Translate Politics Parliament in plain language.

Finance

Question period focused on the government’s latest economic update, particularly the size of the federal deficit. The Conservative leader said the Prime Minister had doubled the previous deficit to $65 billion, that debt interest would cost families thousands of dollars, and repeatedly asked whether the government would stop spending and admit its economic choices were hurting Canadians. The Prime Minister replied that half the measures in the update were aimed at affordability, that the deficit had been reduced by $11 billion and debt lowered despite tariff and trade pressures, and pointed to savings, lower gas prices, grocery benefit cheques, and co-operation with provinces on energy and nuclear power. The exchange also featured repeated comparisons to Justin Trudeau’s record from the Conservative side and references to each side’s past positions and votes.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

12 statements

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative

Linked statement

“The Prime Minister is spending too much money and driving up the deficit to 65 billion dollars. This debt will cost every Canadian family 3,400 dollars in interest. I want to know if he will ever stop spending.”

  • A repeated line

    “The Prime Minister is just another Liberal.”

    Said 22 times by 14 members since April 23.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, more costs, more taxes, more debt, more money on the credit card: This Prime Minister is just another Liberal. He has doubled Justin Trudeau’s $31‑billion deficit to $65 billion, with $27 billion in new spending this year alone. Now he is forcing Canadians to pay $3,400 per family in interest on the debt. Is there any limit on the Liberal credit card?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A– View analysis

Mark Carney

Liberal
“Our economic update will make Canada stronger and more independent. Half of our plan will make life more affordable for Canadians. Our government's finances are the strongest in the G7.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 37 of 100

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

    See full analysis

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Clarity 30 of 100

    Much of this statement used imprecise wording, lacked details on timing or responsibility, or made broad claims without support.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, there are no limits when it comes to what is possible for Canada. The economic update is the next step in our plan to make Canada stronger, more resilient and more independent. Half of the initiatives that we are implementing are designed to make life more affordable for Canadians, and we are strengthening Canada’s fiscal position, which is the strongest in the G7.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade C View analysis

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“The Prime Minister has doubled the deficit and caused high food prices. Canada is now spending $60 billion on debt interest, which is more than we spend on health care. I want to know why.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, he just stole Justin Trudeau’s talking points, although he has doubled Mr. Trudeau’s deficit. Not only has this Prime Minister left Canadians with the worst food inflation in the G7, but his costly credit card budget is forcing Canadian families to pay $60 billion in interest on our debt. That is more than the government spends on health care and more than it collects in GST. Canadians are paying more to bankers than they are to nurses and doctors. Why?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A+ View analysis

Mark Carney

Liberal
“Our government is focused on the future. We have a plan to grow our economy and keep our government finances strong.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 33 of 100

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

    See full analysis

  • 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 sort of understand why the Leader of the Opposition is obsessed with my predecessor and obsessed with the past, but our government is focused on the future of this great country. We have a plan to strengthen our economic growth, which is the second fastest in the G7, and to strengthen our fiscal position, which is the best in the G7. We are going to build Canada strong for all.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade C View analysis

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“The Prime Minister has doubled the deficit. He is adding more debt and taxes, and families now pay $3,000 each just for the interest. Will the government stop spending so much?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it is just that the Liberal Prime Minister has gone from writing Justin Trudeau’s policies to plagiarizing his talking points. Actually, that is not fair to Justin Trudeau. This Liberal Prime Minister has done the impossible: He has doubled the deficit that Trudeau left behind. There is more cost, more debt, more taxes, more on the national credit card and more interest payments for Canadians. Once again, with Canadians spending $3,000 per family on interest for the debt, is there any limit on the Liberal credit card?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade B+ View analysis

Mark Carney

Liberal
“Even with trade conflicts and foreign wars, we lowered the deficit by $11 billion and reduced our debt. We will save Canadians $60 billion and cut spending on outside consultants by 20%.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, in the face of a tariff war, and in the face of an actual war, this government has reduced the deficit by $11 billion. This government has reduced the level of debt across the entire forecast horizon. This government is on track to deliver $60 billion of savings for Canadians. This government is on track to reduce spending on consultants by 20%. This government will build Canada strong for all.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A– View analysis

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“The Prime Minister planned for a $31-billion deficit this year, but yesterday he announced a $65-billion deficit instead. The government is spending too much money and mismanaging the country's finances.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the deficit Justin Trudeau had provided for this year was $31 billion. Yesterday, the Liberal Prime Minister provided a deficit of $65 billion, and 65 is bigger than 31. I will speak slowly for the Liberal mathematicians on the other side of the House. As The Globe and Mail said, “In the upside-down land of the Liberals, a spending spree is a spending cut, blowing a windfall of billions of dollars is prudent and failing to prepare for a fiscal storm is, well, just good management.”

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A View analysis

Mark Carney

Liberal
“Our government is focused on lowering costs for Canadians. Half of our new plan helps with affordability. On June 5, 12 million people will get money for groceries and basic needs. Gas costs less now. We are also spending record money to train young workers for skilled jobs.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 46 of 100

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

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I will not go there. This government is focused on affordability. Half of the measures in the update are to make life more affordable for Canadians. On June 5, I look forward to 12 million Canadians getting a cheque to help with groceries and essentials. There is also the lower cost of gasoline. We are building the country strong for all, including Canada’s youth with the biggest investment in apprenticeships in our history.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade B View analysis

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“The Liberals said borrowing more money would help the economy, but Canada now has the worst growth, the highest housing costs, and the most debt in the G7. The Prime Minister is making the same mistakes with more debt and higher taxes. Will he admit that Canadians are paying for this?”

  • A repeated line

    “The highest housing costs and the second-highest unemployment in the G7.”

    Said 15 times by 12 members since April 27.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, these Liberals are like the Bourbon dynasty: They learn nothing, and they forget nothing. Over the last decade, they told us that if we racked up the credit card, somehow it would grow the economy. What did we get? We got the worst growth in the G7, the highest housing costs in the G7, the worst household debt in in the G7 and the worst investment per worker in the G7. Now, it is déjà vu all over again with the Prime Minister repeating exactly the same policies: more debt, more costs, more taxes. He is just another Liberal. Will the Prime Minister recognize that Canadians are paying for his mistakes?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A View analysis

Mark Carney

Liberal
“The Conservatives voted against child care, medicine coverage, dental care, and grocery rebates. Our economy is growing faster than almost any other major country, and Canadians will remember that.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 0 of 100

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

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Canadians will not forget that the member opposite voted against child care, voted against pharmacare, voted against dental care and voted against the groceries and essentials benefit, for which Canadians are going to see $500 cheques in a few weeks. Canadians will see the second-strongest growing economy in the G7. Conservatives would like to forget.

View on ourcommons.ca View analysis

Pierre Poilievre

Conservative
“The Prime Minister has been wrong about the economy for ten years. His choices on taxes, oil, and spending make life cost more for Canadians. I want him to admit his mistakes.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, this Liberal Prime Minister has been wrong about every major economic issue of the last decade. He was wrong to push for bigger and broader carbon taxes, wrong to say that we should leave 50% of our oil in the ground, wrong to oppose the northern gateway pipeline, wrong to say COVID would lead to deflation, wrong to say money printing would not raise the cost and wrong to say that affordability is the best that it has been in a decade. He keeps getting it wrong. Yesterday, he repeated the same mistakes. When will he realize that the more he gets it wrong, the more the Canadian people have to pay?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A View analysis

Mark Carney

Liberal
“The member has been wrong about many things. Our government is working well with Alberta on energy and with Ontario on nuclear power to make Canada strong.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 7 of 100

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

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, he was wrong on crypto, wrong on Brexit and I could go on. However, does he know what this government is right on? It is about co-operative federalism. We are working with the great Province of Alberta to make sure that Canadian energy powers the world. It is about ensuring our competitiveness. It is about working with the Province of Ontario, and a premier who picks up my phone calls and works with us to put Darlington new nuclear into power. It is about building Canada strong for all.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade F View analysis

Discussion

No comments yet

See the full discussion

Comment rules

More from sitting 113

All 34 items ·
  1. Oral Questions Finance 12 statements
  2. Oral Questions International Trade 5 statements
  3. Oral Questions Finance 14 statements
  4. Oral Questions Labour 4 statements
  5. Oral Questions Finance 10 statements
  6. Oral Questions Infrastructure 3 statements
  7. Oral Questions Finance 19 statements
  8. Oral Questions The Economy 2 statements
  9. Oral Questions Finance 7 statements
  10. Oral Questions Indigenous Affairs 2 statements
  11. Oral Questions Finance 2 statements
  12. Oral Questions Veterans Affairs 2 statements
  13. Oral Questions Privilege 2 statements
  14. Government Orders Weights and Measures Act 28 statements
  15. Private Members' Business Preventing Coercion of Persons Not Seeking Medical Assistance in Dying Act 12 statements
  16. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  17. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 5 statements
  18. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements