Leslie Church
Toronto—St. Paul's, Ontario · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, what did 13 provincial premiers and territorial premiers agree to this week? They agreed to a permanent doubling of the national school food program that will be brought into 10,000 schools across the country. Thirteen provinces and territories agreed, but this opposition cannot get on board to feed kids in our schools.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is quite the opposite. We have worked hand in hand with organizations to ensure that these changes to this program are welcomed. We know that this program delivers important services for seniors in every single riding of every member in this House. That is something that we are going to continue.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are incredibly proud of this program. Last year alone, it supported over 2,600 projects right across Canada, helping seniors stay active and engaged and fight isolation. This year, we are increasing the value of the grants and we are making some changes to strengthen the integrity of the program.”
“Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and subsection 39(3) of the Accessible Canada Act, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the annual report of the Accessibility Commissioner of Canada for the 2025-26 fiscal year.”
“Madam Speaker, this is a government that is hard at work for all Canadians. We have a plan to build Canada strong, and on days like today we are seeing real progress with 88,000 net new jobs. The largest increase in those jobs is in construction. Youth unemployment fell by nearly a point.”
“The government knows that young Canadians deserve more opportunities. By keeping debt under control and investing in growth, we are protecting their future. The 2026 spring economic update shows a government that is meeting today's challenges while protecting tomorrow's prosperity.”
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“Hatred thrives when institutions fail to respond, but Canada has always been strongest when we stand together, across faiths, across communities and across political lines, to defend the values that define this country. Those values include freedom, dignity and safety for every Canadian. That is why this legislation matters. That is why I am going to be supporting the motion before us today.”
“We want to see terror symbols off our streets. We expect fear and intimidation in our communities and neighbourhoods to stop. We want accountability for violent and hateful acts, and we want them prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. When synagogues are targeted by gunfire, when communities are living with fear and when hate crimes are rising across the country, Canadians expect their elected representatives to act responsibly and decisively. They expect us to work together. They expect us to move beyond procedural stall tactics in the House and in committee, and to focus on the safety and well-being of the people we serve. That is what the motion allows us to do. It ensures that Parliament can complete its work on legislation that seeks to protect Canadians from hate and violence.”
“Every Canadian deserves to know that their Parliament stands firmly against hate in all of its forms. Bill C-9 delivers that commitment in line with the charter and with respect for the freedom of conscience and religion. I have heard concerns and had discussions with faith communities in my own riding about the protection to read scripture and sacred texts. At committee, these were taken seriously. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice introduced a “for greater certainty” clause to make clear that legitimate religious expression and the quoting of sacred texts in good faith are not and will not be criminalized. Above all, the charter protects this right. Let us agree that the status quo is not an acceptable option. Police forces have asked for clarity. Jewish Canadians have asked for protections.”
“Prohibiting the public display of hate symbols and symbols of registered terrorist groups is a reasonable limit on free expression. This balance is at the beating heart of the rights and obligations we have to one another as citizens protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. For the members opposite who see Bill C-9 as an unwarranted restriction on free expression or, worse, who twist and misrepresent the provisions of this bill to incite opposition on false grounds, it is time to stop. Jewish Canadians should not have to wonder whether Parliament will act when synagogues are targeted. Muslim Canadians should not have to question whether their mosques are safe. Members of racialized or LGBTQ communities should not have to fear that hate directed toward them will go unanswered.”
“This is about ensuring that the debate actually leads somewhere, that the committee completes its clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, that amendments are voted on and that Parliament can move forward in addressing a very real challenge in our country. Opposition to this bill is rooted in misinformation. Canadians have a charter-protected right to freedom of expression. That right is vital to any well-functioning democracy. However, as Canadian courts have ruled repeatedly, this right is limited when an individual's actions infringe on the rights of others or cause harm to them. (1930) Prohibiting hate speech is, and has always been, a reasonable limit on free expression. Prohibiting protests that impede access to community centres, schools or places of worship is a reasonable limit on free expression.”
“The time for filibusters and for delay has come to an end. If members of the House, and the opposition in particular, acknowledge that the attacks that we have been seeing are unacceptable, and if they acknowledge that anti-Semitism and other forms of hate are rising in Canada, then now is the time to move this legislation forward. It is one thing to condemn hate in a statement or social media post. It is another thing to support concrete legislative changes to the Criminal Code that would protect Canadians from that hate. This is why this motion before the House today matters. This is not about cutting off debate, as members opposite are claiming. The bill has been debated in committee since October of last year.”
“This bill would strengthen the Criminal Code's response to hate-motivated conduct, including intimidation and the promotion of hatred against identifiable groups. These provisions are designed to protect Canadians in the most fundamental sense by protecting their right to gather, to worship and to participate in a society free from intimidation and fear. It would also prohibit the public display of symbols associated with listed terrorist groups in Canada. These are important gaps to clarify in our laws, and they are consistent with the Canadian approach to freedom of expression and to the prohibition of hate speech that has been a feature of Canadian law for over 60 years. The government introduced this bill in the first week that the House returned in September, and here we are more than six months later.”
“As I have said before in the House, it is unacceptable for any Canadian to have to endure a torrent of hate to go to worship, to take their kids to school or to just go to work on any given day. Stopping the fear and intimidation outside of places people can reasonably expect to gather or access services was a commitment that we campaigned on as a Liberal caucus last spring. When the Minister of Justice introduced this legislation earlier in this Parliament, we stepped up to fulfill this commitment. He spoke about the responsibility we have as legislators to ensure that Canada's legal framework keeps pace with the realities that our communities face. He spoke about the need to respond to law enforcement, who have asked for clarity in law.”
“This is a despicable act of anti-Semitic hate and intimidation. When a synagogue is shot at in the middle of the night, the message is clear. It is an act meant to intimidate, to create fear and to send a signal to Jewish Canadians that they are not safe in their own communities. In Toronto—St. Paul's, I have heard from families consistently over the past two-plus years about the rising sense of fear in our city. I have heard of protests in Jewish neighbourhoods that seek to hold a community responsible for events overseas, deliberately failing to distinguish between a diverse cultural and faith community here in Canada and the actions of a government abroad.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Portage—Lisgar . I rise today to speak to the motion before the House regarding the programming debate on Bill C-9 , the combatting hate act. I do so at a moment when the urgency of this legislation could not be higher. Over the past week, Canadians have, once again, been confronted with the disturbing reality of hate-motivated violence in our country. In Toronto, we have had gunfire at three synagogues over the past week. There are bullet holes in the buildings where members of the Jewish community, families and children, gather to pray and come together. I went to the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue and saw where the rounds cut through three layers of doors into the inner halls of the building. This is serious. This is criminal.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if my colleague across the way could describe why he continues to obstruct after there has been the introduction of a “for greater certainty” clause that would address the concerns that Canadians have and clarify that it would absolutely not be prohibited to read scripture, to preach or to read a religious text under this legislation. Why does the member opposite continue to obstruct this bill when we have clearly set out that the religious exemption and religious teachings have been protected in this bill?”
“Mr. Chair, I want to thank my colleague for expressing the concerns that many of us have about the brutality of the Iranian regime and its wide-ranging terror campaign that is conducted through proxies across the Middle East and spilling into our streets. My colleague mentioned the spate of anti-Semitic violence that we have seen in recent days, and I wanted to ask him if he could speak a bit more about the measures that we must take as a government and as a country to ensure that all Canadians are safe.”
“Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we stand firmly in the belief that nobody should work for free in this country. We take any kind of claims of unpaid work very seriously. Workers must be paid for the hours they work. We are going to make sure that employers are following the rules, and we stood up in terms of the airline industry to make sure that we were doing an investigation into the labour practices of that industry. We are continuing with that investigation right now to get further information to make sure that those practices are in compliance with the Labour Code.”
“Mr. Speaker, with great respect to the member opposite, I really would recommend to him the reports of the Auditor General on benefit delivery modernization and the testimony and report of the public accounts committee, both in 2011 and also from this past fall. We are obviously working to address the outstanding cases, but let us please keep in perspective that this is the single-largest IT modernization project the Government of Canada has ever had, and right now it is delivering accurate and on-time benefits to over 7.7 million seniors.”
“Mr. Speaker, allow me to try to shed some light on this again for the members opposite. This initiative is a phased program. There is no cost overrun. The modernization of our old age security systems is necessary. I think all Canadians would understand that 60-year-old computer programs are outdated, obsolete and at risk. If we want Canadians to have their benefits on time and accurately, as this program is already delivering to over 7.7 million seniors, we need to be modernizing it. We need to be moving to modernize our other systems around EI and CPP as well. This is necessary to support the biggest benefit programs the Government of Canada has.”
“Mr. Speaker, I take the member's comments very seriously, and 7.7 million seniors are receiving their benefits on time and accurately in a system that is now designed to be more modern, accessible and secure. I would encourage the member, as the minister has said repeatedly, to speak to us if he knows of cases where there is urgent need. We are set up to deal with them in 24 to 48 hours, and we are very happy to do that.”
“Mr. Speaker, the 2011 report of the public accounts committee sounded the alarm on the lack of sustainable funding for renewing IT infrastructure, noting that major funding shortfalls posed a high risk for core programs not being able to support the aging system, but the Conservatives at the time, who were in government, chose to do nothing about it. Today, these investments are long overdue. The system is in critical need of updating and modernization to move it off of a paper-based, 60-year-old system, so that Canadians can rely on it and benefits can be delivered securely in the years to come.”
“Mr. Speaker, this modernization project is the largest IT project ever undertaken by the Government of Canada. When it is completed, it is going to finish the necessary modernization of our biggest benefit programs, which millions of Canadians rely on, to deliver billions of benefits over the course of our lives. This is a 60-year-old program that required updating. It is in progress. It is delivering benefits to over 7.7 million seniors right now, accurately and on time. It is the first phase. We are going to continue to do this work carefully.”
“Mr. Speaker, let me try to correct some of the member's assertions today. There is no cost overrun on this project. It is in the first phase. The project is on track with respect to modernizing old age security. When this project is complete, as it is now delivering benefits on time and accurately for over 7.7 million seniors, we are going to see that this new modernization is actually there to support Canadians in some of our largest benefit programs for the next generation. It was entirely necessary, and the Conservatives should know this because there was a 2011 report from public accounts that encouraged them to start doing the work, which they did not.”
“Mr. Speaker, it would be excellent for Canadians to also ask why, after so many years, the Conservatives continue to vote against the very programs that are supporting families in need, the most vulnerable families in our country, and our kids. Why will they not support a national school food program that we have put in place? It is going to help half a million kids coast to coast. Why will the Conservatives not support making it permanent? Why will they not support affordable child care, which is helping nearly a million kids across this country get early learning and child care? These are the types of programs that support families and support our kids, but somehow the Conservatives will not stand up and support these programs when they get the chance.”
“Mr. Speaker, we should all be outraged about child poverty, but what we actually need are concrete plans. That is why, when the government brings forward plans like the national school food program and like affordable child care, it would be nice to have the support of the members opposite in passing those programs. Why has it been so difficult for us to have a permanent national school food program in this country? Why do the Conservatives not stand up and support affordable child care that helps families? Why will the Conservatives not stand up and support proudly our Canada groceries and essentials benefit to help families? The Conservatives will not do that. The outrage is unwarranted.”
“Mr. Speaker, that same report mentions how our government's investments in the Canada child benefit, in dental care and in child care are helping families lower their cost of living. I welcome the Conservatives and the question, because it gives me an opportunity to talk about the supports we have in place to help all children. One child in poverty is too many, but that is why we have a Canada child benefit that is tax-free. A majority of the recipients of it are lone-parent families, and 90% are single moms. Those are the kinds of supports that the government is putting in place and enhancing, while the Conservatives continue—”
“Mr. Speaker, we have been at this all week. Let me try to correct the member opposite's assertions. There is no cost overrun. The first phase of this project is on track with respect to modernizing old age security. There are other phases of work still to come, similarly to modernize EI and Canada pension plan benefits. The Auditor General has looked at this. The public accounts committee has looked at this. The government provided a response to the House based on the parliamentary committee's report. Let us stop sowing confusion on this and get back to the facts.”
“Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the member opposite, I would recommend that he read the Auditor General's report on the modernization of benefits or the testimony and two reports from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, one from 2011 and the other from last fall. Of course we are working to address the backlog. Let us keep in mind that this is the largest digital project ever undertaken by the Government of Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, what Canadians are tired of is rhetoric that says that Canada is broken and that we are not getting ahead. Canadians elected a government with a plan that is cutting taxes for 22 million Canadians, delivering a groceries and essentials benefit to put much-needed money back in the pockets of many Canadian families, and is committed to affordable child care, saving families upwards of $10,000 a year. Those are measurable plans to make life better and more affordable for Canadians. We are proud of that. I wish the Conservatives would stand with us.”
“Mr. Speaker, the government is squarely focused on opportunity. Opportunity means good job opportunities and affordable homes. As members might know, Bill C-4 , our bill, is in front of the Senate right now, and it would eliminate GST for first-time homebuyers on homes up to $1 million. We have a bill in front of the House right now, Bill C-20 , for Build Canada Homes, because we are focused on making sure that this generation of Canadians, millennials in particular, can get into the housing market and have an affordable home to build. The Conservatives seem to want to stall our housing agenda every step of the way. They should get on board.”
“Mr. Speaker, the department has been working to modernize a decades-old system to be able to process claims more effectively in the decades to come. Right now, 7.7 million seniors are receiving their benefits on time, and the department is working urgently to deal with any cases where there has been a delay.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I said, this is the most extensive digital transformation ever. The vast majority of seniors are registered in the system and are receiving their benefits promptly and correctly. We have contacted MPs' offices to ask for the names of the Canadians concerned, and we have also offered to brief MPs on the system. Our government continues to support seniors in a variety of ways, including through dental care and the new grocery benefit.”
“Mr. Speaker, we stand by the work we are doing. We want to take action that is informed, and informed by evidence. We have asked all sides in this to provide that evidence. Phase two of the probe will collect more evidence from airlines and unions to ensure that employers are complying with the Canada Labour Code. This step is necessary to provide additional clarity on how the airline sector's pay structure aligns with the code. This is important information for us to know and get right.”
“Mr. Speaker, nobody should work for free in this country. We take any claim of unpaid work seriously. After allegations of unpaid work in the airline sector, we launched a probe to get to the bottom of the claims. Phase one of that probe has now been published. We are going to keep investigating to ensure that work is happening in accordance with the Canada Labour Code. Workers must be paid for the hours they work, and we are going to make sure that employers follow the rules.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for representing the great people of Carleton and the issues they care about. Kids cannot learn if they are hungry. A new study by the Breakfast Club of Canada shows that school food programs improve educational outcomes, reduce childhood obesity and increase disposable incomes for families facing rising costs. Canada was the last country in the G7 to have a national school food program. Now we do. The budget makes it permanent. It is a shame that Conservative members do not think kids' health and school food are worth studying or voting for.”
“Mr. Speaker, our government continues to support seniors, including through the Canadian dental care plan and the new Canada groceries and essentials benefit. Processing OAS claims is a top priority, and the department is working hard to address this issue. The department has implemented an OAS action plan to mobilize all available resources to resolve this issue.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I said, this is the largest digital transformation ever undertaken. The vast majority of seniors are registered in the system and are receiving the right benefits on time. We have contacted members' offices to ask them for the names of the people affected and we have also offered members a briefing on the system.”
“Mr. Speaker, the modernization of this system is a necessary upgrade of a 60-year-old system. It already offers a faster and easier way to access benefits. Currently, 7.7 million seniors are receiving their monthly benefits this way. This is the largest digital transformation initiative ever undertaken by the Government of Canada. Service Canada is striving to ensure that anyone facing urgent problems or needs is helped quickly.”
“Mr. Speaker, we stand with our auto workers, with unions and with the businesses that communities are built around, and they are standing with us. Auto workers, mayors, union leaders and premiers, including Premier Ford, called this a great auto strategy. Let me read this to the House. The President of Unifor Local 200 in Windsor, who chairs Unifor's auto council, says that he is “ecstatic” over the measures put in place as part of Canada's auto strategy. He says, “We're putting a third shift on, and we want to make sure that third shift stays. That incentive is so important to our community. I was ecstatic to see [the government] put that in place”.”
“Mr. Speaker, I wish the Conservatives knew more about construction, but it seems what they know about is obstruction. If these Conservatives cared about building homes for young Canadians, they would pass the two bills we have before the House right now. They would pass the budget implementation act and they would pass the Build Canada Homes act , because those are the tools that are getting shovels in the ground right across Canada for the next generation of young Canadians who need affordable homes.”
“Madam Speaker, we are a government that stands squarely with our seniors. We have a long track record of defending them, of investing in long-term care and of protecting seniors through the difficult years of the pandemic. In particular, we have increased GIS, benefiting over a million seniors across Canada. We have increased our OAS payments to seniors over 75 when they face higher costs, expanded our earnings exemption and enhanced CPP, and we are delivering dental care for over six million Canadians. Many seniors in my riding call this a lifeline to oral health that they have not received before. I look forward to working with the member opposite in continuing to provide—”
“Madam Speaker, in the member's own home province of Alberta, unemployment has decreased this past month and the participation rate has actually climbed. That is part of the proof of the hard work that the government is doing with its solid and strategic economic plan for the country. We cannot move forward as a country unless we have the opposition's support to pass that economic plan, to invest in the jobs that we need, to build the projects that are going to bring our nation together and to fight off the unjust tariffs and the trade war that we are in. The opposition needs to join team Canada, get on board and pass our budget.”
“Madam Speaker, as my colleague noted earlier, overall employment has been up over the past 12 months and wages continue to rise. These are proof points of an economic plan that is in action, but this is not over. The government brought forward this fall our economic plan in our budget, Bill C-15 , which is before the House. It would create tens of thousands of jobs, jobs in the skilled trades. It would bring forward tax cuts that would grow our economy and increase investment. It would create major new investments in housing, in infrastructure, and in some of the largest projects this country has seen. When will the Conservatives put those small differences aside, start cheering for Canada—”
“Madam Speaker, that is not true. There is an adjustment period when implementing a new benefit delivery platform. The department is working hard to ensure that employees have the tools they need to become acquainted with the new system and deliver benefits effectively. The speed of service is already improving as employees become more familiar with the system. If anyone is having problems with their benefits, I would urge them to contact Service Canada.”
“Madam Speaker, this involves a major update to a system that is more than 60 years old. The minister's office has contacted the Bloc Québécois member to get the names of the constituents who urgently need help so we can resolve this issue. We have yet to hear back from the member regarding the names of those constituents. The department will continue to work to deal with these cases while continuing to modernize the system to ensure that seniors receive the benefits they need—”
“Madam Speaker, as the minister said, the department is working as quickly as possible to resolve these problems and to ensure that the staff has the tools required to deliver benefits effectively. More than seven million seniors are now promptly and accurately receiving their benefits. We are modernizing this decades-old system to improve benefits payment for all seniors in the years to come.”
“Madam Speaker, food affordability touches all Canadians. In my own riding of St. Paul's, whether it is seniors on a fixed income, young people or newcomers, they are going to benefit from this new groceries and essentials benefit that we have. It is one of the reasons the policy is in place. The benefit is a part of it, and the other piece is building the food security strategy to go with it to ensure that we are actually creating a long-term solution.”
“Madam Speaker, our policy as a government and our plan involves the types of supports and initiatives that farmers and industry would welcome, from building our supply chains to investing in rail and ports and ensuring that our biofuels are supported. I am someone who knows how much even Albertans care about the environment, and how much concern there is for the pristine nature in the national parks or in the foothills of the Rockies; these places matter too. All I am saying is that Canadians are a serious, mature and capable people who know that we can both achieve food affordability and make progress on that front while at the same time protecting the wonder and the nature that is the beauty of Canada.”
“Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I did no such thing. What I did was challenge the Conservative opposition to work with us and to debate this issue with facts and not fiction. I would have the member opposite know that I may proudly represent a downtown Toronto riding, but I grew up in the heartland of Alberta. I know a thing or two about this country from coast to coast, and I am proud of it. I would also have the member opposite know that the government is building one Canadian economy. This is not about dividing farmers from urban centres or rich from poor. This is about ensuring that our country gets through the tough times of the next few years, survives and prospers. To do that means building an economy that works for everyone.”
“That is what we are delivering and will continue to deliver while helping to create a cleaner, healthier and safer environment for all. That is the beauty of Canada and of working with and for Canadians. They know that with a serious government, they can count on it to make change and do the hard work and heavy lifting of introducing the programs and supports that are going to help strengthen our economy, make life more affordable, protect our environment and build a Canada that is prosperous for all.”
“It is for building economic opportunities and increasing collaboration and competitiveness globally. A stronger, more competitive economy does a lot of things. It lowers production and transport costs, reduces exposure to global shocks, keeps markets competitive, builds climate resilience and, most importantly, stabilizes prices over time. This is what the government is doing to build Canada for Canadians. We are building a stronger, more competitive economy, working for Canadians, supporting the most vulnerable and enhancing our social security net when people need it the most. We are helping Canadians put food on the table because economic strength is one of the most effective tools for keeping food and lives affordable.”
“We are going to be offering immediate expensing for greenhouses, improving our supply chains by working with industry, increasing competition in the grocery sector by working with the Competition Bureau, implementing unit price labelling and enforcing action against anti-competitive practices so that over time, not only are we increasing Canadian food production, but we are bringing down the costs for consumers at the grocery store. The bottom line is that the federal government has a serious plan that it is putting into action. It is not a quick fix; it is part of a plan to grow our economy and create prosperity. It is a plan for reclaiming control over supply chains, protecting our public balance sheets and positioning domestic industry where global demand is headed.”
“The Conservatives call government support for them wasteful and even “garbage”. I am glad the opposition has decided to help us pass legislation to put our new Canada groceries and essentials benefit into action. I welcome that co-operation because that is what a plan on food affordability should look like. Our new benefit would help 12 million Canadians with the cost of food and essentials. It is a five-year boost that we would deliver to the former GST credit and a one-time extra boost for just this year that would increase the benefit by 50%. A family could look forward to $1,900 this year, and single seniors or young adults could have $950 with this new grocery benefit. That is not the end of the plan. It also includes a national food security strategy, and that plan is going to help us increase food production in Canada.”
“Our Canada child benefit, which is indexed to inflation, helps six million children in Canada and their parents with roughly $8,000 per year per child. Over six million Canadians today are part of our dental care plan, which is saving Canadians on average close to $800 per year on dental fees. The national school food program, which we have recently made permanent, can help a family with two kids save over $800 per year on school lunches. Our early learning and child care plan has brought fees down right across Canada, with families in my riding of Toronto—St. Paul's often saving over $10,000 a year on child care costs. That is the kind of saving that changes lives and opens up new possibilities for families. What do these programs have in common? The opposition voted against them.”