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Finance

Question period focused on federal finances and upcoming budget decisions. Conservative members said Liberal spending has driven up debt and interest costs, citing $55.6 billion a year in interest — more than the cost of the Canada health transfer — and said the government should cut spending in next week’s budget update. Liberal ministers responded that Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7 and repeatedly asked Conservatives to name which specific programs they would cut, listing dental care, school food, the child benefit and other supports. No new ground was settled; the exchange stayed on that question of where cuts would come from.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

8 statements

Jason Groleau

Conservative

Linked statement

“Liberal overspending is driving up interest rates. Canadians will pay $55.6 billion in interest this year alone. I want the Prime Minister to end these deficits in next week's budget update.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, a buddy is a buddy. The Liberals’ inflationary deficits are costing Canadians dearly. Canadians will pay $55.6 billion in interest this year alone to the Prime Minister’s banker buddies. That $55.6 billion even exceeds the cost of the Canada health transfer. The Bank of Canada has been clear that the high interest rates are a direct result of the Liberal debt. The fiscal update is next week. Will the Prime Minister put an end to the Liberals’ inflationary deficit, yes or no?

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Steven MacKinnon

Liberal
“I want to hear what spending cuts the member suggests we make.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as I just indicated to the member’s colleague, we are more than willing to hear what cuts the member opposite might propose, and we look forward to receiving his suggestions.

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Luc Berthold

Conservative
“The Prime Minister is spending too much money. Canada now pays $55.6 billion a year just in interest on the debt, which costs every family $3,300. That money should go to health care and families instead. I want to know if the Prime Minister will cut spending next week.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have already cribbed many of our ideas. The Liberal Prime Minister has completely lost control of public finances. He has added $90 billion in new spending. We are paying $55.6 billion a year just in interest on the debt. That is more than what the GST brings in. It is more than health care transfers. What this means for the public is that money is not going to patients or families. Every family is already paying $3,300 a year just in interest. Next week, during the fiscal update, will the Prime Minister change course, or will he doom Canadians to pay even more for his Liberal spending?

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Steven MacKinnon

Liberal
“I want the member to show us the list of spending he thinks causes inflation. Does he think dental care, school lunches, or help for Quebec workers cause inflation?”

  • Government answer in Question Period

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

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we are a bit puzzled over here. Is dental care an inflationary expense? Are school meal programs an inflationary expense? Is support for Quebec workers and industries that are feeling the pinch from the U.S. tariffs an inflationary expense? What exactly are these inflationary expenses? Where is the document that the member intends to table to provide a detailed list of the inflationary expenses he would like to debate here in the House?

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Luc Berthold

Conservative
“The government is spending too much money, which causes higher debt, inflation, and interest rates. I want the government to get its spending under control to help families.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, there is 90 billion dollars’ worth of new spending. The list is too long to read in 30 seconds. The Liberal Prime Minister can say everything is fine, as he did on March 25, but he is living in a fantasy world. Federal spending is at its highest level since 1996. Two-thirds of new spending is not even being used to invest, but rather to keep the Liberal government machine running. The result is higher debt, higher inflation and higher interest rates. That is what the Bank of Canada says. Every dollar wasted means a dollar less in Canadians’ pockets. When will the Liberal government finally get its spending under control and give families some breathing room?

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Steven MacKinnon

Liberal
“I want the member to say which of our spending programs causes inflation. Is it our support for children, school food, groceries, workers, or seniors?”

  • 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

    “Is it the Canada child benefit?”

    Said 7 times by 3 members since April 23.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, perhaps a multiple choice question would help the member. Is it the Canada child benefit? That is $6 billion. Is it Canada’s national school food program? That is $400 million. Is the Canada groceries and essentials benefit an inflationary expense? The Canada workers benefit is $3 billion. The old age security program is $7.5 billion. Which of those choices do the member and his leader see as inflationary spending?

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Bernard Généreux

Conservative
“The government is spending too much money and adding to the debt. Interest on this debt costs every family over $3,300 a year. I want the government to cut its spending.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it seems that many people do not realize that it is easy to announce one program after another, but, at the end of the day, it all goes on the government’s credit card, with no real limit. However, there is, in fact, a limit. An unpaid credit card balance at the end of the month means interest charges. It always means more spending and more deficits. The interest charges amount to over $3,300 a year for every family. When will the Liberals finally get their spending under control and cut it back so that Canadians can make ends meet?

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Joël Lightbound

Liberal
“Canada has the strongest economy in the G7. I want the Conservatives to say what spending they want to cut. Do they want to cut dental care, child benefits, or military pay?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I hold my colleague from Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata in high regard, but the International Monetary Fund is clear: Canada has the strongest fiscal position of any G7 country. Nevertheless, I find my colleague’s questions interesting. What do the Conservatives consider to be inflationary spending? Would it be, as their leader suggests, depriving 39,142 citizens in his constituency of the Canadian dental care plan, which saves them up to $1,200 a year on dental visits? Is it depriving the residents of his constituency of the $87 million received by 12,000 families through the Canada child benefit? Is it cutting the pay of men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces, as the Conservatives did for so many years? We would like to know.

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