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The Economy

During question period on the economy, Conservatives said Canada has been in recession for three of the last four quarters, that affordability has worsened, that thousands of Canadians have turned to GoFundMe campaigns for basic needs, and that government taxes and spending are to blame; they asked the government to reverse these policies and cancel spending. Liberal ministers replied that Canada has recorded its highest foreign direct investment and second-fastest growth in the G7, pointed to investments in housing, LNG projects and jobs, and cited programs such as the groceries and essentials benefit, dental care and the Canada child benefit, noting that Conservatives voted against those measures. Some Conservative questions also criticized the Prime Minister’s spending on travel.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

12 statements

Branden Leslie

Conservative
“Canada's economy has shrunk for three out of four quarters, putting us in a recession. Life is not affordable for Canadians. I want the Prime Minister to reverse the policies that caused this.”

  • A repeated line

    “Will the Prime Minister reverse his costly policies causing this crisis so Canadians can afford to live again?”

    Said 7 times by 7 members since June 10.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has said affordability is the best it has been in decades, but normal, hard-working, everyday Canadians know that is simply not true. Meat Loaf famously once sang Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, but, surely, three out of four is not good. That is certainly true when it comes to economic decline, but that is exactly what the Prime Minister has given us. He has given us three out of four quarters of negative economic growth, making us the only G20 nation in a recession. What is the Liberals’ response? They are downplaying it as nothing more than just a technicality. Will the Prime Minister reverse his costly policies that caused this crisis so that Canadians can afford to live again?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“Canada's economy is doing well. We brought in a record amount of foreign investment in 2025, and our growth is second in the G7. We are spending money on housing, building projects, and defence.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 42 of 100

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

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  • A repeated line

    “We are going to build Canada strong.”

    Said 33 times by 14 members since April 24.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I can see on the Conservatives’ faces today that they are not very happy, but let me bring them good news, because the country wants good news. In fact, in 2025, Canada received the highest level of foreign direct investment. That is Canada. We have the second-fastest growth in the G7. We have made generational investments in housing, infrastructure, productivity, innovation and defence. We are going to build Canada strong. Let them get on board. We are going to build this country.

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Branden Leslie

Conservative
“Canadians cannot afford homes or basic needs, and thousands are asking strangers online for money to survive. I want the Prime Minister to admit his plan has failed.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we have a new top export out of this country. It is announcements and MOUs. Not that long ago, Canadians used to dream of buying a home. Now, under the Liberal Prime Minister, many are starting GoFundMe pages just to pay for essential items for life. In the last five months, 15,000 Canadians had to ask strangers online for help to pay for basic things. Food banks are overwhelmed and families are one emergency away from begging people for help. If the Prime Minister thinks his plan is working, he is badly out of touch with those paying the price. Will he finally admit that his affordability plan has failed, or does he now think GoFundMe—

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“Canadians care about the high cost of rent, food, and gas. We took action by spending money on cheap housing, sending grocery payments to 12 million people, and cutting the tax on fuel.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not want another clip. They do not want just another question. They want action. That is exactly what we have done on this side of the House. Canadians are concerned about the cost of rent, the cost of food and the cost of gas. That is exactly what we have tackled. We have made record investments in affordable housing, we have just sent the groceries benefit to more than 12 million Canadians and we have suspended the excise fuel tax on gas. We understand what Canadians want, and we will deliver for Canadians. Every day is a good day to fight for Canadians.

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Gabriel Hardy

Conservative
“Canadians are struggling with the cost of living, and thousands have had to ask online for money to pay for food and rent. I want the Liberals to admit their spending made this crisis worse.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said here in the House that the cost of living is the best it has been in a decade, but that has not been Canadians’ experience. According to a CBC article, some people have even resorted to starting GoFundMe campaigns to pay for basic necessities. Roughly 15,000 crowdfunding campaigns have been launched to help people pay for their groceries, rent and even some medical emergencies. After 11 years of reckless Liberal spending, Quebeckers now have to resort to asking for charity to survive. Will the Liberals finally admit that they greatly accelerated the current crisis?

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François-Philippe Champagne

Liberal
“The Conservatives did not support our programs to help Canadians with the cost of food, child care, and raising children. We were there to help people, but they were not.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 0 of 100

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

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  • Government answer in Question Period

    Signal 0 of 100

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

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, what the people watching at home today are seeing is the Conservatives’ hypocrisy. Where were the Conservatives when we launched the Canada child benefit, the national school food program, the Canada disability benefit and the Canada groceries and essentials benefit? Where were they when we launched the Canada-wide early learning and child care program? Where were they when we launched the Canada workers benefit? They were nowhere to be found, but we were there for Canadians.

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Gabriel Hardy

Conservative

Linked statement

“The government's grocery program does not give people enough money to cover rising food costs. I want the Prime Minister to review these policies and cancel the spending that caused our recession.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals rise here to talk to us about programs when we are asking them to stop doing what is not working and to make decisions so that Canadians can finally make ends meet. Let us look at one of their programs. Their groceries program will pay out $16.50 twice a year to Canadians who earn $53,000, yet the cost of groceries has increased by $1,000 in one year for a family of four. Will the Prime Minister reconnect with ordinary people, review these policies and cancel all their spending over the past year that has plunged Canada into a recession?

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Joël Lightbound

Liberal
“Conservatives pretend to care, but they vote against measures that help people. The child benefit paid 80 million dollars to over 13,000 families in the member's riding, but he voted against it.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Signal 35 of 100

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

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  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 100 of 100

    Of this answer, 100% addressed the question that was asked.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, in response to my colleague, I would say that what is not working is the Conservatives. They stand up and pretend to show empathy, but when it comes time to vote for concrete measures that help their constituents, they vote against them at every turn. I encourage my colleague to do some math. In his riding, the Canada child benefit, which he voted against, paid out $80 million to 13,245 families. He should do the math, and then we will see if he can stand up and tell me that this has no impact on the lives of his constituents.

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Shannon Stubbs

Conservative
“Canadians are struggling with high living costs and job losses because of government taxes and spending. Canada is in a recession. I want the Prime Minister to change these economic policies.”

  • A repeated line

    “Canada is the only G20 country in a recession.”

    Said 104 times by 61 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister claims that affordability is the best it has been in decades, but he should say that to the faces of the 1.5 million jobless Canadians, the 60% of people who are anxious about their finances and the 15,000 people who now use GoFundMe to pay for basics. Liberal taxes and inflationary spending hike the cost of living. Antidevelopment laws drive out jobs, innovation and $1 trillion in investment, like in the last five quarters. Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. When will the self-identified European PM reverse his costly recession policies so that Canadians here at home can afford to thrive, not just survive?

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Tim Hodgson

Liberal
“Natural gas projects are creating thousands of jobs and will start producing gas soon. Another project is starting soon with 1,000 more jobs. The Conservatives should support this work.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 39 of 100

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

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the Minister of Finance, is not the only person who has good news today. I want to let members know that the 2,000 workers at Woodfibre LNG are working hard, and they will be producing new LNG in 2027. By the way, the 1,000 workers at Cedar LNG are also working hard, and they will be producing new LNG in 2028. More good news is that the sunrise project is going to start turning sod in a couple of weeks for another 1,000 workers. Maybe the Conservatives can get on board and start helping to build.

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Shannon Stubbs

Conservative
“Canadians are struggling to afford food and heat while the Prime Minister spends huge amounts of public money on luxury travel. I want him to stop this spending so life becomes more affordable.”

  • A repeated line

    “Enough to feed a family for 55 years.”

    Said 5 times by 5 members since June 11.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the fact is that more Canadians than ever before need food banks and have to choose between eating, heating and driving. In a year, the PM spent $1 million on inflight cushy caviar catering for him and his cronies. That is enough to feed a family of four for 55 years. On one trip, he spent 175,000 tax dollars, which is 92% more than most people make in a year, if they have jobs at all. While he makes families spend over 120% of their income on rent and food alone, when will the PM cut inflationary spending and his luxury, high-flying lifestyle so that Canadians can afford to live and young Canadians can hope for their futures?

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Steven MacKinnon

Liberal
“We try to help Canadians by funding dental care, food, and child benefits, and by bringing back jobs from other countries. The Conservatives vote against these programs and criticize us when we defend Canada in trade disputes. What are they actually for?”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 0 of 100

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

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  • A repeated line

    “Dental care and the Canada child benefit.”

    Said 3 times by 3 members since June 2.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Canadians watching are somewhat confused, because every time we propose a measure to help vulnerable Canadians, like the groceries and essentials benefit, dental care or the Canada child benefit, the Conservatives vote against it. When we are attacked with an unjustified, illegal trade war, what do Conservatives say? They say we are throwing a hissy fit. When we put more measures in place and when the Prime Minister goes abroad to bring back jobs and investment, the Conservatives are against them. I ask again, what are the Conservatives for?

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