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Foreign Investment

During question period, members debated foreign investment in Canada. Conservatives said more money is leaving the country than coming in, citing figures of $17 billion in the first quarter and over $1 trillion since 2015, and argued taxes, red tape and Liberal policies were driving investors away, pointing to the Prime Minister’s own investments in the United States and asking when barriers would be cut. Liberal ministers replied that foreign direct investment is near 20-year highs, citing $97 billion last year, a Saab-Bombardier partnership creating 3,000 jobs, and billions invested in mines and projects, and said Canada is a top destination for investment in the G7.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

13 statements

Lianne Rood

Conservative
“More money is leaving Canada than coming in. Over $1 trillion has left since 2015 because of the Prime Minister's policies. I want to know if the Liberals want Canada to attract jobs and investment or not.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, StatsCan confirmed another $17-billion exodus for the start of the year. That is more money leaving Canada than is coming in. Over $1 trillion has left since 2015. The Prime Minister is pitching Canada as an investment hub, all while his policies are the most restrictive in the G7 for foreign capital. It is almost like he does not know what he is doing. Let us start with the basics. Do the Liberals believe that Canada should be a country that is a magnet for jobs and capital, or do they think that Canada should be a country where ambitions go to die?

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Maninder Sidhu

Liberal
“Foreign investment in Canada is near a 20-year high. Last year, outside companies invested $97 billion here. This money pays for major projects, like Airbus planes in Quebec, and supports thousands of jobs.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, investments coming into Canada are at record levels, actually close to 20-year highs. Last year alone, there was $97 billion of foreign direct investment into Canada. That is more major projects being built. That is major, big aircraft being built here in Canada. Airbus has a current deal with Mirabel. That is 150 Airbus aircraft, sold for over $15 billion, supporting 30,000 workers. That is $97 billion into our country. Building big projects is what Canada is going to do.

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Lianne Rood

Conservative
“The Prime Minister keeps 91% of his personal investments in the United States. Liberal policies are driving jobs and money out of Canada and into the US. I want to know if the government is hurting our economy just to make the Prime Minister richer.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, let me make this simple for my colleague, who just totally missed the point. The Prime Minister, his boss, holds 91% of his personal investments in the United States. Deep down, it feels like the Liberals know that they have purposely built a failing economy that is driving jobs, capital and opportunity straight out of Canada, straight to the United States, where the Prime Minister keeps his money. Let me ask this: Are they doing this to help him cash in and get rich quick, while the rest of us take the hit?

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Mélanie Joly

Liberal
“A Swedish company and a Canadian company are working together to build military surveillance planes. This will create 3,000 jobs across the country.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I would like to share good news, which is important, in order to make the point that my colleague is missing right now. Yesterday, we were able to announce 3,000 new jobs across the country. Why? It is because Saab, a Swedish company, decided to work with Bombardier, a Canadian company, and deliver, for the first time, a surveillance plane, and that will bring Canada back into military aerospace. Our defence industrial strategy will create jobs across the country, in every single province represented here in the House of Commons chamber.

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Mark Strahl

Conservative
“Over one trillion dollars in investment has left Canada under this government, which hurts Canadian jobs. The Prime Minister keeps most of his own money invested in the United States. I want to know if his trip to New York helps Canadians or just his own wealth.”

  • Opposition question in Question Period

    Respect 84 of 100

    This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “just there to check up on his own portfolio”.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is off to New York for what even the CBC calls a straight-up networking trip. Perhaps he will meet with his friends at Brookfield Asset Management there. Like so many other investors, they fled Bay Street for Wall Street, with Main Street in Canada paying the price. Over the last Liberal decade, more than $1 trillion in investment has left Canada. That means lost jobs and lost wages for Canadian workers. The Prime Minister himself holds 91% of his personal investments in the United States. Is he in New York for Canadians, or is he just there to check up on his own portfolio?

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Tim Hodgson

Liberal
“Big companies and First Nations are investing billions of dollars in Canada. We are building the country this way.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, if they did not spend so much time working on their clips, they might see people like the CEO of Shell, who just invested $20 billion in this country. They might see Chief Clayton of the Nisga’a Nation, who yesterday said she is looking forward to “manag[ing] prosperity” instead of “managing poverty”. That is how we are building Canada.

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Mark Strahl

Conservative
“Investors are taking billions of dollars out of Canada because of high taxes and too many rules. When will the Prime Minister cut the red tape and get rid of laws that stop development?”

  • A repeated line

    “After more than a decade of Liberal government.”

    Said 13 times by 11 members since May 7.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, speaking of $20 billion, that is how much money has left Canada in the last four quarters under this Prime Minister. After more than a decade of Liberal taxes, red tape and uncertainty, investors, including the Prime Minister, continue to take their money elsewhere. Despite Liberal re-announcements, major projects remain trapped in years of delays while Canadian workers lose those jobs. When will the Prime Minister take real action to cut red tape and repeal these anti-development laws that are continuing to bring about an investment exodus?

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Tim Hodgson

Liberal
“We are investing billions of dollars in new mines in places like Dease Lake and Nunavut. The opposition is ignoring these real investments.”

  • 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 could go on and on. Why does the member not come to Dease Lake, where we are investing billions in a new mine? Why does he not go to Nunavut and see where we have invested $4 billion in a new mine in Nunavut? They are so busy working on their clips, they are not actually seeing what is happening in this country.

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Gérard Deltell

Conservative
“The Prime Minister is in New York right now just to network.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is currently in New York for what the CBC described as just a networking trip—

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Gérard Deltell

Conservative

Linked statement

“Under this government, Canada has become the hardest country in the G7 for foreign businesses to invest in, and we have lost one trillion dollars in investment. Most of the Prime Minister's own money is kept outside Canada. Why is he not keeping investments here?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was in New York this morning on a trip described by the CBC as just a networking trip. Let us talk about investments. After 10 years of Liberal governance, Canada is considered to be the most restrictive country in the G7 for foreign investment. According to RBC, $1 trillion in investment has been lost over the past 10 years. The example comes from the top, as 91% of the Prime Minister’s own assets are outside Canada. Does the Prime Minister know something that these people have yet to grasp?

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Mélanie Joly

Liberal
“Canada leads the G7 in foreign investment. For example, a Swedish company and a Canadian company just partnered to build military planes here, which will create 3,000 jobs.”

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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, Canada is currently the top destination for foreign investment in the G7. That is my first point. My second point, proving that we are currently a prime destination for business, is that 3,000 jobs were announced yesterday. Saab, a Swedish company, decided to partner with Bombardier, a Canadian company of which we are very proud, to enter the military aerospace industry by building a new surveillance aircraft for us as well as for several other countries around the world. That is how we are going to build a strong country.

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Gérard Deltell

Conservative
“Liberal policies are driving investment out of Canada. Seventeen billion dollars went to other countries in the first quarter. When will the government take action to bring foreign investment here?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I must remind the Liberals that Liberal Canada is driving away investment. Let us remember that, when the Prime Minister was officially the chair of Brookfield, he moved the head office from Toronto to New York. Way to go. Let us do what he says, not what he does. The fact of the matter is that, according to Statistics Canada, $17 billion in investment went abroad in the first quarter. When will the Liberals start walking the talk and take meaningful action so that foreign investments are made here in Canada for the benefit of all Canadians?

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Steven MacKinnon

Liberal
“Canada is building military planes and opening new mines. We are bringing in a lot of money from other countries. Economists say foreign investment in 2025 was the highest it has been since 2007.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, what have we learned from the last six questions? We have learned that that we are going to build military aircraft in Canada. We have learned that we are building mines, particularly in Quebec, British Columbia and in the far north, and that we are attracting an incredible amount of investment. The folks at TD Economics, who are certainly very different from those in the Conservative Party’s war room, say that, in 2025, Canada experienced its highest level of foreign investment since 2007. Canada is clearly attracting investment.

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