Shafqat Ali
Brampton—Chinguacousy Park, Ontario · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, we believe that transparency and accountability are fundamental to a strong democracy. As the President of the Treasury Board, I am committed to ensuring that Canadians can access government information in a timely and effective manner.”
“Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague made a statement, but there was no question in that statement. As the President of the Treasury Board, I strongly support the government's efforts to improve and modernize the access to information process.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canada's new government believes in transparency, accountability and fairness. As the President of the Treasury Board, I have been meeting with government agents, including the Information Commissioner. We have launched consultations to modernize the access to information system.”
“Organizations also considered ways to work more efficiently, leveraging existing and emerging technologies, like artificial intelligence, where they can make the government more effective and efficient.”
“To further strengthen accountability and scrutiny, parliamentary committees have the opportunity to hear from and question ministers and officials to determine whether proposed spending aligns with key government priorities. Canadians can also see how the government intends to use their tax dollars.”
“This estimates family of documents also includes departmental plans, which set out priorities of federal organizations, and departmental results reports, which show how departments performed and help Canadians assess how effectively their tax dollars were used. Another significant document in this fiscal cycle is the public accounts.”
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“Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome the member for Prescott—Russell—Cumberland to the House of Commons. This new government has done what Conservatives never could. We now have a plan to meet our NATO 2% commitment half a decade earlier than scheduled. We promised Canadians the new Liberal government would take bold and decisive actions. It is a promise made and promise kept.”
“He has the vision to build Canada strong, the vision to build one economy instead of 13, the vision to invest in our social services and the vision to deliver priorities to Canadians. He has the vision to implement strategies to utilize technology, to improve productivity and to invest more and spend less. He is working to deliver for Canadians by removing the consumer carbon tax and delivering tax breaks to 22 million Canadians, as well as investing in defence to make Canada strong. I was hopeful my colleagues would ask questions about the main estimates. I wish they could have asked questions about those.”
“Mr. Chair, I am truly humbled and honoured to learn from my colleague. He has extensive experience with being a parliamentarian and serving Canadians. Also, I have the opportunity to work under the leadership of our Prime Minister , a prime minister who has a legacy that no one else has. It is matchless. He is the only person who was appointed as governor at the national banks of two countries. This is because of his resilience, vision and strength to build economies. He not only helped Canadians avoid a recession a decade ago but also helped the U.K. to get on its feet. We have an opportunity, and I feel pride to work alongside and under the leadership of our Prime Minister .”
“Mr. Chair, I was waiting for my colleague to talk about dental care, pharmacare, day care and the benefits that Canadians have, or about the tax cut for 22 million Canadians and the consumer carbon price removal.”
“Mr. Chair, my hon. colleague talks about an increase in the public service, but does not talk about an increase in the population. The public service is there to serve Canadians, to deliver priorities to Canadians and—”
“Mr. Chair, this new government is focused on spending less so that Canadians can save more. That is why we have committed to reducing the cost of government operations over the next three years. We will achieve—”
“Mr. Chair, I would remind my colleague that there are rules in place between federal and provincial or territorial governments. Transfers are made accordingly following those rules. The rules are followed when transfer payments are made.”
“Mr. Chair, I would like to go back to my colleague's question and what I said, that no department, no official should discriminate against anyone. There is no place for discrimination in Canada. In regard to indigenous services, the 2025-26 main estimates include $25.3 billion in planned spending for Indigenous Services Canada, reflecting a $4.3-billion increase in voted funding to advance—”
“Mr. Chair, hate or discrimination has no place in Canada, whether it is in a department or the community. This government is committed to improving and working on diversity and inclusion and making investments to remove barriers and discrimination.”
“Mr. Chair, I would like to congratulate my colleague for her re-election. We will balance our operating budget over the next three years by cutting waste, capping the size of public service and using AI to boost public—”
“Mr. Chair, that is a very important question, but I would remind my hon. colleague that this is provincial territory. We give a transfer, whether it is for health care or other areas, to provinces and territories. They are the ones who are responsible for their—”
“Mr. Chair, in the announcement the Prime Minister made for defence, he said we are diversifying our partners, including those in Europe and the U.K., so we are looking into how we could build our defence capabilities together.”
“Mr. Chair, in the supplementary estimates (A), we have a historic investment in national defence, which is $9 billion. We are at a pivotal time when Canada needs more automated equipment for our men and women to secure our borders, to secure our future, to—”
“Mr. Chair, the government is committed to promoting a positive, respectful and safe public sector culture that is grounded in values and ethics and inspires public trust. The Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act protects public servants against reprisals when they report a wrongdoing.”
“Mr. Chair, that is a very important question. We are committed to government operations that are net zero, climate resilient and green. We are committed to greening government strategies, establishing the Government of Canada's targets and commitments to get to net zero and green operations by 2050 and enhance the climate resilience office operation by 2035. Our efforts have resulted in positive results as of 2023-2024. Eighty-three per cent of the applicable light-duty vehicles purchased by the federal government were green. Greenhouse gas emissions for our real property and conventional vehicle fleet were reduced by 42% compared to—”
“Mr. Chair, the Liberals made a promise while campaigning that we would build homes, including affordable homes, with a speed that has never been seen in Canada. That is exactly what we are focusing on. We will be making one economy, building more homes and securing our borders.”
“Mr. Chair, I would again refer this question to the minister responsible, or if it is within the main estimate, my colleague should look into that. There are more details. We cannot give a very short answer for a specific issue.”
“Mr. Chair, Canadians elected the Liberals to come here and deliver for Canadians, to work together and to not play politics. We are in a different era. We have an economic threat. We have a sovereignty threat. We need to work together to deliver the priorities most important to Canadians.”
“Mr. Chair, what I can tell the member is that the government, as I would expect our departments to do, makes sure we are doing business with suppliers of integrity. The government updated its ineligibility and suspension policy—”
“Mr. Chair, again, I would refer back to my comments, which my colleague should look into and read. All public servants and the companies must follow conflict of interest rules. There are robust rules in place in every department and they must follow those rules.”
“Mr. Chair, all public servants must follow conflict of interest rules. As a condition of employment, all public servants must adhere to the directive on conflict of interest. They must identify and address the situation of real, apparent or potential conflict of interest. As of October 2024, all employees must—”
“Mr. Chair, Canadians elected us to work together to deliver the priorities that are most important to Canadians. Canadians sent us here, and tonight, I will remind my colleague that we are here to ask questions on the main estimates. Let us talk about the main estimates, and the national defence spending and investments in national defence. Let us—”
“Mr. Chair, as I have said numerous times, there are rules in place and rules are being followed, and this particular case is under investigation. It is not appropriate for a minister responsible for any portfolio to comment on cases that are under—”
“Mr. Chair, a working group is currently looking at opportunities to improve productivity so that we can improve services to Canadians. I look forward to receiving its recommendations soon. Also, we have a spending review, which started in 2023-24, with departments cutting spending on travel and professional services by $500 million. In 2024-25, $2.3 billion was reallocated to priority areas. This year, 2025-26, that amount increases to $3.5 billion.”
“The main estimates include $105.7 billion in total expenditures for Employment and Social Development Canada. This is the overview. There is also $25.3 billion for Indigenous Services, and $13 billion for Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs. There is $35.7 billion for National Defence. These are a few that are included in the main estimates for spending and investment.”
“Mr. Chair, I congratulate the member on being elected and having the privilege of being in this House. There are some key funding areas in the main estimates 2025-26, with a total of $486.9 billion in budgetary spending, comprising $222.9 billion in voted authorities and $264 billion in statutory expenditures. In comparison to the total authorities for 2024-25, plus supplementary (A)s and supplementary (B)s, this represents an increase of $0.2 billion. The amount is made up of transfer payments at over 60% or $294.8 billion, operating and capital expenditures at 29.4%, and public debt charges at 10.1%. There are 130 organizations that have funding requirements in the main estimates, including DND, ISED, EC, ESDC and health, which represent the five largest voted departments.”
“Mr. Chair, what we promised Canadians during the election was that the new government will build one economy instead of 13, the new government will make Canada strong and the new government will invest more and spend less, and this is exactly what we are going to do.”
“Mr. Chair, Canadians elected the new government to take decisive and bold actions to build one economy, make Canada strong and create more jobs, and that is exactly what we are going to do. People can appreciate how, in one month, the new government has been working to not only deliver for Canadians but also remove the consumer carbon tax. This was the first action we took, and 22 million Canadians will get tax relief. I hope my—”
“Mr. Chair, as I mentioned in my remarks, there has been much discussion about the increase in the main estimates compared to last year. This can be explained by three key factors. First, because the main estimates are being presented several months later than normal, they contain items that likely would have been included in supplementary estimates rather than in the main estimates. Second, the estimates contain increased spending in several key areas of importance to Canadians, including dental care, reconciliation and national defence. Third, the main estimates include increases in major transfer payments to provinces, territories and other organizations, as I mentioned earlier, make up the majority of the proposed spending.”
“Mr. Chair, the government has started to work with the departments to cut spending on professional services and travel by $500 million. In 2024-25, 2.3 billion was reallocated to priority areas, and this year, 2025-26, that amount will be increased to 3.5 billion. That work began in 2023 and is ongoing. The government is making sure that spending is being carefully managed and focused on our most pressing priorities. This year we are reallocating 3.5 billion to priority areas.”
“Mr. Chair, the new government was elected by Canadians to build a stronger Canada, to build our economy, one economy rather than 13 economies. That is exactly what we are focusing on to build Canada strong, to protect our borders, to protect our communities and to invest in our defence system.”
“Mr. Chair, I would remind my colleague that over 60% of the main estimates goes to the provinces and territories. There are the transfers for health care and dental care. It is really important to note that over 60% of the payments are going to provinces and territories for the various services that Canadians receive.”
“Mr. Chair, this new government is committed to using AI and investing in AI to improve productivity and the delivery of services to Canadians. This government is committed to ensuring the responsible use of artificial intelligence and ensuring that it is governed with clear values, ethics and rules. Canada is a global leader in public sector AI, and we recently published an AI strategy for the federal public service to guide our path forward, further enhancing Canada's leadership. The strategy will accelerate responsible AI adoption throughout the federal public service to deliver better digital services to Canadians and businesses; enhance public service productivity; and increase our capacity for discovery through science and research. The strategy was developed through extensive consultations with experts and the public.”
“Mr. Chair, I am a first-generation immigrant. I built my life from scratch. Every single moment I can cherish being a Canadian, I am grateful. I see that this country is supported by public servants who put their heart and soul into our operations and our delivery of services to Canadians. Whether it is something urgent, a wildfire or COVID, any situation, they are there to meet the moment. I would like to thank our public servants for doing an amazing and incredible job serving Canadians.”
“Mr. Chair, the main estimates include a major investment in defence, and the supplementary estimates (A) are a historic investment in Canadian national defence. This investment includes the modernization of equipment to provide tools to the men and women who serve our country so they can be equipped to defend Canada and make our borders strong. We are in a different era. This is a time when Canada is faced with unjustified tariff threats and foreign threats to our sovereignty. This investment would make sure that we are prepared for tomorrow to protect Canada—”
“All of the estimates demonstrate the government's commitment to delivering results on the issues that matter most to Canadians. I am happy to take questions.”
“Canada is at a pivotal moment in its history, and we need the resources to protect our country and its citizens against foreign threats. We need to be strong at home with a military that is ready and capable, particularly in the Arctic and northern regions. Through the supplementary estimates (A), the government would do just that. The spending of $9 billion would provide key investments in Canada's defence and security capabilities to help our military with recruitment, training and equipment. These investments would also support our international defence relationships and obligations. The estimates play a wider role in supporting Parliament's scrutiny of how public funds are being spent so that it can hold the government to account.”
“First, because the main estimates are being presented several months later than normal, they contain items that likely would have been included in the supplementary estimates rather than in the main estimates. Second, the estimates contain increased spending in several key areas of importance for Canadians, including dental care, reconciliation and national defence. Third, the main estimates include increases in major transfer payments to provinces, territories and other organizations, which, as I mentioned earlier, make up the majority of proposed spending. I would now like to discuss the historic investment in Canada's armed forces announced by the Prime Minister . This important investment is reflected in the 2025-26 supplementary estimates (A), which were tabled on June 9.”
“A further $4.4 billion is proposed for recruiting, developing and supporting an agile and diverse defence team, and $2.3 billion is planned for operations. (1850) Another vital issue is Canada's relationship with its indigenous people. True reconciliation means more than symbolic gestures. It requires concrete actions in education, health care, governance and economic opportunity. That is why the proposed spending for the Department of Indigenous Services totals $25.2 billion. This amount includes investments in a broad range of services that support health, children, families and education. There has been much discussion about the increase in the main estimates compared to last year. This can be explained by three key factors.”
“Funds that support the operation of the departments and the programs, activities and services they deliver for Canadians total $143.1 billion. This includes everything from national security and defence to reconciliation and housing. As members of the committee review the estimates and supporting documentation, they will note that the government's spending plan is closely aligned with the priorities of Canadians. For example, $33.9 billion in voted funding is proposed for the Department of National Defence. The main estimates include $12.3 billion to ensure the readiness of our armed forces, $9.5 billion for military procurement and $4.9 billion for sustainable bases, IT systems and infrastructure.”
“Throughout the year, supplementary estimates are also presented to seek parliamentary approval for additional spending requirements that were not sufficiently developed in time for inclusion in the main estimates or were unforeseen. Overall, the main estimates for 2025-26 present information on $222.9 billion in voted expenditures and $264 billion in statutory spending, for a total of $486.9 billion in planned budgetary spending for 130 organizations. Most of these funds are allocated outside of federal government organizations. In fact, transfer payments totalling $294.8 billion account for over 60% of expenditures. These payments provide important ongoing assistance to provinces and territories, organizations and individuals. They include benefits for seniors, the Canada health transfer and the Canada disability benefit.”
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the public service for their hard work and commitment in service to the entire Government of Canada and the people we serve. In my opinion, they are the treasurers of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. I thank them for their service. Allow me to provide a bit of an overview of the main estimate. The 2025-26 main estimates show how the government plans to invest public resources to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead and address the priorities that matter most to Canadians. They indicate the areas in which our new government will spend funds and the limits to how much it may spend without returning to Parliament to request more funds.”
“Mr. Chair, I want to take this opportunity to thank the residents of Brampton—Chinguacousy Park for putting their trust in me. I thank the incredible team of volunteers for putting in their time, day and night, to send me here. I am also grateful to the Prime Minister for putting his trust in me and appointing me to this job. It is a pleasure to be here today to discuss proposed spending for the government, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Canada School of Public Service, as outlined in the main estimates for the 2025-26 fiscal year. It has been just over a month since I began my role as President of the Treasury Board, and I want to say how grateful I am for the warm welcome and professionalism I have seen across the department.”
“Mr. Chair, I understand my colleague wants to have a clip, but we are here to talk about the main estimates for 2025-26. Let us talk about the investments we are making in the priorities that are most important to Canadians. Let us talk about $35.7 billion in planned spending for national defence, reflecting a $5.1-billion increase in voted funding to support Canada's defence priorities.”
“Mr. Speaker, I just talked about our spending reduction. Let us also talk about investment in the main estimates, which includes important funding to support dental care, the Canadian Forces and border services. The new government is investing in Canadians to build Canada strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, the new government is making sure that spending is being carefully managed and is focused on our most pressing priorities. In 2023 and 2024, departments started reducing spending on professional services and travel services by $500 million. We will continue to review our spending to make sure we are being efficient, effective and focused.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the member that a lot of the funds in the main estimates are transfer payments to provinces and territories. That means billions in federal support for the member's province and constituents. I challenge the member to join us in supporting these investments so that we can deliver services to Canadians and build Canada strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the investments in the main estimates. They include important funding to support the Canadian Forces, health services for first nations, dental care, border services and immigration, veterans' benefits and housing. The new government is investing in Canadians to build Canada strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, this new government is making sure that spending is being carefully managed and focused on our most pressing priorities. We will continue to review our spending to make sure we are being efficient, effective and focused on meeting the challenges and opportunities Canada faces.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to work with the newly elected member for Brampton Centre to deliver results for our community and for all Canadians. Canadians elected a new government to take bold actions, and that is what we are doing with our first act: a tax cut for 22 million Canadians, new supports for first-time homebuyers and removal of the consumer carbon price. The new government is taking decisive actions to make life more affordable for Canadians and to build Canada strong.”