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Employment

Question period focused on newly released unemployment figures. Conservatives said Canada has lost over 112,000 jobs this year, with youth unemployment at its highest level since 1976 and student unemployment at 16%, and asked the government to change course, stop spending, and get out of the way so young people can find jobs and homes. Liberals responded that a trade war with the United States is threatening jobs, and pointed to government measures including training for 100,000 skilled trades workers, 100,000 summer jobs, extended employment insurance for seasonal workers, tax cuts, and major investments in housing, roads and defence; they also cited the IMF’s view of Canada’s fiscal position and the Prime Minister’s meeting with a tariff-affected company, Enertec. Conservatives countered that spending and deficits were costing jobs, noting losses in construction, natural resources, manufacturing and in Quebec specifically.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

12 statements

Garnett Genuis

Conservative
“Canada has lost 112,000 jobs this year, and student unemployment is at 16%. Conservatives have solutions, but the government ignores them. I want the Prime Minister to act on these job numbers.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, today’s unemployment numbers bring more troubling news. It is more job losses, more pain and more of the same, with 112,000 job losses so far this year. Unemployment is up. Youth unemployment is surging. Student unemployment is at a whopping 16%. Conservatives are putting forward constructive solutions. Liberals are ignoring them. Are these job numbers finally enough to wake up the Prime Minister?

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Ryan Turnbull

Liberal
“Our government is helping Canadian workers. We are spending money to train and hire up to 100,000 skilled trades workers. We are also funding 100,000 summer jobs for young people.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 39 of 100

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

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  • Government answer in Question Period

    Signal 40 of 100

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

    See full analysis

  • A repeated line

    “That is how we build Canada strong.”

    Said 20 times by 14 members since April 23.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, being in a trade war means that we are all rightly concerned about jobs in Canada. On this side, we want workers across the country to have good incomes and high-paying careers for generations. That is exactly what Canadians need. Unlike the Conservatives, we do not just wail and scream in the House. We are doing the hard work to support workers. We are investing in recruiting, training and hiring up to 100,000 more skilled trades workers, and we have supported Canada summer jobs, which has increased and has offered 100,000 youth jobs across the country. That is how we build Canada strong. That is how we support workers.

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Garnett Genuis

Conservative
“Canada is losing thousands of jobs in construction, natural resources, and manufacturing. We need skilled trades workers, but they need jobs. Why is the government hurting our economy and killing these jobs?”

  • A repeated line

    “Clearly, the plan is not working.”

    Said 4 times by 4 members since May 8.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have been putting forward very specific, constructive solutions from the very beginning. The Liberal plan is not working. The member spoke about skilled trades. The reality is that, in the last month, we lost 15,700 jobs in construction alone and thousands of jobs in natural resources, utilities and manufacturing. We need skilled trades workers, and we need jobs for those skilled trades workers to work in. Why is the government killing opportunity for skilled trades workers and others with its continuing failures on the economy?

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Ryan Turnbull

Liberal

Linked statement

“Conservatives complain, but they have no plan to help workers and they vote against our ideas. Our government is investing billions of dollars to create hundreds of thousands of jobs.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as usual, Conservatives in the House complain every day but they do not have any plan to support Canada’s prosperity. They do not have any plan to support Canadian workers and families, and they vote against every single measure we put forward. We are making generational investments in this country. Just take the 15 major projects that have been announced. That is going to be $125 billion of new investment and 60,000 jobs. Just take the defence industrial strategy. That is 125,000 jobs. The Canada summer jobs program is 100,000 jobs. Those are all tangible programs and initiatives that—

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Grant Jackson

Conservative
“Youth unemployment is at 14.3 percent, the highest it has been since 1976. I want to know what the government is going to do to help young people find jobs.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the unemployment numbers are in for April, and Canadians are devastated, particularly young Canadians. After being forced to watch Liberal spending grow month over month, young Canadians continue to see job losses month over month. In April alone, youth unemployment rose to 14.3%, and student unemployment is over 16%. More young Canadians are unemployed now than at any time since 1976. This is a crisis for young people. Where is the urgency from the Liberal government to deal with this? Is the plan simply to keep young Canadians unemployed, homeless, desperate and reliant on Liberal government programs to stay alive?

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Ryan Turnbull

Liberal
“A trade war threatens our jobs. Our government is spending money on housing, roads, and defence to protect workers and create careers. We are also training 100,000 new skilled trades workers.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the trade war is definitely threatening Canadian jobs. We are all aware of that. I do not know why it is a sudden realization for the Conservatives. On this side of the House, we take those threats seriously. That is why we are stepping up to help workers with generational investments in housing, infrastructure, defence, innovation and productivity, which are creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying careers for Canadians across Canada, while at the same time we are helping people access those careers by recruiting, training and hiring up to 100,000 new skilled trades workers. That is how we build the country that we all love.

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Grant Jackson

Conservative
“Youth unemployment is over 14 percent, and housing construction is down. Businesses are investing in other countries instead of Canada. The government needs to get out of the way so young Canadians can find jobs and homes.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the numbers speak for themselves. Jobs among young people are down, not up, despite what that member has to say in the House. Young Canadians want a job and a home they can afford, neither of which they can get after 10 years of the same tired Liberals. Youth unemployment is over 14%. Housing starts are down. No new major projects are approved, and more Canadians are investing in the U.S. and the EU than in Canada. No Liberal social program is going to fix that. We need a competitive market so that investors can invest, builders can build and young Canadians can get to work. When will the Liberals get out of the way so that young Canadians can get to work and build this country?

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Ryan Turnbull

Liberal
“The Conservatives celebrate when Canadians lose their jobs. Our government cares, and we are helping workers. We extended employment insurance for seasonal workers, lowered taxes for workers, and are helping train 100,000 new skilled trades workers.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 30 of 100

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

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  • Government answer in Question Period

    Signal 31 of 100

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

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the job numbers come in every month. It seems that the Conservatives rejoice too much when there are job losses in this country. Why are they so jovial and celebratory when they hear that Canadians are losing jobs? On this side of the House, we are empathetic to what Canadians are going through and we are stepping up to support them with real support: extending EI for seasonal workers, increasing tax deductions for workers that they need and helping to recruit, train and hire 100,000 new skilled trades workers. That is real support.

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Bernard Généreux

Conservative
“The Prime Minister spends too much money and raises taxes, and people are losing jobs because of it. I want him to stop wasting money and grow the economy instead.”

  • Opposition question in Question Period

    Signal 23 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, here is the definition of this costly Liberal Prime Minister: more agencies, more taxes, more spending, more credit card spending, more interest payments on the credit card and more job losses. It is always the same old story. The proof is that, after 11 years of Liberal government, all that the government is doing right now is losing jobs. When will the Prime Minister realize that throwing money down the drain is not the way to grow the economy?

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Ryan Turnbull

Liberal
“Our government is being careful with its money. The International Monetary Fund says Canada has the strongest financial position among G7 nations. We are using that strong position to invest in Canadians.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 88 of 100

    Of this answer, 91% addressed the question that was asked.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the premise of the member’s question is patently false. This government is exercising fiscal restraint and discipline. We have the strongest fiscal position. Members opposite can say whatever they want, but the International Monetary Fund, one of the experts at analyzing world economies, has said that Canada has the strongest fiscal position in the G7. We are using that fiscal capacity, just as has been recommended by the IMF, to support Canadians by making generational investments that—

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Bernard Généreux

Conservative
“The Liberals doubled the deficit and Canada is losing tens of thousands of jobs each month. Quebec has lost 91,000 jobs this year alone. It is the government's fault, and they should not claim things are fine.”

  • Opposition question in Question Period

    Respect 89 of 100

    This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “The current Prime Minister is an illusion”.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, he is talking about fiscal restraint when the Liberals just doubled Canada’s deficit. The current Prime Minister is an illusion. Contrary to what my colleague is saying, Canada is currently shedding jobs by the tens of thousands every month. Quebec alone lost 43,000 jobs in April, bringing the total job losses in 2026 in Quebec to 91,000. That is the fault of Liberal management. How can the Liberals then turn around and say that everything is fine? It is unbelievable. It is impossible.

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Madeleine Chenette

Liberal
“Our government is working hard to protect jobs. The Prime Minister met with Enertec, a company hurt by unfair American tariffs. The company thanked him for supporting Canadian-made goods, which will help keep their workers employed next year.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 45 of 100

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

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that, on this side of the House, we are working hard for jobs. That is why, this week, the Prime Minister met with people from Enertec, a company that is facing difficulties because of the unjustified U.S. tariffs. The company’s CEO, Julie Desrosiers, thanked the Prime Minister for promoting the buy Canadian movement in Canada and for all the innovation they will be able to carry out. They are confident that they can build and have jobs for the next year for Enertec employees.

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