Kevin Lamoureux

“Canada has a better credit rating than almost all other G7 countries. We can manage our money and grow our economy at the same time. Now is not the time to cut back. We need these projects because they create jobs and bring in future revenue.”

“Madam Speaker, there are two issues. The first one is in regard to debt. I am very sensitive to deficits. One of the things I look at, because it is something we should all take a look at, is our credit rating. If we look at the G7 countries, the most industrialized countries, we will find that Canada’s credit rating is better than virtually all of them. One might be better than ours, but we can manage our finances and build a stronger and healthier Canadian economy and society at the same time. This is not a time in which we should be cutting back and preventing projects from taking place. The projects we are talking about will provide not only jobs for today but also jobs for tomorrow and all sorts of economic opportunity, not to mention revenue into the future.”

In response to a question from Harb Gill

“Our government is focused on jobs. Even with U.S. trade problems and tariffs, Canada added over 100,000 jobs in the last 18 months. We need to stay focused on growing the economy and making life affordable.”

“Madam Speaker, I have not been here that long. I have actually been here for less time than the leader of the official opposition. Having said that, I can assure the member that every member of the Liberal caucus is focused on the importance of a job. Even with what is taking place between Canada and the U.S.A., we have still seen a net increase in job numbers of well over 100,000 in the last 18 months. That is with all the turmoil going on with the Trump tariffs and trade issues. It is important that we stay on an agenda that will see us grow our economy and deal with issues like affordability.”

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In response to a question from Patrick Bonin

“The Prime Minister has only been in office for around 500 days, so the last 11 years are not his record. Our government is working with the provinces. We are investing billions of dollars in hydro and gas projects that will create tens of thousands of jobs.”

“Madam Speaker, it is important to recognize the Prime Minister and the Liberal government. I disagree when people make reference to the last 11 years. Canadians cannot be fooled. The Prime Minister has been in office for just over 500 days now. Leaders of political parties provide leadership on issues related to policy. Going forward, the Prime Minister and the government will deal collaboratively with the provinces. We have hydro in the province of Quebec, where there was a major announcement and a historic amount of money invested in hydro development. In the province of British Columbia, we are working collaboratively with a different political party. We also have huge investments in two major projects, the Pacific link project and the LNG phase two expansion. Cumulatively, we are talking a great deal of money, going into the multiple billions of dollars, which is going to create tens of thousands of jobs directly, not to mention many others indirectly.”

In response to a question from Gérard Deltell

“I disagree with the member. The Conservatives also changed their minds on the carbon tax when Erin O'Toole supported it. Our new Prime Minister listened to Canadians and decided to get rid of the carbon tax. The Conservatives should support that plan to build a stronger Canada.”

“Madam Speaker, the simple answer to that is no. I disagree with the member opposite. Having said that, since he wants to talk about the carbon tax, he should remember a fellow by the name of Erin O’Toole. Erin O’Toole was the leader of the Conservative Party, and Erin O’Toole supported a carbon tax. There was a change in the Conservative leadership, and it is not the first time that the Conservative Party changed its attitude towards the carbon tax. The Liberal Party selected a new leader. That new leader listened to Canadians and came out with a very strong statement dealing with the carbon tax, making the decision to get rid of it. I would think that the Conservative Party would support that idea. Canadians understand that there is a new Prime Minister and that Prime Minister has an agenda to build a stronger and healthier Canada.”

“Our government is building a strong economy. We are backing major projects across the country worth nearly half a trillion dollars, attracting huge foreign investments, and signing new trade deals. At the same time, I am pushing for federal and provincial support to expand our local community centre and restore emergency hospital services in my riding. We should vote against this motion.”

“Madam Speaker, that was a rookie mistake. I talk about issues in my own riding. I would like the Tyndall Park Community Centre to get an expansion. I would like to see the Seven Oaks General Hospital get its emergency services restored. I am going to fight to ensure that it does. I am convinced that I will get the federal government to step up, and I want to see the province also step up on that issue. If we take a look at health care, there are thousands of projects that the federal government is working on that will lead to houses being built, hospital capital investment and infrastructure across the province. What we are talking about in addition to that are the major projects worth multiple billions of dollars, not millions of dollars. That is what we passed shortly after the last federal election. Over the summer, we created the Major Projects Office, where there are more than a couple of dozen projects. When we take a look at the projects, we are talking about, for example, LNG in the province of British Columbia. We are talking about copper mines in the province of Saskatchewan. We are talking about nuclear energy expansion in the province of Ontario. We are talking about the expansion of ports in Montreal. We are talking about mines in Atlantic Canada. We are talking about infrastructure and transportation expansion in northern Canada. We are talking about infrastructure in every region of the country. Those are major projects getting close to half a trillion dollars. Speaking of half a trillion dollars, let us think about when the Prime Minister of Canada hosted the world to get investment coming into Canada just last month. We saw premiers, indigenous leaders and many other stakeholders, along with multibillionaires and people who are responsible for billions of dollars of potential investment. It was a historic meeting, where Canada received, through an investment summit chaired by the Prime Minister, half a trillion dollars because of the relationships he has developed and the efforts of our ministers and members of the caucus. That is completely unheard of in Canadian history. I have not even talked about the issue of international trade. We have passed legislation for Indonesia, Northern Ireland and England. We have other deals in the works with the Philippines and India. We have 20 other trade and security agreements with other nations. This, and a whole lot more, has all been done in the last 500-plus days that Canada has had a new Prime Minister and a new government. This includes all of the initiatives that I talked about. That is why I say with confidence that I do not have a problem comparing the current Prime Minister to any other prime minister I have had the opportunity to work with in terms of growing a stronger and a healthier Canadian economy.”

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“I do not support this Conservative motion. Our government has cut taxes, ended the carbon tax, helped first-time homebuyers, and created school food and dental programs. Conservatives complain about high costs, but they vote against all of these things. We are also building the economy by breaking down trade barriers between provinces and working with Indigenous leaders.”

“Madam Speaker, I have quite a bit to say about the motion that the opposition has brought forward. I kind of wish I had more time on it, quite frankly, because there is so much there. We as a government are very much listening to what Canadians are saying. We are listening and taking action. That is a very important thing to say at the outset, because virtually from day one, we have been bringing forward programs to deal with the affordability issue in Canada. Canada is not alone in dealing with affordability issues. As a government, led by the Prime Minister, we are addressing the issue head-on. I am going to list things we are doing to accommodate that. Before I get into that, though, I will provide a bit of commentary. I have been around Parliament Hill for a number of years now, much like the leader of the Conservative Party, and never before have I seen this. I do not know how best to describe it. Is it laziness? I do not know what drove the Conservative Party to bring forward this opposition motion. The Green Party leader just indirectly made light of it, but it is true. There really is zero merit to this opposition motion. I like to think that the members of the opposition could be a bit more creative. Conservatives talk about how long the Liberals have been in government. Let me tell them how long it has been since the Prime Minister was elected on April 28, 2025. That is 500 days. Contrast that to the over 5,000 days that the Leader of the Opposition has been around. If Conservatives want to do a comparison, I will do that. I will provide a detailed comparison so the people following this debate will better understand the degree of silliness and lazy opposition we see across the way and will see that we on the government benches are not only listening to what our constituents are saying but bringing their ideas and thoughts to the House of Commons, and actually acting on issues such as affordability. I challenge the leader of the Conservative Party on why the Conservatives continue to vote against Liberal initiatives dealing with affordability while at the same time being critical of the government for not taking actions on affordability. The Conservative Party does not make any sense. It really and truly does not. We can stop and think about how Conservatives behave inside the chamber and their voting patterns. On the one hand, they say they are concerned about affordability and are listening to Canadians. Let me give a good, tangible example. I have raised this one in the past. The Prime Minister and the government made a commitment to the children of Canada, 400,000 children. We are now making the national school nutrition program permanent. That program will provide food for the tummies of 400,000 children across the country. What kind of response have we gotten from the Conservative Party? We have had Conservatives call it a garbage program. We have had them say it is a non-existent program and that children are not being fed, but I can tell the House that it is having a real, tangible impact in every member’s constituency. As I have said before, this is not a new issue. It has been an issue since I was first elected to the Manitoba legislature, back in 1988. We have a Prime Minister who has seen the merit of having this and bringing it in as part of affordability, ensuring that children are able to learn with some nutritious food as a part of their diet. There were many situations, even back in the eighties and nineties, when children were going to school on an empty stomach. We are doing two things at the same time, and the Conservatives voted against them. Let us look at another initiative to give a break and deal with affordability. There is the program for first-time homebuyers, which got rid of the GST. That is a substantial saving for those individuals looking at purchasing a home for the first time. It does two things. One is make it more affordable. The other is help build a stronger economy through our construction industry. That means more Canadian lumber and Canadian steel. It means having more engagement with our skilled labour and unionized workers. I could talk about the dental program and how many seniors on fixed incomes have benefited from that particular program. These are seniors living in every member’s riding across the country. That helps in terms of disposable income. It makes life more affordable. As with the school program, the Conservatives continue to vote against programs such as that. We have the groceries and essentials benefit. It is a program that puts a substantial increase of money into the pockets of individuals who are at the middle and lower-end income levels, more so than the multi-millionaires in our society, to deal with the affordability issue. Members of the Conservative Party talk about tax breaks. This Prime Minister and this government have delivered on tax breaks. The very first action taken by our Prime Minister was getting rid of the carbon tax. That was the first action by this Prime Minister under a new government following the election results in April last year. If we fast-forward to the spring economic update, there was the excise tax relief on gasoline. There is a great deal of benefit, and it is not only on the issue of affordability. Canadians have recognized that one of the ways we can support the Canadian economy is by looking and travelling around Canada. Indirectly, it not only helps with the affordability issue but also encourages and promotes interprovincial and provincial travel for vacations and things of that nature. There are a number of initiatives. I did not mention the income tax break from 15% to 14%, but now I will. There are 22 million Canadians who benefited from that tax break. Those are initiatives that deal with just affordability, and they are not all of the initiatives, but all of them have taken place since we got a new Prime Minister and a new government for the people of Canada. A member opposite asked if I just got here. I guess I have a lot of similarities with the leader of the Conservative Party. Both the leader of the Conservative Party and I have been around for a long time. That is why I do not have a problem doing a comparison between the leader of the Conservative Party and the Prime Minister of Canada, who has been around for less than a year and a half. I have no problem at all doing that. I will now go on to the second stage. I just talked about the issue of affordability. Do members want to talk about what has taken place? With the issue of affordability, we have the short term and the long term. The long term might be, for example, pharmacare or the dental program, or the national food program being made permanent by this Prime Minister. There is a whole new area with regard to what we are doing to build an economy that works for all Canadians. Again, we have a Prime Minister and a government focused on building a stronger, healthier Canadian economy. Unlike what the Conservative leader says, it is not just words. Just as I illustrated regarding affordability, there are tangible actions putting money into the pockets of Canadians and increasing their disposable income. There are also tangible actions by this government and this Prime Minister that are building a stronger, healthier Canadian economy and society. This is not by choice. All we have to do is look at the last federal election. If the Conservatives were listening to their constituents, they would have found out what I and every member of the Liberal caucus found out, which is that they are concerned about Donald Trump, tariffs and trade. These are things we should all be concerned about. At the very least, I can assure those who are listening that the government has been focused on them from day one. I ask members to tell me the last time we saw a prime minister work as collaboratively with the provinces and indigenous leaders collectively, as well as other stakeholders, as we have seen this Prime Minister work over the last 18 months. I have been around, as I said, since 1988, starting in the Manitoba legislature, and there has not been a prime minister who has worked as collaboratively with stakeholders in my time as a parliamentarian. The results are there, and we continue to move forward. We have been talking about Bill C-39. There has been a great deal of debate on Bill C-39. This bill is a very important aspect of the government’s long-term and short-term agenda, because we made a commitment to Canadians that we were going to not only deal with the issue of affordability but build Canada for the future. We are talking about jobs for today and jobs for tomorrow to continue to make Canada the best country in the world to call home. What have we done? We can take a look at some of the Prime Minister’s very first actions. Even before he took his seat in the House physically, he was meeting and talking with premiers and trying to build that sense of collaboration that is necessary to be able to expand trade opportunities beyond the Canada-U.S.A. border. Let us take a look at the mandate letters. Ministers in our front benches and others, even members of the Liberal caucus in the backbenches, are all on the same page. That page is to look at ways we can expand and grow Canada’s economy and at the same time protect our environment, making sure that we are doing it in the right way, protecting indigenous rights and working collaboratively. The results are there. They are tangible We took down the federal barriers. There should be one Canadian economy. The federal barriers have been taken down to facilitate more trade between our provinces and territories. Even today, we continue to work with and encourage the provinces to do likewise and take down those interprovincial trade barriers that they need to. That has been a very high priority for this Prime Minister. We then passed Bill C-5 to allow major projects to get up and running. If we listen to the Conservatives and the silliness that comes over from them, they say we have not built any major projects, but they built 20,000 projects. What a bunch of garbage. Let us think about it. They say they built 20,000 projects. How many of them were over $1 billion? What sort of collaboration took place between the provinces, indigenous people and stakeholders to develop major projects over $1 billion? When you talk about 20,000 projects, I am working on projects. I want the Seven Oaks General Hospital—”

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“The Conservatives say they care about making life more affordable. I want the member to explain why they vote against our plans to help people with costs.”

“Madam Speaker, as we talk throughout the day about what has taken place since Canadians elected a new prime minister less than 18 months ago, it is important that we look at what the Conservative Party has done as an opposition, at the degree to which it continues to oppose affordability measures that we bring forward and to stand in the way of building a stronger and healthier Canada. Can the member clearly indicate why the Conservative Party votes against affordability measures while its members talk about the need for affordability measures?”

“The Prime Minister has worked to make life more affordable since the last election. He has been in office for about 500 days, while the Conservative leader has been in Parliament for over 8,000 days. The Prime Minister has gotten more done in his short time. I want to know why the Conservative leader keeps voting against our help for families.”

“Madam Speaker, this motion is truly amazing, and I will have a chance to talk about it shortly. The leader of the official opposition needs a reality check. The affordability issue is something the Prime Minister has been commenting on, and delivering on for Canadians since the last federal election. The Prime Minister was first elected as a member of Parliament just over 500 days ago. Let us contrast that to the 8,000-plus days that the leader of the Conservative Party has been in the House. I have no problem at all doing a comparison between the things that this Prime Minister has done in 500 days and what the Leader of the Opposition has done in over 8,000 days. Why does the leader of the Conservative Party continue to oppose Liberal Party initiatives on the issue of affordability?”

“This bill helps build a stronger economy by moving big projects forward. I want the member to share his thoughts on the government's overall plan to help Canada grow.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if my friend could provide his thoughts in regard to the overall approach that the government has taken since the last federal election. When we think about Bill C-39, it is all about advancing what we have been talking about for the last year and a half since Canadians elected a new Prime Minister, and that was to build a stronger and a healthier economy here in Canada, an economy that works for all Canadians. In order to do that, we need a substantial piece of legislation like Bill C-39. It is to enable projects to actually go ahead. We can look at the 24-plus projects that have been handed over to the Major Projects Office. We can think of the half a trillion dollars of investment at a summit that was hosted by the Prime Minister just last month. Can the member provide his thoughts on the bigger picture—”

“Canadians are worried about trade, tariffs, and Donald Trump. Canada needs to work together as a team on this. The member opposite went to the United States and said Canada should stop having a hissy fit. I want him to explain those remarks and apologize to Canadians.”

“Madam Speaker, since the last federal election, which was about 18 months ago, Canadians have been genuinely concerned about Trump, trade and tariffs. They have been on the front burner virtually from day one, and Canada needs to be able to adjust as we build a team Canada approach that involves many different stakeholders, led by the Prime Minister. The member opposite went down to the United States, and he had a meeting that upset a lot of Canadians. He told Canadians, as a mouthpiece, many would suggest, of President Trump, that we needed to stop having a “hissy fit”. I am wondering if the member would take this opportunity to provide clarity on that and apologize to Canadians for making that statement on behalf of President Trump.”

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In response to a question from Don Davies

“Our bill adds safeguards for more accountability and transparency. The NDP government in Manitoba forced 350 health care workers back to work. I want the member to say if he holds his own party to the same standards he is asking of us.”

“Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if the member would apply the very same principles he just spoke about to the Province of Manitoba, in which one minister went to the Manitoba Labour Board and forced 350 health care workers back to work. The member knows that it was Wab Kinew’s New Democratic government. The changes being made to section 107 would put in safeguards to ensure more accountability and more transparency. However, as one of my colleagues talked about, it is easy to get a quick social clip that spreads misinformation. Can the member provide his thoughts, on principle, in terms of what the Manitoba government has done with the health care workers?”

“I want the Conservatives to support this bill. It helps get major, multi-billion-dollar projects built, which creates jobs and strengthens our economy.”

“Mr. Speaker, I think the Conservative Party is being very short-sighted today in terms of the larger picture and why Bill C-39 is so critically important. When we look at what has taken place since the last federal election, we see a Prime Minister, a cabinet and a caucus as a whole looking for ways to get things built. We are not talking about $5,000 projects. We are talking billions of dollars. There are always going to be small projects, but we are talking about the bigger projects. That is why we have the Major Projects Office. Over 24 files have now been passed over to that particular office. The Prime Minister hosted an investment event, with half a trillion dollars in potential investment from around the world coming to Canada. It is all about building a stronger Canada that is healthier. When the member makes reference to jobs, it is not only about protecting jobs for today, but about building jobs for tomorrow and building a stronger economy. Does the member not recognize the bigger picture as to why Bill C-39 is important to Canada?”

“I support this bill to make September Ukrainian Heritage Month. Ukrainian Canadians have built up Winnipeg and communities across Canada for generations, and they continue to strengthen our country today.”

“Mr. Speaker, it is such a pleasure to stand and speak to an important piece of legislation, Bill S-210, as well as to thank the member for Etobicoke Centre and the Senate for advancing the legislation to where it is today. I think the member for Etobicoke Centre embodies a lot of the good things about our Ukrainian heritage community, but he does not stand alone. There are many leaders within our Ukrainian heritage community who are second to no other in their understanding of the true value of diversity. The best thing we can do here in Canada is to share our heritage. That has blessed all of us in Canada. When I think about the Ukrainian heritage community in Winnipeg, I think of individuals like Joanne Lewandosky, an outstanding Canadian with such a heart for Ukraine and a passion to share Ukrainian heritage with anyone who has an interest in the community. I represent Winnipeg North. Its strength is there today, in part, because of Ukrainian immigrants from generations ago. People can drive down streets like Main Street, Burrows Avenue and McGregor to see historical churches and cathedrals that are absolutely beautiful to walk into, not to mention inspiring. The faith that takes place every week, going back generations, contributes to building and strengthening our Ukrainian heritage community in Manitoba, which is very much alive and continues to contribute in many different ways. If people want a sense of the festivities, whether that is heritage clothing, dance or heritage buildings, they can participate in Folklorama. They have a choice, as this is one of those communities that has not one but two pavilions. In the first week, people can go to either the Kyiv pavilion or the Spirit of Ukraine pavilion, where there are performances to sold-out audiences for seven days, with four or five shows a day, depending on whether it is a Saturday or a weekday. They are virtually sold out all of the time. There is a sense of excitement because people relate to the types of food. Personally, I found out when I was in Kyiv that pierogi are actually called varenyky. I can tell colleagues about the delighted faces one witnesses when people are biting down on borscht and pierogi. I would argue that the best pierogi in the world come from the north end of Winnipeg, from the many volunteers in the basements of our churches. The performances, whether of dance or other arts, provide education on what is taking place in Europe today, which has already been referenced significantly, or just how our Ukrainian heritage community has made Canada a better society. All of this can be experienced over the two wonderful weeks of Folklorama, as it has every summer in Winnipeg for the last 50-plus years now. In terms of contributions to labour and the economy, I think of the late Leo Ledohowski, founder of Canad Inns, a prominent fixture in Winnipeg and beyond, from a business perspective. I think of the Ukrainian Labour Temple, which was constructed back in 1918 or 1919. It still stands today as a heritage site, and it is used, well used, by not only our Ukrainian heritage community but even the newer communities and our first nations. It is a focal point. It is one of the jewels of Winnipeg’s north end. It is not just the north end of Winnipeg that has benefited but some of our rural communities, such as Dauphin, in good part as a result of our Ukrainian heritage community and the many contributions it continues to make. I could talk about those families that have been there for over 100 years, or I could talk about those who have settled over the last few years because of the war taking place in Europe today. I want to let those settlers know that they have advocates here in Ottawa who recognize the valuable contributions they make to Canadian society. There are the many rural northern communities in the Interlake. I see that my colleague from Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman is here. If members go to Gimli, to Winnipeg Beach or to many of these communities, they will see that the settlers from the last few years are bringing more life to our Ukrainian heritage community. It is important that we do what we can to support them. I feel a great sense of pride in the many contributions of this community that many of us feel very passionately about, 1.3 million people of Ukrainian heritage, and many more of non-Ukrainian heritage, who contribute to making Canada what it is today. Recognizing September as a month to celebrate and recognize Ukrainian contributions is, I think, a very strong, positive thing we can do. It would provide many opportunities to recognize the community and would say to schools, to people in the workforce and to our employers that in Ottawa, in the House of Commons, we designate the month of September as an opportunity to show love for and to cherish the many contributions of our Ukrainian heritage community here in Canada. I have found that the more we recognize the rich heritage that makes up Canadian heritage, and the more we celebrate it and promote it, the better we are as a nation. That is why I am pleased to stand today and support what the member for Etobicoke Centre has brought before the House. It would make a difference in recognizing our diversity and honouring the past, today and into the future. It is of great value for every Canadian when we do things of this nature. I thank all those who were involved in making today possible, and having this bill. Slava Ukraini.”

In response to a question from Alexis Deschênes

“We need union workers and skilled trades programs to build a stronger Canada. I want the member to share her thoughts on this.”

“Mr. Speaker, over the last 18 months, whether it has been a minister or the Prime Minister, we have heard about how we are going to build a stronger and healthier Canada. A major component of that is unionized labour. We constantly hear about the government’s desire to encourage, promote and get unionized labour involved in the building of a stronger Canada because we cannot do it without it. We have excellent programs such as the Red Seal program, and the enhancement and promotion of it. I am wondering if the member can provide her thoughts on that aspect of labour.”