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The Economy

During question period, members debated the state of the Canadian economy. Conservative members said Canada is the only G7 country in a recession, citing three quarters of economic decline out of the last four, job losses, small business closures, high household debt, rising mortgage defaults, and investment leaving the country, and asked the government to admit its policies are responsible. Liberal ministers and members said Canada is in a trade war and facing global economic headwinds, and pointed to the government’s plan to diversify trade, build major projects in energy, mining, transit and housing, spend on defence and small craft harbours, and train young people for skilled trades. Liberals also criticized the Conservative leader’s approach, which Conservatives in turn rejected. Much of the exchange consisted of members repeating these positions in response to one another.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

14 statements

Sandra Cobena

Conservative

Linked statement

“The Prime Minister blames global problems for our recession, but Canada is the only G7 country in one. Businesses have pulled 20 billion dollars of investment out of Canada. I want to know why we are the only G7 country in a recession if the rest of the world is to blame.”

  • A repeated line

    “Why is Canada the only G7 country in a recession?”

    Said 16 times by 13 members since May 29.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wants Canadians to believe that this recession is the fault of the world. Tariffs, energy prices and global uncertainty are all convenient Liberal excuses. However, every nation in the G7 face those same conditions, yet Canada alone has fallen into a recession. Twenty billion dollars in net investment has fled this country under his watch. That is a failure of Liberal economic policy. If the world is to blame, then why is Canada the only G7 country in a recession?

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Wayne Long

Liberal
“The Conservative leader has no real ideas to help the economy. Our government is serious about building a strong economy by expanding trade, building big projects, and supporting workers.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 27 of 100

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

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  • Government answer 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, clearly the Conservative leader is missing in action again when it comes to anything constructive with respect to the economy. Where is he? Where is he today with anything constructive? Canadians do not want political theatre. They want a government that is serious about this economy. We are going to diversify our trade, we are going to build major projects, and we are going to invest in unions and workers. On this side of the House, we are serious about building an economy, the strongest economy in the G7. The Conservative leader is missing in action again.

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Sandra Cobena

Conservative
“Canada is the only G7 country in a recession, and our economy shrank in three of the last four quarters. The government is mismanaging the economy, and I want them to explain why.”

  • 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 member can spin, deflect and dress up this issue however he likes, but why should Canadians believe that the Liberal government’s promises about the future are true, when the numbers today prove that the Liberals cannot manage the present? Canada is the only G7 country in a recession. The Prime Minister told Canadians that we have the best deal in the world with the U.S. Oil prices are surging. Canada should be thriving. Instead, our economy has contracted three out of the last four quarters. I will ask again, if the world is to blame, then why—

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Wayne Long

Liberal
“Canada faces economic challenges and a trade war. We will build the economy by spending money on housing, defence, and infrastructure. The opposition leader is acting irresponsibly.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I have a news flash for the leader and the party opposite. We are in a trade war. We are facing economic headwinds. Canadians do not want the political theatre that the leader loves. Listen to the chief economist of Scotiabank, who characterized his behaviour as “irresponsible”. On this side of the House, we are going to build an economy for all Canadians. We are going to invest in infrastructure, in defence and in housing, in major projects. We will build Canada strong, a Canada for everyone. The opposition leader is missing in action. Where is he?

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Jonathan Rowe

Conservative
“Canada's economy has shrunk for three quarters, which means we are in a recession. More small businesses are closing than opening. I want the government to admit its policies caused this recession.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, a recession is two consecutive quarters of economic decline. The Prime Minister has had three of his four quarters in decline. That puts Canada as the only G7 country in recession. While the Liberals are in denial, the facts do not lie. There are more small businesses in Canada closing than opening. More than half of small business owners do not recommend opening a business. When will the Liberals at least admit that their policies put Canada into a recession?

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Joanne Thompson

Liberal
“We are helping the economy by training young people for skilled trades jobs. We are also spending nearly $1 billion to fix small craft harbours and support rural towns.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 0 of 100

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I want to celebrate the apprenticeship program, a program that is focused on getting young people trained to Red Seal status, with support at every step along that process. We are building the economy with almost $1 billion for small craft harbours and support for our rural communities, as well as an economic boost for communities. That is what Canadians expect, and that is what we are delivering.

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Jonathan Rowe

Conservative
“Many people have lost their jobs, debt is high, and money is leaving Canada. The government needs to admit its economic plans are not working.”

  • Opposition question in Question Period

    Respect 65 of 100

    This statement targeted a person rather than their actions or views: “whatever the Prime Minister is pretending to do”.

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  • A repeated line

    “Canadian households now carry the highest debt in the G7.”

    Said 4 times by 2 members since June 2.

    Every time it was said
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I do not think those words are very comforting to the apprentices or to the 112,000 people who lost their job in the past three months. Mortgage defaults are growing year over year. Canadian households have the highest debt in the G7. Insolvencies hit their highest level since 2009. Twenty billion dollars has fled this country. How much more data does the government need before it realizes that whatever the Prime Minister is pretending to do is not working?

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Joanne Thompson

Liberal
“We are working with the government of Newfoundland and Labrador to help the province. We are supporting the Bay du Nord project, spending $8 billion on the military base in Goose Bay, and building more housing.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 44 of 100

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

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the member opposite from Newfoundland and Labrador that we are working closely with the Conservative provincial government to build the province together, with Bay du Nord and with $8 billion for 5 Wing Goose Bay to expand the capacity of the base, but also, the support goes out into the broader region. The work continues with housing initiatives. On and on it goes. There was an announcement today from the Finance Minister in Newfoundland and Labrador. That is what Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, and Canadians, expect us to do. That is what we are doing. We are laser focused, and we—

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Andrew Lawton

Conservative
“Canada is the only G7 country in a recession. The Prime Minister is hiding from questions about it. I want him to admit our economy is shrinking and that it is his fault.”

  • 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, it was not that long ago that the Prime Minister got up and said he was the grand economist who would turn things around, the guy we could go to in a crisis. Well, here we are: Canada is the only G7 country in a recession, and where is he? He is nowhere to be found. He ran from a reporter who asked about it. He does not rise in the House of Commons to speak to it, while Canadians are suffering, struggling and paying the price. When will the Prime Minister admit that Canada is in a recession and that he is the one to blame?

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Yasir Naqvi

Liberal
“We are in a trade war we did not start. Our plan to trade with more countries is working to protect Canadian jobs.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

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

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I think it is time to get serious. I think members of the opposition and Canadians know that we are in very uncertain economic times and that we are engaged in a trade war that is not of our making. That is why the Prime Minister and the government have a plan. That is why we are so focused on diversifying our trade and engaging in free trade agreements with countries around the world. That is why we are selling uranium to India. That is why we are selling planes to Malaysia and selling canola to China. Our plan is working. We will keep working hard to make sure we are creating good-paying jobs for all Canadians.

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Andrew Lawton

Conservative
“My region has the highest unemployment rate in Canada at 9.2 percent, and families are struggling. The government is spending too much money and has put Canada into a recession. I want to know when it will take responsibility for this.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we are never going to get to net zero with that level of gaslighting. My goodness, the London economic region, which includes Elgin and St. Thomas, has the highest unemployment rate in Canada, at 9.2%, with 1,800 jobs lost in April. Does he expect me to go to my constituents and say, “Don’t worry. You can sell all that uranium you’ve been working on”? Families are struggling. Families are suffering. The government keeps spending more and more money and will not even acknowledge the consequences of its actions. When is it going to get serious and account for the fact that it has put Canada into a recession, the only country in the G7 to be there?

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Yasir Naqvi

Liberal
“Our country is in a serious moment and needs serious leadership. We have a plan to grow our economy. We will make good trade deals with the United States and Mexico, and build new partnerships with countries around the world to create good jobs for Canadians.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 44 of 100

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

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the members opposite can be as gleeful and as jovial as they want, but Canadians know that this is a very serious moment for our country. That is why they require serious leadership. That is why they have elected a leader and a party that have a plan to diversify our economy. We not only will engage with the United States and Mexico to get the best deal possible for our country, but we will also build bridges and new partnerships around the world with China, India, Southeast Asia and Mercosur. That is where our focus is and we will not stop until we create good-paying jobs for all Canadians.

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Shuvaloy Majumdar

Conservative
“The Liberal government is wrong to say our economy is doing well. We are in a recession. Families are struggling, and we have lost jobs and investment because of the Prime Minister. I want a Liberal member to defend this record.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, members should not believe the Liberals when they say that we have the fastest-growing economy in the G7. We are the only one in a recession. The Liberals should try telling that to the mom skipping meals so her children will not. They should tell that to the grandma at the food bank who is just trying to put Sunday dinner on the table. They should tell that to the student whose future has been stolen. There are 112,000 jobs gone, a trillion dollars of investment gone and $670 billion in generational jobs gone. It is not wars. It is not tariffs. It is the Prime Minister’s record. Which Liberal will get up to defend that?

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John Zerucelli

Liberal
“We are in a trade war, but our plan is working. We are building major energy, transit, and mining projects across the country to create good union and skilled trades jobs.”

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

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we are proud to stand up for our record every day in this House of Commons because the member knows very well that we are in the middle of a trade war. This country is facing headwinds, but we have a plan. Canada is building, from LNG in B.C. to critical minerals in the Prairies, from nuclear and transit in Ontario to ports and mining in Quebec and offshore energy in Atlantic Canada. This is how we create good jobs, great opportunities in the skilled trades and good union jobs. We are building a Canada strong for all.

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