Arielle Kayabaga
London West, Ontario · Liberal · Canada
“Madam Speaker, earlier a member of the opposition talked about the fact that they were not filibustering, yet she was the one who actually told the story about an elephant in a discussion of Bill C-30 , where there is money that has to go out to people who need more housing in a faster way.”
“Mr. Speaker, obviously, the member has been at the municipal level before, and we know that we cannot build homes without cities and without partnerships with the provinces and municipalities.”
“Earlier, Mr. Speaker, the member's colleague who sits on committee with me said he feels we are not listening. I talked about the fact that we did extensive collaboration.”
“Mr. Speaker, I really appreciated my colleague's speech. Of course, we all know that our systems and institutions are very robust in Canada, and I know my hon. colleague touched on that in his speech. Can he tell us more about what Canadians stand to gain from this bill?”
“Mr. Speaker, what I find interesting from the member opposite, who also sits on the committee with me, is the fact that he said he is not buying what we are selling, though we worked in collaboration with their team to bring the bill forward as quickly as possible.”
“Bad actors may try to interfere with our democratic processes and our elections from anywhere in the world at any time. Despite these challenges, the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions confirmed that our elections are safe.”
The complete record
Every one of 419 lines we hold for Arielle Kayabaga, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 8 of 9.
“Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member opposite to the House. Earlier, one of his colleagues mentioned that they support, in theory, the idea of building one strong Canadian economy and removing the barriers. Why are Conservatives opposed to supporting the bill?”
“Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate my hon. colleague on her re-election and her coming back to the House. I am curious to know what the member opposite thinks about the fact that the Conservatives asked for an election, we went to the election, and Canadians gave us a mandate to build one strong Canadian economy. Are the Conservatives opposed to removing the barriers across provinces to increase productivity in Canada, to make sure there are jobs for our young people and to make sure we respond to the mandate that Canadians gave us?”
“Mr. Speaker, on that note, I wanted to ask my hon. colleague to expand a bit more on the internal trade barriers that Canadians gave us a mandate to address and the importance it would have for ridings like his and ridings like mine in the southwestern corridor. Can the member take that question?”
“Mr. Speaker, I did want to take this time to cede my speaking time to the member who had been heckling, wanting to speak and ask government members questions, but unfortunately she is not in the room, so I will—”
“Mr. Speaker, maybe the minister can expand on what this bill would do to remove the barriers that are preventing a lot of workers from being able to work amidst the unjustified and illegal tariffs, and the importance of fulfilling the mandate to remove internal trade barriers across Canada.”
“Mr. Chair, I thank the minister for that answer; I think it is the right answer. I have another question for the minister. We have seen a rapid growth in AI and intelligence technologies, which I think are the future. They are transforming the way we do things in our economy. In my region of southwestern Ontario, this is something we are relying on for innovation and creating job opportunities. Can the minister talk about how the Government of Canada has signalled its commitment to modernizing service delivery, improving our internal operations and increasing efficiency through AI and the different programs he is working on?”
“Mr. Chair, I feel kind of rude. I did not get an opportunity to congratulate the minister in his new role and for his return to Parliament. Since the minister assumed his role and responsibility as the President of the Treasury Board, I am sure he has had ample opportunity to work with the public service and a lot of the public servants who keep the work that we do in Parliament going. I just want to take the time to thank them for the work they do. Can the minister reflect on that experience so far and the importance of our public servants, the work they do and the contributions they bring to our country?”
“Mr. Chair, as the minister knows, we are here tonight to talk about the main estimates, but we are also here to discuss the supplementary estimates, which include landmark investments that will help our government achieve NATO's 2% target this year, something we heard a lot about when we were campaigning. Maybe the minister can talk about Canada's role on the world stage and here at home and how we are going to do that.”
“Mr. Speaker, obviously, our government has been honest about being ethical in the way that we do procurement, and this matter was actually dealt with last year. It sounds like the member opposite, who came to this House in 2023, wants to stay there, but Canadians have sent us back here to talk about the things that are really important, such as one Canadian economy because we are faced with unjustified tariffs. Can the member opposite tell the Canadians who elected him and sent him back here whether he is going to support bills that are actually going to help Canadians move their lives forward?”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciated the speech by my colleague across the way. I would like to welcome him to the House of Commons, because I know this is his first time sitting here. I want to ask him the same question I asked his colleague earlier. Canadians have spoken in the recent election and have given the government a mandate to address affordability. Affordability must be a priority, especially for young people, like my colleague, and for Canadian families who aspire to buy their first home or access affordable child care. In addition, there are the many Canadian seniors, particularly those in Quebec, who want access to our dental care plan. Can my colleague tell us what he heard while going door to door during the election campaign? How will he be able to—”
“Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned a couple of things that I think are of importance. He talked about the fact that they want to send a strong message. I am curious to know what the member thinks about the fact that Canadians just sent a strong message to the entire country by re-electing the Liberal government to make sure that we continue to work for Canadians on things such as housing, child care benefits and dental care benefits, which I am sure many people in his riding have also benefited from. Can the member comment on whether he is going to support the mandate that Canadians sent to this House to make sure that we can deliver on one Canadian economy, not 13?”
“Mr. Chair, we obviously see that there are multiple impacts of climate change across our country and around the world. In order to be an energy superpower, we need to be able to fight climate change and build more renewable energy projects. What role will the minister's department play in supporting renewable energy?”
“Mr. Chair, one of the things that make Canada a really great country is the opportunity that we have taken in our path to reconciliation. Many people have bragged about Canada being a leader in our process of working with the indigenous communities across Canada. Obviously, indigenous communities are leaders in natural resources and their upkeep. We are all very thankful for the land they have kept for so long. Can the minister tell us the importance of the role that he has to play in bridging and continuing that relationship with indigenous leaders and making sure that this collaboration remains and that we keep that reputation?”
“Mr. Chair, I appreciate the minister's really great speech around the things that Canadians sent us to do in this House. Obviously, we all just came off the campaign trail and we ended up on this side of the House, so I congratulate the minister. The Americans are threatening Canada's sovereignty and our economy. We all heard collectively at the doors that Canadians want us to deliver on this. What role do natural resources play in protecting our country, and what is the government going to do to get these projects built?”
“Mr. Chair, I appreciate the response and the comment on how difficult it was for the minister when he was a mayor to work with the federal government at the time. Maybe the minister can talk about the importance of having one Canadian economy and how important it will be in his file to create jobs and make sure that housing is built in a faster way, plus anything else he wants to add.”
“I like to joke around sometimes and say that people who want to come to the House should start at the municipal level to make sure they learn how things work at the city level so they can bring it to the national level and bring it all together. Maybe the minister can talk to us about his experience in his time as the mayor of Vancouver at the city level, the importance of managing budgets at the municipal level and how he is going to tie all that experience into his new role as the housing and infrastructure minister in the House of Commons.”
“Mr. Chair, I want to first of all congratulate the minister for taking a seat in the House and becoming the Minister of Housing. Housing is really important to a lot of people across the country. We heard it at the doors, and I can say the same thing for my riding of London West. It is especially important for young people, people in our generation. I believe the minister was a mayor before he came to this House. I was on city council, and I know how important the work of housing is for people who work at the municipal level. I think of all the important work we learn to do when managing budgets in municipal government and the wealth of knowledge we bring to the House.”
“Madam Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: Motion That notwithstanding the order adopted on May 27, 2025, regarding the consideration of estimates in committee of the whole for the supply period ending June 23, 2025, (a) at the conclusion of the time provided for the debate, on the fourth designated day, the estimates shall not be deemed reported back to the House; and (b) Thursday, June 12, 2025, be designated as a fifth day for the consideration of estimates, for a duration of two hours, provided that proceedings be otherwise governed pursuant to the other applicable provisions of the order adopted on May 27, 2025, and that, at the conclusion of the time provided for the debate, or when no member wishes to speak, whichever comes first, the committee shall rise, the estimates shall be deemed reported back the same to the House, the debate pursuant to Standing Order 38 shall not take place, and the House shall immediately adjourn to the next sitting day.”
“Madam Chair, the minister mentioned earlier that he has four years' experience with Global Affairs Canada. He was a parliamentarian before he became a minister, and he knows, through his mandate, how important it is to work with all members of this House. The minister was elected under the same mandate that we were all elected under, and the Prime Minister gave him the mandate of creating new trade partners across Canada. How is he going to engage all of us to make sure that we can go back to our ridings and respond to the mandate that we were given by our electors?”
“Madam Chair, part of the minister's mandate is also to find new partners amidst these unjustified and illegal U.S. tariffs that we have experienced as a country. I saw that the minister was recently in Ecuador to participate in the inauguration of the president. Maybe the minister can expand on why that was important and how creating that corridor of conversations and discussion could actually lead to good-paying jobs in Canada and Ecuador as well.”
“Madam Chair, I appreciate the minister's answer. As I said earlier, I have had the opportunity to work with him on different files, including the Canada-Africa file. I know that the minister has extensive experience as a parliamentarian as the parliamentary secretary for trade in the past. I just want him to talk about what is the importance of the role of engaging all parliamentarians in advancing trade and how they can also bring that back home to their communities and engage with stakeholders in that way.”
“Madam Chair, I would like to take the time to congratulate the minister for his new role. As someone who has worked with him on the Canada-Africa file, it is very nice to see the role that he is taking in advancing trade for Canada. I have some questions for the minister. As the Prime Minister received a mandate to make sure that we can establish new trading partners around the world and build new economic and security relationships, can the minister tell this House how free trade agreements come to fruition and how we can create well-paying jobs both here in Canada and abroad through trade missions?”
“Madam Chair, does the minister recall Conservative MPs expressing similar amounts of false outrage about fiscal discipline when the Harper government routinely ran up deficits that ran for nearly a decade?”
“Madam Chair, the election was about who can fight for Canadians against the unjustified tariffs. How have the unjustified and illegal U.S. tariffs impacted Canada's economy forecasts, and what measures is the government taking to counter American tariffs to support Canadian industries and workers in our regions across Canada, especially in southwestern Ontario?”
“Madam Chair, examining estimates provides members of the House the opportunity to examine the government's finances in granular detail, but if we take a step back, I would also like to ask the minister some macro-level questions. Just as he was also sent here, London West residents sent me to the House to make sure that our government takes concrete measures to make life more affordable. Can the finance minister expand on the steps that the government has recently taken to make life more affordable for Canadians and how it would impact the Canadian economy and our finances going forward?”
“Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my colleague's speech. I have been listening to the discussion all day, and one thing that keeps coming up is the fact that Quebec did not pay this tax, so Quebec did not receive any payment. I hear my colleagues saying that their constituents need government support to buy homes and to do many of the things that are covered by bills we have introduced in the House. Can my colleague tell us whether he will support these bills and therefore answer his constituents' questions?”
“Mr. Speaker, we are keeping the industrial carbon pricing, which is three times more effective than the consumer carbon pricing. First of all, we have to talk about the fact that Canada has been a leader at home and internationally on climate change, and it will continue to be. Instead of rewarding the biggest polluters and making Canadians pay for our new climate plan, we will build more green jobs. Our area, that of my colleague and I, has new jobs in the green sector for the EV sector. That is something we want to continue to work on to make sure that green jobs are kept across the country. We are the government that believes in climate change and the real threats of climate change. If members want to go outside, they can see it. We will continue to do so.”
“Mr. Speaker, the hon. member and I are often on flights together, so he knows that I am not from Toronto or another big city. I am from London, Ontario, and I think 30% of my riding is also considered rural. I do speak for a large number of Canadians who are from my riding. I also want to say that, when it comes to dividing Canadians on this issue, it was the Conservatives who created the dividing language around the carbon tax, to the point that it became so divisive for Canadians that we had to drop it. The hon. member needs to be talking to his leader about the language he has used in the House to divide Canadians more than he needs to ask me about that.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his clarification on the comment he made earlier. I would like to take this opportunity to remind my colleague that there are francophones across Canada, not just in Quebec. There are francophones in Ontario. My colleague asked me why members from Quebec are not speaking. Are francophones from outside Quebec not francophones? That is my question for my colleague.”
“We are going to build a stronger, more unified new economy, an economy that will create better-paying jobs and higher incomes for everyone—the strongest economy in the G7.”
“We are also cancelling the tax increases on capital gains to help stimulate investment in our communities and encourage builders, innovators and entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in Canada. In the fall, we will table a well-thought-out budget that will advance our primary objective of investing more in the people and businesses that will grow our economy. As His Majesty said in the Speech from the Throne, in all of its actions, the government will be guided by a new fiscal discipline: spend less so Canadians can invest more. By working together, we will fight climate change and strengthen Canada's and Quebec's economic resilience in a rapidly changing global landscape.”
“I talked about Canadians who hoped to have a little more money after April. We are working on a plan to show how these Canadians will be able to get a little more money. All Canadians will benefit from this cut, regardless of the province they live in, which was not the case for the Canada carbon rebate. That is just the beginning. We are determined to continue helping hard-working Canadians save money. That is the mandate they gave us and that is what the government is going to do. We are reviewing core spending and government efficiency to help cut costs and increase productivity across the public service. We are also taking measures to eliminate internal trade barriers with a goal of reducing costs by 15% and adding up to $200 billion to our economy, or potentially as much as $5,000 per Canadian.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, our Bill C-4 also includes a tax cut for the middle class. This does relate to the motion we are discussing today. We are talking about cutting the carbon tax. As I said earlier, Canadians wanted a little more money. We are therefore explaining how we will offer lower-income Canadians additional opportunities to contribute and live healthy lives across the country, including in Quebec. Getting back to what I was saying, this bill will provide tax relief for the middle class by cutting taxes for nearly 22 million Canadians, saving families in Canada and Quebec up to $840. Canadians, including Quebeckers, could start seeing these tax savings on their paycheques as of July 1 of this year. Hard-working Canadians with taxable incomes below $114,000 in 2025 will benefit the most from these tax cuts.”
“This measure would build on the already substantial federal tax support provided to first-time homebuyers through programs such as the tax-free first home savings account, the home buyers' plan, the registered retirement savings plan and the first-time homebuyers' tax credit. In addition, under Bill C‑4 , the government is also going to offer a tax cut for the—”
“Mr. Speaker, I will pick up where I left off. As I was saying, the GST reduction we are proposing will allow many young Canadians, including those living in Quebec, to buy their first home. Eliminating the GST will affect everyone in Canada, including Quebeckers. In addition, young Canadians could benefit from lower anticipated housing costs, making it easier for them to enter the housing market and realize their dream of buying their first home. During the election campaign, we all heard young people say they wanted the opportunity to buy their first home. As a millennial, that is a dream I share with two generations, generations Z and Y from across Quebec and Canada.”
“Once it receives royal assent, this legislation will remove the goods and services tax, or GST, for first-time homebuyers on new homes up to $1 million, saving Canadians up to $50,000. These are promises we made during the election campaign. As we talked to people on the campaign trail, we heard that many young Canadians would like to buy a house. This part of the bill will help young Canadians, including Quebeckers, do just that. The bill will also lower the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes between $1 million and $1.5 million. Eliminating the GST would have a positive effect on supply. It could stimulate new home construction right across Canada and enable us to address the housing crisis that is affecting us—”
“With strong carbon pricing for large emitters, we will be able to drive innovation and competitiveness nationwide by attracting investment in emissions reduction projects and creating more well-paying green jobs for Quebeckers and for all Canadians. This approach is sure to make us a more attractive trading partner. It will also allow us to protect Canadian businesses, including those in Quebec, from the carbon pricing that countries and regions such as the U.K. and the European Union are imposing on countries that do not yet have a carbon pricing system. It is important to remember that this bill not only eliminates the federal fuel charge from legislation, it also includes significant tax cuts for Canadians right across the country, including in Quebec.”
“With the elimination of the charge, our government is now able to refocus federal carbon pricing and pollution standards by ensuring that all carbon pricing systems are in place across Canada for a wide range of greenhouse gas emissions from industry. Quebec has long been a pioneer in regulating large emitters. Quebec has already solved this problem. This is important, because carbon pricing for businesses is one of the most important policies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions across Canada. According to research by the Canadian Climate Institute, Canada's carbon pricing systems will be more effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 than any other policy. They will help us reach our national emissions reduction target of 45% to 50% below 2005 levels by 2035.”
“The federal government based this decision on the fact that many Canadian families, particularly those living on low incomes, were counting on the April rebate and had planned their budgets accordingly. As my hon. colleagues already know, the Canada carbon rebate payments, which were intended to return most of the proceeds of the federal fuel charge to households, were only made in provinces where the federal carbon pricing backstop applied. Since Quebec's current fuel charge system exceeded federal standards, the federal fuel charge did not apply to that province, which means that Quebeckers did not receive these Canada carbon rebate payments.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Les Pays-d'en-Haut . Thank you for giving me the opportunity to take part in this opposition day debate. In the recent federal election, Canadians demanded a serious, ambitious plan to make life more affordable for everyone in Canada. Bill C-4 implements the plan designed to help Canadians, including those in Quebec, keep more of their hard-earned money. In addition, it aims to reduce income taxes for Canadian workers in every province and territory. It also eliminates the consumer carbon pricing legislation. After it was eliminated, eligible Canadians did receive a final Canada carbon rebate payment on April 22, which was roughly two months ago.”
“Madam Speaker, my colleague talked about how it was important to make sure that people did get the final payment because they had planned for it. Maybe he could expand on some of the measures taken by the government to make sure Canadians actually have money to do the things they need to do, to feed their kids or do extracurricular activities. Maybe the member could talk about some of the projects we have tabled.”
“Madam Speaker, we have just introduced a bill that would help Canadians across Canada save more money. This bill would also refund the GST to all Canadians and young people who are looking to buy a new home. This bill would help Canadian families save money, including families in Quebec. However, my colleague failed to mention that. Did he hear about that when he was out door‑knocking during the election campaign?”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague and I agree on one thing: that Canadians want a detailed plan. Canadians want us to really take our time to come up with a budget that is thoughtful and that responds to exactly what they sent us to the House to do, which was to make sure we can deliver on things like affordability. We have the plans to do that, and that is why we came back into government. Can the member opposite confirm that he is going to support some of the bills that Canadians sent us to do in the House, like Bill C-5 , which would remove the borders to make sure that we have one Canadian economy that works for all provinces?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the member opposite for her election and for taking her seat in the House of Commons. I heard her talk about the hardship a lot of Canadians are experiencing across the country. In the past, her colleagues have voted against the benefits that help children across the country like the child tax benefit and bringing food programs into our schools. They voted against dental care for seniors and children. There are 9,000 people in my riding who have benefited from dental care. Perhaps the member opposite can tell us if she plans to support measures that actually create opportunities for Canadian families to have extra money for groceries and other things that they need to be able to survive. Those sound like things she really cares about.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would also like to congratulate my hon. colleague for taking her seat in this House. We are very excited. As a woman who has been a champion for other women, she spoke highly of the child care benefit that we offer to many women across the country, the dental care plan and many other measures that are in our budget, things that we have tabled here in this House to make sure that women across the country are taken care of. Can the member expand a little on the impact these measures are going to have on people in her riding, as a woman who has been a strong champion for other women?”
“Mr. Speaker, I welcome my colleague to the House of Commons. The member just spoke about the fact that Canadians decided to elect a government that will work for them and that will ensure that families and young people can buy homes. We have just introduced legislation in the House of Commons that responds to what Canadians have been calling for, an economy that works for all Canadians. I would like to know whether my colleague will support this bill. It is what Canadians have asked for. We are here. We are back in government. Of course, we are a minority government, but Canadians gave us an important mandate to build an economy that works for all the provinces of Canada. Will my colleague support this bill?”
“Madam Speaker, since I have not yet had the opportunity to do so, I would like to congratulate my colleague on his re-election. I heard my colleague's speech. We also know that an election just happened and that Canadians decided to elect a government that told them it would lower taxes for families. Can my hon. colleague tell us, here in the House, that he and his party will support the measures we introduced to meet the demands that Canadians made of us during the election?”
“Mr. Speaker, I also would like to congratulate my colleague on his re-election. In his really great speech he highlighted democracy and why it is so important. He talked about the different ways that we are looking to trade around the world and the different partnerships that Canada is looking to grow. He mentioned in his speech the opportunities that could be available to also collaborate with Africa. I would like to see if the member would like to expand a little on that and talk about the economic power that lies within our communities.”
“Madam Speaker, congratulations on your return. I am pleased to see you back in good health. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate my colleague on his election and on the mandate that brought him here to the House. It is very important, and it shows how much Canadians want a government that can work for them. My question for my colleague is this. How important is the work he wants to do here, in order to fulfill the mandate that his constituents have given him? How important is it to get through all the business we want to get through the House while making sure we are working with everyone? Can my colleague explain how important it is for all members of the House to be able to vote in favour of the work we do here? Can he talk about the importance of the mandate that he and his Liberal colleagues have been given?”
“Now, in the House, we have to honour the Afzaal family by building a Canada where everyone feels safe because everyone belongs. That is not just compassion; it is our national strength.”