Kody Blois
Kings—Hants, Nova Scotia · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I will give the Conservatives credit. They are now talking about actual measures that could support affordability, but I would ask them where they have been for the last number of months and years.”
“Mr. Speaker, we recognize that there are challenges across the country. That is exactly why we cut taxes for 22 million Canadians. It is why we have put in the groceries and essentials rebate. It is why we have doubled down on social programs that matter for everyday Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, may I respectfully ask why that member votes against the measures that support the good people of Oshawa and the people across this country? As we said in the last answer, we are here fighting for Canadian industry and business. That member has voted against tax cuts for Canadians.”
“Madam Speaker, what I find quite remarkable is that in the Conservatives' questions there is never a recognition that the U.S. administration has imposed tariffs on some of our key sectors in this country. We are continuing to make the case to try to remove them.”
“Madam Speaker, we know the challenges for certain sectors in the Canadian economy on aluminum, on steel, on auto and forestry. Our Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade and our ambassador in Washington, Janice Charette, who has been appointed, are engaging with the U.S. administration. The member talked about jobs.”
“I give credit to the Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of Health , who have focused quite intensely on the ability to have an economic lens around the decisions of what was formerly called the Pest Management Regulatory Agency and also of the CFIA.”
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“We feel as though we need to be having the engagement, because it matters for farmers across this country and for seafood harvesters. I am confident, because I am very close to it, that the work is going to continue and that we will see results. The opposition ought to pick a lane instead of speaking out of both sides of its mouth on this. I would again highlight to the Conservative Party that there was absolutely nothing in the Conservative platform for farmers. That is remarkable in a bad way for farmers in this country. The Conservatives love to beat their chest about being there for Canadian agriculture, but there is nothing in their platform.”
“Madam Speaker, while the member for Brandon—Souris is still in his seat, I have the opportunity to respond to his query back across the line. Our government is focused on recalibrating the relationship with the PRC and having that engagement. There had not been a leaders' meeting in eight years. However, I do think the Conservative Party needs to pick a lane on the issue. I have Prairies colleagues wearing a blue jersey for the Conservative Party and saying that we ought to engage and ought to be doing more, but there are members such as the member for Wellington—Halton Hills North , the member for Simcoe North and other members from the Ontario area saying it is a bad idea for the government to be engaging. I do think the Conservatives are going to have to pick a lane about what they feel the government ought to be doing.”
“Madam Speaker, that member represents a rural riding in the prairie provinces, in Manitoba. It is remarkable to me to consistently see prairie MPs from the Conservative Party stand up and refuse to support biofuel policy that matters for canola producers at a moment when it is really important to help drive demand signals. Maybe the member of Parliament can explain why he is against those types of policies, which are actually good for farmers in his own constituency. Even better, maybe he can explain to his own constituents why he ran on a platform in April that had absolutely nothing for farmers. In the Conservative Party platform, there was nothing there. I have had the opportunity to review it. Maybe that member can explain to his own constituents, his own farmers, why there was nothing.”
“Will this member recognize, notwithstanding he might like to see more calibrated spending and less federal spending, that we are nowhere near where the Conservative Party had our finances back in 1990?”
“Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague's speech today was a bit meandering at times. I heard him talk about the fact that, in one breath, there are too few measures, quoting 38¢, while in the next piece he talked about the fact that there are hundreds of dollars of savings that would go to either individual Canadians or families. I think he needs to pick a lane on whether he supports these types of measures or whether it is too little. However, I want to get to the point that he made about this idea that future generations would be paying for this. I was born in 1991. There was a Conservative government at that time in this place. The Conservative Party was actually spending 35¢ of every dollar that was federally invested on debt. Right now, that is below 10¢.”
“Mr. Speaker, I heard my colleague talk about the importance of agriculture, agri-food and our farmers. However, I was a bit surprised because there was absolutely nothing in the Conservative Party's platform last April for farmers across the country. My colleague represents a rural riding in Quebec. He can influence the Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative Party to include more measures for farmers in their platform for the next election. That is crucial for the country.”
“It is urgent that we get this through for Canadians. He highlighted some of the positive aspects. Will he talk to the House leader and whip of his party to see this bill pass before Christmas?”
“Mr. Speaker, I found my hon. colleague's remarks to be balanced. Obviously, there were moments when he critiqued, but remarkably, he talked about some things that are positive in the bill, which gives me confidence that he will hopefully see this bill through before Christmas. There are a couple of things I want to highlight. It was the Atlantic caucus and the rural caucus of the Liberal Party that helped make the adjustments and changes to the consumer carbon tax. On carbon pricing in this country, again, to change the record, we allow provinces to do that. Premier Danielle Smith made it very clear during her UCP address that it is the provincial government that actually controls the carbon pricing at the industrial level in the province. Will the member support passing this bill before Christmas?”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech this afternoon. I really enjoyed working with him at the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food when I was there. However, I would like to set the record straight regarding what he said in his speech about the government's decision to do away with consumer carbon pricing. We mainly did that to support bilingual people, respond to the needs of rural residents and protect vulnerable families who were worse off. That is exactly why the government replaced this measure with a tax cut in this bill. This measure is very important for Canadian and Quebec families.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have two questions. The member mentioned clean fuel standards. I find it disappointing that the Conservative Party, at a time when canola farmers in this country and members of the Canola Council of Canada are talking about the importance of biofuel policy in driving domestic demand while there is uncertainty in the markets. Can the member opposite explain why the Conservative Party is against the biofuel policy that helps support canola farmers, including in many of the ridings the Conservative Party represents? Also, on China, we think it is important to engage as a government and to have conversations to remove the tariffs that are in place. The member for Simcoe North and other Conservative members have suggested that any engagement with China is a bad policy.”
“I also want to recognize Emma Crowell and Evan Collins, who represented team Nova Scotia in the beef competition. They are an an example of Kings—Hants competing on the national stage. Congratulations to all 4-H members.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to and recognize the contribution of 4-H Canada in our communities across this beautiful country, including in my community of Kings—Hants. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to join the Hants County 4-H for its celebration of the achievements of members all across the county. Let me say what a tremendous representation it is of a program that is community-led and gives our youth the skills that, of course, support agriculture, but serve in a whole host of capacities for their future careers. I specifically want to recognize a number of individuals who competed at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. This is a prominent event in the country. Henry Smethurst had the Canadian Ayrshire champion in the dairy classic, and Brianna Partridge had the reserve champion.”
“It says in one breath that the budget was too expensive, notwithstanding that we are recalibrating spending, but then asks for billions of dollars for programs without taking targeted approaches to lower-income seniors, which is the way we have handled our affairs. Does the member care to comment on that as a way to finish this off?”
“Mr. Speaker, it was interesting to watch the exchange between the member for King—Vaughan and my hon. colleague. She made the claim that there is nothing for seniors in the budget. I see $5 billion for health care infrastructure. Public health is important for everyone, but certainly for seniors. I think about the fact that our programs have maintained support for dental care. I have talked to countless numbers of seniors in Kings—Hants who have benefited from that program. I think about the introduction of pharmacare. Those are all things the Conservative Party voted against. The member, in her role as the shadow critic, needs to take a closer look at the budget to see the things that we, as the Liberal Party, have put on the table. The fact is that the government is maintaining these programs. I look to the Bloc.”
“He seemed to gloss over that. In relation to projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, he should call his friend Premier Wakeham and ask him what he is putting before the House and what we are going to be working on. The member just—”
“Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that Memorial University has a great program in civil engineering. However, I would encourage the member to go back and get an economics degree from Memorial, because that was an interesting lesson in talking about examples without understanding that we are in a global economy. It was a cute speech in that sense but, in terms of its actual practicality, not very valuable to members of the House. There are a few things I need to correct the record on. On Veterans Affairs, we are not cutting $4 billion. That is an outright misconception the member is putting into the House. We are changing the cannabis policy from $8.50 a gram down to $6. Is that really something that he is against as we try to find efficiencies? I do not think so. In terms of the Sisson mine, that is a major project in New Brunswick.”
“I am wondering if the member can opine on any of what I just laid out around trade, the work this government is doing to build relationships around the world and the importance of that. We hear from the opposition benches that they do not want this government getting outside the country to actually engage. Maybe he can provide some comment on that.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague is certainly a strong champion in the rural caucus of the Liberal Party, and I know he does great work in British Columbia. I could not help but think, as I looked through the budget, about the emphasis on trade opportunities in the South Pacific. Our Minister of International Trade was involved, alongside the Prime Minister and the government, in securing trade access with Indonesia. Trade dynamics have opened up with Thailand. There is a big emphasis on port infrastructure. Certainly, in the engagement we have had with the PRC, there has been the establishment of the approved destination status, which is important for Chinese tourism. I know that it is particularly important in his home province of British Columbia.”
“If there are Conservatives across this country, Progressive Conservatives, who support this budget, why is the member against the type of measures we are putting forward, which are centrist, progressive and able to move this country forward?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure the member opposite that I eat my grandmother's brown bread, that I am the son of a truck driver and that my mother is an administrative assistant. There are members on this side of the House who certainly know the value of putting programs in place that matter for Canadians. That is exactly why 22 million Canadians are going to benefit from the tax cut the member voted against, why we are putting generational investments into housing and why we have a superdeduction tax cut available to help stimulate the economy. There are a number of things in the budget. The member mentioned policy made in Ottawa by kids wearing short pants, or something of that nature. It sounds like the member had his entire speech written for him by some kid from the Conservative side in short pants. My question is this.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague represents a riding that is home to many farmers. This budget includes a number of very important measures for farmers, such as an additional $75-million investment in the AgriMarketing program. We are also making changes to the risk management programs that support our farmers and emphasizing the importance of exporting our products around the world. The Conservative election platform did not include any measures for farmers. Can my colleague talk about the importance of our agricultural sector? Can she talk about the measures in the budget and compare them to what the Conservatives have done in the past?”
“To put it into perspective, we are spending less than 10¢ of every dollar on debt management. Under the Conservative government in the 1990s, it was 35¢. It is important to take that into consideration.”
“Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague on becoming the co-chair of the Canada-China Legislative Association. I know she will do good work alongside Senator Gignac in that role. It is interesting because we see Conservative members in the House sometimes suggesting that we need to engage with China to remove tariffs on canola, but at the same time, we see other Conservative members suggesting that any engagement with China is a bad thing. It is interesting to see the Conservatives not able to pick a lane on that. Maybe the member would like to opine on that. On the debt question, it is important to recognize that we have a AAA credit rating. Both S&P and Moody’s have continued to maintain it. We have a stable debt-to-GDP ratio over time.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has a responsibility to help build this country and create jobs, and we created 67,000 jobs in the last month alone. We have a plan in budget 2025 to build this country up by building major projects, including in the member's riding and province. We have investments to help support young people in this country, to build up apprentices, to be able to drive this country forward. That is what we are focused on over on this side of the House: supporting Canadians, creating good jobs and helping drive this country forward. That is what we are going to keep doing.”
“These are the types of projects that I and the government want to work on together, collaboratively with all members of the House, because they are important for our defence, they are important for our economy and they matter to the men and women in uniform. Given the fact it is Remembrance Day week, let me thank every member of the Canadian Armed Forces.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am really proud of the investments the government is making in defence. This is important for our men and women in uniform. It is also part of a defence industrial policy to create good jobs across the country. When I think about Nova Scotia, I think about IMP Aerospace. I know the member is well familiar as there are many constituents in his riding who work at that facility. We have some work we can do to help support IMP to be able to take advantage of the procurement that exists with our Royal Canadian Air Force over the days ahead. I think about CFB Greenwood, and there is a huge opportunity in military housing that would benefit not only the community in Kings county, but also, most importantly, our CAF membership.”
“Mr. Speaker, that is not true. There are various measures for the forestry sector in the budget. We are providing $1.2 billion to support the forestry industry across the country, in Nova Scotia, Quebec and British Columbia. Yes, in the context of negotiations with the United States, the minister responsible for Canada-U.S. relations is very aware of this issue. We understand the importance of forestry workers across Canada.”
“Speaking of farmers, I would ask the member to go back to look at his platform from April. There was not one single word about Canadian farmers in what the Conservatives promised in their platform. It is shameful.”
“Mr. Speaker, I was with the Prime Minister in Korea when we had the bilateral with President Xi. It is the first time in eight years that that has happened. It is an important step in resolving the issues the member mentioned. The Conservatives need to pick a lane. I have heard consistently, including from the member for Simcoe North , that Canada should not be engaging with China, that we should not be having discussions. Now this member from the Conservative benches stands up to say we should be doing more to engage with China. The Conservatives really need to determine what lane they are going to pick. Our lane is very clear. We believe we can recalibrate the relationship in a pragmatic and constructive way. We are undertaking that work. That is the work we will do for farmers across the country.”
“There are supports for personal service workers and also a lot of emphasis on young Canadians, including through replenishment and an augmentation of the Canada summer jobs program. This matters for small businesses and not-for-profits but, most importantly, it matters for young workers. Last, and I am going to leave it here, there would be a generational investment in our Canadian Armed Forces. This is extremely important. I see I am coming to the end of my time. I look forward to adding a bit extra when my colleagues ask me questions.”
“The removal of GST for new construction for first-time homebuyers is an extremely important measure that will matter in Kings—Hants. We have committed to the national school food program and making that program permanent. I was deeply disappointed by the comments from the member for Central Newfoundland , from the Conservative party, who called this program “garbage”. That is deeply disturbing. There are members in our communities in Kings—Hants who have fought very hard for this type of programming. It matters in conjunction with provincial resourcing because it matters for kids. On Build Canada Homes, there is $13 billion that would go toward working to build affordable housing in this country.”
“There is more work to be done on that file, but we are willing to work with the provinces. There would also be investment tax credits for critical minerals and our mining sector. These really do matter. On competitiveness, I would like to highlight the fact that we are focused on the superdeduction. This is an accelerated cost of capital allowance through which businesses would be able to write off expenditures very quickly. It is a competitive measure, and it would mean that Canada's marginal effective tax rate would be the lowest in the G7. This is important for the competitiveness of businesses, both large and small, in making sure that they have the ability to move forward. On affordability, 22 million Canadians would benefit from the tax credit we are putting forward.”
“I think about the Kings county municipal council, for example, trying to advance its recreational complex. The government has made a commitment to put $51 billion of investment in infrastructure over the next 10 years, and those programs are going to matter when these projects come to the Government of Canada as we will have the ability to fund, help support and contribute to them. I also think that in East Hants and West Hants, whether it is infrastructure for housing or waste water, this infrastructure spending is going to be extremely important. On major national projects, we are working across the country to advance these projects in earnest. This is going to be important for the national economy. In Atlantic Canada, there has been reference to wind west and offshore wind potential. I think that is extremely important.”
“I think about Ledwidge Lumber and the work it is doing to create a facility for sustainable jet fuel. This is the type of tax credit that can be used to help support those projects. I also think about the mass timber facility and the financing that was announced through the forestry innovation programs of NRCan. A replenishment of that fund is going to support the types of activities where we have good, quality jobs in Kings—Hants tied to the forestry sector. It is really important to see. We know that infrastructure is an important catalyst for growth in our communities. I have had the good fortune of having many infrastructure announcements over the last six years that are supporting our communities in the counties of Kings and Hants.”
“Whether it is horticulture, fruit growing, beef products or the emerging grain sector, we have what the world needs. I want to give a compliment to the Minister of Agriculture , who was recently in Mexico promoting eastern Canadian apples. We have an opportunity to do more trade in those areas. Also, there is the Minister of International Trade and the trade agreement we recently signed with Indonesia. I also think of Vietnam. Southeast Asia is a world of opportunity for our Nova Scotia fruit growers to be able to export more of our apples from the Annapolis Valley and find more markets around the world. Forestry is extremely important in Kings—Hants as well, and I was pleased to see that there is a significant emphasis in this budget on programming to support the forestry sector, notably, the investment tax credit on biowaste.”
“We were at 35% of our expenditure in 1990. My generation has a bright future in Canada moving forward. We are nowhere near those levels, and the government is demonstrating that we are not ever going to get near those levels with our pathway forward. (1345) Growing the economy is essential, particularly with some of the challenges that we are facing as a country. The Prime Minister has been saying for us to focus on what we can control about economic growth in this country while we also engage around the world. Canada has what the world wants and needs, whether it is in agriculture, natural resources, energy or critical minerals, and now is the time to make sure that we can feed, fuel and power the world. I was particularly pleased to see a large emphasis on agriculture. Kings—Hants is the largest agricultural riding in Atlantic Canada.”
“I was born in 1991, and the 1990s were a time when Canada was in a truly difficult financial period. For example, in 1990, the Government of Canada was spending, on average, 35¢ of every dollar toward servicing its debt alone. That means 35% of the government's entire expenditure was on servicing debt. Right now, we are at around 10¢ for every dollar spent. I have no problem with members across the way talking about the importance of prudence in our fiscal approach and being mindful of public spending. That is all fair game. However, when certain Conservatives stand up and suggest that Canada's fiscal track is completely unsustainable, that we are in a chaotic period and that generations of Canadians will never be able to make a future because the debt is unsustainable, it is simply not true. I am living proof.”
“We are focused on reining in public spending within three years, but are keeping room for longer-term capital spends. It is important to recognize that this budget projects a stable, declining net debt-to-GDP ratio over time. Of course, that is the size of Canada's debt as a proportion of its economy, which will stay in the range of 42% to 43% of GDP over time. Canada has the lowest net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. We rarely, if ever, hear that from the opposition benches. This is in contrast to comparable countries like the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Japan. Canada has a stable financial track. We also have the second-lowest deficit proportionate to our economy in the G7. We have heard from the opposition benches the idea that the debt servicing costs are unsustainable. We need to put that into context.”
“I am going to share some facts to hopefully highlight and give comfort to Canadians at home that we are in a strong fiscal position. We have to be mindful and prudent, as the government is demonstrating, but we are not in the chaotic and reckless world that the Conservatives would have everyone believe we are in. It is important for Canadians to understand that the government is committing to balancing the operating side of the ledger in the budget in the next three years. The government is looking at government expenses and saying we need to make sure that we are living within our means on operating and program spending, but it also recognizing that now is a time to build and make capital investments that will have positive, long-term economic consequences for the Canadian economy.”
“It is undoubtedly disruptive. Simply put, now is a critical time for Canada, and the budget tabled this week is a true road map for Canadian prosperity and our shared pathway forward. This budget has three major pillars. The first is a laser focus on growing and strengthening the Canadian economy, and I appreciate that the Prime Minister has shown a focus in this regard. The second is affordability, housing and empowering Canadians. The third is protecting Canadian communities and sovereignty. This would all be done while maintaining fiscal discipline and recalibrating public spending. I want to start there. Whether we hear it from the opposition benches or we see it in certain social media posts, the idea that Canada's fiscal track is unsustainable or that it is not a possible pathway forward is simply untrue.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise here this afternoon to talk about the budget the government tabled this week. I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Pickering—Brooklin . We are living in an uncertain world. The U.S. administration's change in its approach to trade, including global tariffs, is having a major impact on the global economy and Canadian industry. Countries are increasingly looking inward. That is not necessarily positive for a country like Canada, which is truly an exporting nation. Geopolitical conflict, with the wars in Europe, Ukraine, Gaza and Africa, is creating instability as well. Although artificial intelligence creates and has an opportunity for immense potential, it also has the opportunity to shape things in a negative way, depending on how that technology is deployed.”
“A number of issues around agriculture have been mentioned, including supports. What I find most surprising, though, is that there was nothing in the Conservative platform for agriculture whatsoever. Would he have a comment on that as well?”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague mentioned two issues that are important to me. One is agriculture and the other is canola. Having worked on this file and having sat in on the bilateral meeting the Prime Minister just had with President Xi, I would ask the hon. member about two things. First, I hear consistently from the Conservative benches that we should not, as a government, be engaging with or trying to recalibrate the relationship with China. I am wondering if he could give his thoughts on that, given how important it is in his constituency. I wonder whether he might engage and share some wisdom with some of his colleagues about the importance of doing that, if we are going to support western farmers. Second, he talked about there being a lack of emphasis in the budget on agriculture. I reject that premise.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have two questions. The member is pretty artful, so I am sure he can answer both. I think the Conservatives need to pick a lane on China. I hear members of Parliament, particularly from the western provinces, talking about the importance of engaging China to remove canola tariffs. The member suggests that engaging China is a bad idea. I think the Conservatives ought to get their position clear about where they stand on that engagement. More importantly, on the debt that the member referenced, he talked about this being catastrophic and unsustainable. Will the member at least recognize that we are spending about 10¢ of every dollar on debt servicing? In 1990, it was 35¢. We are nowhere near the fiscal trajectory we were on back in 1990, and the government's plan is sustainable over time.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is clear the member opposite has a passion for driving rural Canada, even if we may disagree on certain points in this place. Two weeks ago, the member for Central Newfoundland called the national school food program “garbage”. I was in Newfoundland and Labrador when the then prime minister, Trudeau, alongside Premier Furey, launched the first program of the national school food program in the member's riding, at Gros Morne elementary school. The program will contribute to students across the country. Does the member agree with the member for Central Newfoundland that it is garbage?”
“Mr. Speaker, pardon us if we find it a bit rich that the Conservative Party is going to stand up and talk about youth, when its members consistently vote against the measures the government has introduced that actually matter to young Canadians in this country. They voted against budget measures that actually support young skilled trades workers. They voted against the Canada child benefit. They vote against national school food programs. They vote against programs that are ensuring dental programs and the Canada housing benefit. We have a plan to build up this country. We have a plan to build major national projects. There is a bright and hopeful future for youth in this country, notwithstanding the fact that Conservatives do not want to join us in those measures to make it happen.”
“If someone is one of the more than one million Canadians who are now receiving dental support, the member voted against it. What I find facetious about the entire debate is that the member ran on a platform of actually promising $106 billion of new spending if a Conservative government was actually in the seats. How is he able to stand up and say these things with a straight face?”
“Mr. Speaker, the member talked about some of the challenges that exist in the country. The government by no means suggests that it is perfect out there. The government is working within the realities, trying to meet Canadians where they are at and ensure that we have programs. That is why we have reduced taxes for 22 million Canadians. We have removed the GST for first-time homebuyers, for the 30-year-old who is trying to save up to be able to buy a home. We have actually introduced measures that the member is hopefully telling his own constituents about. However, if someone is one of the seven million Canadian seniors who received old age security, the member voted against that. If someone is one of the 5.1 million Canadian children who are in receipt of the Canadian child benefit, the member voted against it.”
“member is this: Does he find it a bit facetious that he has to listen to the Conservative benches talk about deficits when the Conservatives actually proposed $106 billion in new spending in their platform just a few months ago? Does he find that just a little strange?”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Vancouver Granville, and I would like to wish him a happy belated birthday. He is looking pretty good for just one year shy of 50, and I think the whole House would agree with that. I really appreciated the fact that the parliamentary secretary acknowledged that the government is focused and working on a budget for November 4. Also, he said that we are going to have to make some difficult choices to make sure we can protect Canada's fiscal position, differentiating from the Conservative view that the country is broken. Conservatives are not highlighting the fact that Canada has the best debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7 and the lowest deficit. My question to the hon.”