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Adjournment Proceedings

An adjournment debate on support for small businesses and the economy, with reference to a bill to extend the suspension of the federal fuel excise tax into 2027. Liberal member Madeleine Chenette said the government backs small businesses and pointed to a resilient economy, rising wages, slowing inflation, and a stable job market amid global uncertainty. Conservative member Brad Vis said small businesses are overtaxed and hurting, noted a loss of entrepreneurs over the past two decades, and asked the government to cut red tape and speed up approvals of major projects. Some of the exchange referenced the day’s earlier debate on another bill, Bill C-38.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

4 statements

Brad Vis

Conservative

Linked statement

“Small businesses pay most of the taxes in Canada, but they are hurting. We have lost 100,000 entrepreneurs over twenty years, and our top science and tech graduates are leaving for the United States. The government is moving too slowly on its business programs. We need big changes to cut taxes and fix rules so small businesses can succeed.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the evening. Before I begin my comments, I will note that we have had a debate throughout the entire day on Bill C-38. Many of the things I want to say that relate to my question from June were said during the debate on Bill C-38 as well. The point I would like to make, and I hope the government side can hear it, is that even though the Prime Minister has commenced a process to erase the legacy of Justin Trudeau, to move away from his most disastrous policies, structural reforms are still needed to ensure that small businesses, the businesses that pay the majority of taxes in Canada, are made whole. We are going to see that through taxation and regulatory reform on a major scale, but we have not seen that yet. I encourage the government to heed the words that small businesses, the ones with eight to 10 employees, still need market access to the United States. These are 50-year-old relationships that are in jeopardy right now. Today, business leaders from across western Canada came to Parliament. I will acknowledge that they are happy with Bill C-39, the Liberals’ big, beautiful bill. They are happy about the attack the Liberals are going to make on organized labour, even though the Conservatives are still debating it and trying to figure it out. However, they have stressed the need for regulatory reform and measures that are going to help small businesses in western Canada. In Manitoba, for example, 50% of exports go to the United States. It is higher in a lot of other provinces. We have to take that relationship seriously. In my question back in June, I highlighted that Canada has lost 100,000 entrepreneurs over the last two decades, and there has been a 19% increase in business exits since 2019. That is not acceptable. Right now, we are facing major challenges, but the government can do a couple of things better. It can look at the RTRI. Very few businesses understood what that program was, and the Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada was around nine months late in delivering it based on the timelines he stated when the program was announced. If the Liberals say we are at economic war, why would they make businesses wait nine months for a program they said they would deliver in three months? That is simply not acceptable. We need confidence that the public service, the ministers and the parliamentary secretaries are going to step up, hold their public servants to a higher standard, do things in their power and actually move at the speeds they said they would in the last election. So far, we have not seen that. It has to change. We have to stand up for Canada. The government needs to stand up for Canada, and it is not doing that in a responsible way. The final statistic I will mention is that according to a TD Economics report, graduates in mathematics, computer science and engineering are less likely to remain in Canada than non-STEM graduates. The University of Waterloo shows that the highest performing students are the most likely to leave Canada after graduation. Those are the entrepreneurs starting businesses. They are going to the United States to do that. We need to bring in the structural reforms to support small businesses and—

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Madeleine Chenette

Liberal
“I want the House to pass this bill to extend fuel tax cuts until early 2027. It saves people and small businesses money on gas and diesel while global energy prices are uncertain. Canada has a strong economy, so we can afford this help.”

  • A repeated line

    “Canada is in a position of strength.”

    Said 7 times by 6 members since May 26.

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the global economy is undergoing a rupture. Geopolitical threats are mounting, and countries around the world are grappling with severe trade disruptions and significant economic risks. This includes the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which continues to disrupt global energy supplies, drive up energy prices and increase uncertainty worldwide. Canada, as we all know, is not immune to this turbulence. That is why we tabled Bill C-38 to extend the temporary suspension of the federal fuel excise tax. As members of the House will remember, last spring our government temporarily reduced federal fuel excise tax rates to zero cents per litre. While that measure was set to expire on Labour Day, Bill C-38 proposes to extend it until January 31, 2027. Fifty per cent of the regular excise tax rate would then apply from February 1 to March 31, 2027. This means that Canadians would continue to benefit from lower taxes, saving 10¢ per litre on gasoline and four cents per litre on diesel, helping households and businesses manage transportation and operating costs. For many small businesses, transportation and fuel costs remain a significant expense. Extending this relief measure will help businesses manage their costs while continuing to invest and create jobs. However, supporting Canadians through the current challenges is not just about providing immediate relief. It is also about ensuring that our economy remains strong, competitive and resilient in an uncertain world. While new U.S. tariffs add uncertainty for Canadian businesses and workers, Canada is starting from a position of strength. With a robust economy and a clear growth strategy focused on driving investment, increasing productivity, strengthening domestic industries and expanding access to global markets, Canada is well placed to respond to external pressures. Domestic activity has remained strong and our continental supply chains have been more resilient than expected, thanks to the adaptability of Canadian businesses and the fact that CUSMA protections shielded approximately 85% of Canadian merchandise exports from recent U.S. actions. The business climate in Canada has recovered, and companies are diversifying both their suppliers and their markets. The figures show that Canada has what the world is looking for. Canada leads the G7 in terms of per capita foreign direct investment inflows. Overall, real GDP grew by 1.9% in 2025, despite persistent global uncertainty. The outlook for the future remains encouraging. A Statistics Canada survey shows that businesses plan to increase their capital expenditures this year, while the International Monetary Fund forecasts that Canada will post the second-fastest growth in the G7 in 2026 and 2027. Since the start of 2025, Canada has created more than twice as many jobs per capita as the United States, with the majority of these jobs in the private sector. Things have really taken off since the start of 2025. At the same time, inflation averaged 2.1% in 2025, while wages have risen faster than prices over the last five years. Overall, these results show that the Canadian economy continues to grow, attract investment and create jobs despite a highly uncertain global environment. These results are no accident. They are truly the result of work that enables us to strengthen the economy and prioritize affordability—

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Brad Vis

Conservative
“The government needs to cut red tape and approve major projects much faster. Approving just one project is not enough. We need to do more to help Canadian small businesses.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I will note the point made by the parliamentary secretary in respect to global uncertainty, but I would just ask the member to acknowledge, despite their efforts and their policy of erasure in respect to Justin Trudeau, that we can do more for small businesses in Canada today through regulatory change, supporting trade resilience and actually building the major projects that we thought were going to take place this year under Bill C-5, legislation that Conservatives supported again. I understand that the first project will be approved in the coming weeks, but we need not one; we need 100. We have to move at speeds we have never seen before, and we are not seeing that from the current government, so please, stand up for Canada, get the bureaucracy out of the way and do more to support our small businesses.

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Madeleine Chenette

Liberal
“Our economy is staying strong through tough times. Wages are going up, inflation is slowing down, and the job market is doing well. We are supporting small businesses and will keep working to make our economy even stronger.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Canada’s economy has demonstrated considerable resilience during one of the most challenging periods in recent history, and our SMEs know that our government is there to help them with all our programs to make a difference for them. Therefore, despite ongoing geopolitical instability, trade disruption and economic uncertainties, Canadians continue to benefit from a strong economy, rising wages, moderating inflation and a resilient labour market. We will continue to do whatever it takes to build an even stronger and more competitive economy for the future, and our SMEs in Canada know that we are there for them.

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