a national food security strategy. The strategy would make it easier for Canadians to access affordable and nutritious food and build Canada's resilience and capacity to meet domestic needs. Bill C-30 would amend the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act and the Pest Control Products Act to include the consideration of food security and the cost of food. Bill C-30 also promises to help address housing affordability concerns. It is clear: The high cost of housing is putting significant pressure on household budgets, especially for younger Canadians. Our government recognizes that many Canadians who have recently purchased their first home or are planning to do so could benefit from a boost to their cash flow. That is why Bill C-30 proposes extending the grace period during which homebuyers are not required to start repaying their homebuyers' plan withdrawals from their RRSPs. The proposed extension is from two years to five years. This change would deliver cash flow relief of up to $4,000 per individual per year over three years, during which time they would not be required to repay the amount into their RRSP. There is more in Bill C-30. The legislation proposes an important change to the Canada pension plan to ensure Canadians keep more of their money in their bank accounts. The CPP is the cornerstone of Canada's retirement income system, providing stable and predictable pension income to millions of Canadians. To help address affordability pressures faced by so many households, Canada's ministers of finance unanimously agreed in April to reduce the contribution rate for the CPP. The change would lower the contribution rate in the base CPP from 9.9% to 9.5%, effectively January 1, 2027. This 40-basis points reduction to the CPP contribution rate would translate into annual savings of up to $133 for an employee earning $70,000 a year, with equivalent savings for their employer. The change would do this while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the CPP. As members can see, our government is moving swiftly to improve affordability. We have already accomplished so much, and these are only the latest examples of how we are working hard to lift some of the barriers off Canadians.

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“We're already spending lots of money on many programs. British Columbia can apply too. But I'm not going to promise anything specific for you.”

Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, the Build Canada Homes portal is open and we are encouraging all applicants with shovel-ready projects to submit and to apply. We are looking for projects from coast to coast to coast, including in British Columbia. The Government of Canada is taking a bold new approach and making unprecedented investments in order to increase housing supply across Canada. This includes both affordable housing and supportive housing. Through Build Canada Homes and the build communities strong fund, along with other innovative initiatives, we are making progress on key housing and infrastructure projects. The federal government is working in partnership with provinces, territories and municipalities, as well as indigenous partners, to remove local barriers that would slow new supply. This includes leveraging infrastructure investments to reduce development charges. We are making it faster and easier for builders to get projects off the ground, including in British Columbia. Together with other levels of government and our partners across the housing sector, we are building homes, creating jobs and growing our economy.

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“I'm filling time with kind words and saying nothing anyone can pin down. I want more spending. Vote for more spending!”

Official Hansard

Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to building homes across the country: smarter, faster, more affordably and at a pace not seen in generations. We are also investing in the essential infrastructure that is needed to support new home construction and strengthen communities. Through budget 2025, we are making generational investments of $25 billion over five years for housing and $115 billion over five years for infrastructure. These strategic investments empower Canadians to get ahead and create lasting prosperity. The federal government is growing Canada's economy by catalyzing a modern, innovative and more productive homebuilding industry. We are bolstering local economies by creating more jobs right here at home, employing Canadian workers and building with Canadian materials. This is also why the Prime Minister launched Build Canada Homes in September 2025, in order to build affordable homes at scale. This new federal agency leverages public lands, offers flexible financial incentives, attracts private capital and facilitates large portfolio projects. It supports modern manufacturers to build the homes that Canadians need. We are not doing it alone. The Government of Canada is leveraging its partnerships to get homes built. Provincial, territorial and municipal governments, indigenous partners, and stakeholders across the ecosystem are stepping up at all levels to get shovels in the ground. We are working together to build the homes that Canada needs. On April 7, 2026, the Prime Minister also launched the build communities strong fund. It will provide $51 billion over 10 years, starting in 2026-27, and $3 billion per year ongoing to support new and renewed public infrastructure. The build communities strong fund will invest in a wide range of infrastructure projects that support economic prosperity, housing, education, health, transit and climate adaptation. In partnership with provinces and territories, this investment will also be leveraged to reduce development charges in jurisdictions where these fees are the highest. This will help to lower the cost of housing construction and get more homes built. A series of 13 projects have been announced so far under the build communities strong fund, furthering public infrastructure projects and priorities across the country. The Government of Canada is committed to solving the housing crisis and taking a leadership role on housing. We are doing so by removing barriers to construction, reducing risk for home builders and making significant investments in affordable housing. By working closely with builders, we will implement innovative solutions to get the job done. The Government of Canada will continue to work with our partners to build at an unprecedented speed and scale, from Whitehorse to St. John's and from Grise Fiord to Windsor. These are investments not just in housing, but in people, families and neighbourhoods. Together, we will build homes for Canadians, and we will build Canada strong.

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