Steven MacKinnon
Gatineau, Quebec · Liberal · Canada
“[ Translation ] We have come here to Ottawa with different solutions to the challenges we currently face, but let us be very clear: We are united in this chamber by our love for the Parliament of Canada and for Canada itself.”
“Mr. Speaker, as we prepare to adjourn for the summer, I would like to express my gratitude to a few people. [ English ] I want to extend my personal thanks to everyone here on Parliament Hill.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are at the end of a session, and I wish the Leader of the Opposition, his colleagues and obviously his family a restful summer, as I wish for all my colleagues on this side of the House. I want to point out that we are finishing one of the most productive legislative sessions in recent history.”
“[ English ] I want to thank my colleagues, the 174 proud and committed Canadians who serve their people proudly every day. [ Translation ] I do not want to overlook the contribution made by the other parties.”
“Mr. Speaker, let us talk about generations and generational investments. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Quebec's and Canada's French-speaking culture. That is something that the Bloc Québécois did not even ask for in its budget requests.”
“Mr. Speaker, we have been having an interesting conversation this week in this very forum. The Conservatives pretend to stand up for and care for vulnerable people in this country, yet every time we propose a program, a tax reduction or a hand-up to people, they vote against it.”
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“Here we go again, Mr. Speaker, with these imaginary taxes. There is no tax on food. There will never be a tax on groceries. I have great news for the opposition. Today's budget will not have any of these imaginary taxes in it either. The budget will have historic investments in young people, in building this country, in building communities and in making this country stronger.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a great day for the official opposition because we are going to have an affordable budget. We are going to have a historic budget that creates opportunity for young people and Canadians from coast to coast to coast, so we can build this country and make sure that government works for people and invests in their communities. We look forward to having the Conservatives support this great budget.”
“Mr. Speaker, six months ago, this government was elected to develop a budget that will build Quebec and create opportunities for Quebeckers and Canadians across the country, from coast to coast to coast. The projects and the investments in tomorrow's budget will create opportunities for young people, for the people of Quebec and everywhere else. I think that the Bloc Québécois, like all members of the House, will see their hopes and aspirations for Canada reflected in a document that will build Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, yesterday was municipal election day in Quebec. I do not think the member will mind if I congratulate all of the candidates, the winners and all those who ran. As for our talks, the member is well aware that we have had some good discussions with her leader, with her and with other members of her team. As for listening, we are listening to the 44 Liberal members from Quebec, who do a great job of representing their ridings. We are listening to the opposition parties, including the Bloc Québécois. I hope that they will all see what they are hoping for in the budget.”
“Mr. Speaker, it was going so well up until now. We still have hope, though, that the Leader of the Opposition will not want to send Canadians, including our great farmers, to the polls over the Christmas season. The Conservative leader continues to bring up these imaginary taxes. We would be happy to explain, once again, that farmers in this country are mostly exempt from any of those industrial carbon taxes. The budget will be affordable. The budget will be great. The budget will build this country and build opportunities for farmers, young people and all Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, obviously we have listened attentively to what the opposition has to say, and I think I just heard good news, with the Leader of the Opposition saying that he is going to order his troops, and himself, to walk in here and support this great, affordable Liberal budget that is coming tomorrow. It is a budget that brings down taxes for Canadians, a budget that brings down taxes and GST for first-time homebuyers, a budget that makes life more affordable and a budget that creates opportunities for young people all over this country. It is a generational budget, and a budget that I know will be glad to have the support of the Leader of the Opposition—”
“Mr. Speaker, it will indeed be an affordable budget for an affordable life. Not only that, but it will be a budget that opens the door to opportunities for Canadians and young Canadians across the country, for tradespeople, for Canadian softwood lumber, steel and aluminum. We are going to build this big beautiful country in an affordable way. We are going to make history by building a better Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are of course listening attentively to what the opposition has to say. The good news is that I think I just heard the Leader of the Opposition say he is going to get all his colleagues to support the budget because it will, in fact, be an affordable budget. It will be a budget that builds Canada. It will be a budget that Canadians will be very proud of. We very much welcome the support of the Conservative Party and the Leader of the Opposition.”
“Madam Speaker, Canada's pension plans, the Maple Eight and others, lead the world not only in securing returns and a prosperous future for our retirees and our pensioners but also in ethical and above-board investments all over the world, including in Canada. The CPPIB and other pension funds in this country will continue, I am sure, to take investing in Canada very, very seriously.”
“Madam Speaker, my leader and my colleague, the Minister of Finance , have shown great openness. It is the Bloc Québécois leader who said, without reading a single word of the budget, that he will be voting against. Who is the one not being constructive here? Is it the person who says he is voting against the budget no matter what we say or is it the people who are listening, working with the opposition and wanting to pass the budget to avoid a Christmas election?”
“Madam Speaker, let me point out to my colleague that the Bloc Québécois, representing 22 ridings, has made 36 billion dollars' worth of demands, along with additional expenses payable by Canadian taxpayers. Yes, we are listening. Yes, we are working with all the opposition parties. Yes, we obviously want this budget to pass and avoid a Christmas election. I have a question for my colleague. Will he support the budget or will he vote against it in favour of a Christmas election in Quebec?”
“Madam Speaker, it is Halloween, and we certainly want to wish a happy Halloween to all Canadians. There is another big holiday coming up. Canadians would like to have a Christmas, a holiday season, in peace; no ads with the Leader of the Opposition , that grinchy guy, screaming at them through their television screens or their telephone screens. The finance critic on the other side should stand in this place right now and tell Canadians that they can be off the hook; we are not going to have an election. We are going to vote for that great Liberal budget.”
“Madam Speaker, do members know what my hon. friend has done? Time after time, on the measures that would help Canadian youth, they are against them. Whether it be student loan relief, the savings program for first-time homebuyers or creating and building national projects that are going to give opportunities to young people from coast to coast to coast, this member stands in this place and votes against it every single time.”
“Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the Conservatives have consistently voted against support measures that help Canadians make ends meet. Whether it is school food programs, dental care, drug coverage or child benefits, the Conservatives consistently vote against the measures we are putting in place to help Canadians make ends meet.”
“Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to wish everyone here in the House a happy Halloween. Another holiday that is coming up is Christmas. Canadians are looking forward to Christmas. This has been a big year for Canada. This year, people want to celebrate Christmas, but they do not want to go to the polls. We are going to table a budget. Canadians hope that the House will pass the Liberal plan, our Prime Minister 's plan, to build Canada strong. Will my colleague commit today to not be a grinch and vote in favour of the budget next week?”
“the Minister of Finance and National Revenue will deliver the budget speech. I would also like to inform all hon. colleagues that, as we approach the fateful day when the opposition gets to decide whether it deprives Canadians of their Christmas, Wednesday and Thursday will be days reserved for debate on the budget.”
“(1515) [ Translation ] This afternoon, we will continue the second reading debate of Bill C-14 , the bail act. Tomorrow, we will resume debate at report stage of Bill C-3 , an act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025). [ English ] On Monday at noon we will go back to debate on Bill C-14 , the bail and sentencing reform act, and in the afternoon we will turn to Bill C-4 , with major tax cuts for all taxpaying Canadians contained in the affordability legislation, at report stage and third reading. Next Tuesday we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C-13 , an act to implement the protocol on the accession of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Tuesday will be a big day. At 4 p.m.”
“Mr. Speaker, there was a lot in there that was kind of like a Trey Yesavage slider. We will try not to swing or flail too much at all of those hard pitches from the opposition House leader. Next week, Canadians will have a choice. An affordable budget for an affordable life that would build Canada strong and build the biggest and best economy in the G7 is one choice they have. The second choice is a Christmas election that no one wants, that would follow six months from the last election and that would deprive Canadians of benefiting from the budgetary plan that the government will be presenting next week. The opposition serves up green eggs and ham, but on this side of the House there is a plan to build Canada strong and build the strongest economy in the G7.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a little known fact, because it was not exactly a bestseller, but that man was the Leader of the Opposition 's biographer. That would mean he knows some intimate secrets about the Leader of the Opposition. What I suggest is that he walk down a few stairs, talk to his boss and tell the Leader of the Opposition , the “grinchy” guy, not to steal Christmas from our kids or cause a Christmas election and vote for the budget, because it is going to help Canadian youth and will build the best economy in the G7.”
“Mr. Speaker, once again, Canada lives under the most stringent and strongest ethics guidelines for designated public office holders in the world. All members must comply with these requirements. These requirements are met very transparently, including the Prime Minister 's, which are all available for the public to view. The ethics guidelines in Canada are strong and we should be proud of that.”
“Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that all members of this House must abide by some of the strictest, most stringent ethics rules in the world. The Prime Minister has not only met but exceeded his requirements under those ethics guidelines, and he will continue to do so.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. friend once again and tell him that I will walk down any aisle that he wants to walk down if he will just walk down a few steps and tell the grinchy Leader of the Opposition this: “We do not want a Christmas election. We want to support a plan that gives raises to the military and that keeps that the shipbuilding industry in Vancouver humming, building ships for the Coast Guard and the Canadian military.” All of this is going to be in our affordable, great, economy-building budget on November 4. Will that member do the right thing and tell the Leader of the Opposition that we do not want a Christmas election?”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. friend, who is also the transport critic. I will tell him that next week, November 4, there is going to be a budget that solves the problem that he and I want solved, which is the problem of Driver Inc. The Minister of Finance announced today that measures are going to be taken to make sure we restore labour standards and fairness to the trucking industry in this country. That is going to be in the budget. Will this member walk down the aisle and tell the grinchy Leader of the Opposition to vote for the budget, to not ruin Christmas and to build Canada strong?”
“Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the member's choice of cold remedy, we will be putting a budget before the House next week. The member will have an opportunity to vote for opportunities for young people, for UTIP grants to unions so we can create unionized skilled trade jobs on major projects in this country, for funding for science and education, and for giving a raise to our military personnel. I ask the member to please vote for the budget and to not to cause a Christmas election.”
“Mr. Speaker, this is coming from the member who, when asked about his leader 's comments on the RCMP, said that he had a lozenge in his mouth. Will the member take out his lozenge, go talk to the Leader of the Opposition and say, “Don't be a grinch and don't cause a Christmas election, but vote for the budget and make Canada the best economy in the G7”?”
“Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. That is the question. Yes, we will present an affordable budget. We will present a budget that lays the foundation for a strong economy and that guarantees a future, housing and training opportunities for our young people across the country. The only question is this: Will the Conservatives trigger a Christmas election like a bunch of grinches, or will they take the opportunity to build a strong Canada with the best economy in the G7 for Canada's young people?”
“Mr. Speaker, the only question on everyone's lips is this: Will the Conservatives ruin Christmas for Canadians by triggering a snap election? The last election was only six months ago. We were given a mandate, and we will present a plan to build the strongest economy in the G7, a strong Canada, with housing and job opportunities for young people from coast to coast to coast. Will the member ruin Christmas, or will he support our young people by supporting our budget?”
“Mr. Speaker, as all members know, we live under one of the strongest and most stringent ethics regimes in the world, which applies to every single member of the House, including the Prime Minister . He has complied stringently and in fact very proactively with all of these requirements and the with Ethics Commissioner. In terms of what his filings are and the ethics screens that he has put in place, the Prime Minister has gone above and beyond in complying with all matters of the law.”
“Mr. Speaker, the only question is which party is more eager to trigger a Christmas election, the Bloc Québécois or the Conservative Party. The Bloc Québécois presented us with a series of non-negotiable demands. Speaking of not negotiating, it was the Bloc Québécois that had a bunch of non-negotiable demands that would cost Canadians $36 billion. The Leader of the Opposition wants us to reduce deficits. The Liberal Party of Canada is right in the middle, exactly where we should be.”
“Mr. Speaker, I always enjoy discussing things with my counterparts and colleagues on all sides of the House. Obviously, the member should speak to her colleagues from Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj and Lac-Saint-Jean . I had some very interesting discussions with them on important projects in their riding. Perhaps she has some projects to talk about too. I would also be pleased to talk, discuss or negotiate with the leader.”
“Mr. Speaker, there he goes again with the imaginary taxes. More and more, and increasingly, in his own caucus, he has imaginary friends. The Leader of the Opposition understands, as all Canadians do, that Canadians gave us a mandate six months ago for stability and calm; not slogans, but solutions; affordability; a trade deal with the United States; and, yes, a plan and a budget to build a Canadian economy that is very strong.”
“Mr. Speaker, these are happy days: There will be an affordable budget, for an affordable life, presented in this House on November 4. We certainly hope the opposition leader will order his troops to vote for it instead of ordering the very nervous ones to vote against it and cause a very expensive Christmas election here in Canada. Will the opposition leader tell his very nervous troops to vote for our affordable budget on November 4?”
“Mr. Speaker, we have announced a series of measures aimed precisely at affordability, including a school food program and automatic enrolment for benefits, which will reduce poverty among Canadians. Every time we propose an affordability measure, the Leader of the Opposition orders his troops to vote against it, even though they are reluctant to do so. Which way is he leaning? Either he wants to help Canadians, or he wants an election over Christmas. What is the answer?”
“Mr. Speaker, we are indeed going to work for an affordable life and an affordable budget. However, the Leader of the Opposition is making proposals that he does not even dare put in his own election platform. Six months ago, Canadians gave us a mandate to present a plan to spend less and invest more. That is what we are going to present on November 5. I hope that the Leader of the Opposition will vote in favour of our budget and not force a Christmas election.”
“Mr. Speaker, of all the claims the Conservatives keep making, the one that puzzles me the most is the one about inflationary spending. What is inflationary spending? Is it pensions? Is it health care? Is it support for young people and youth employment? Is it major projects? What kind of spending is inflationary spending? Finally, once and for all, the member opposite can clear up any doubt by explaining what he means when he talks about inflationary spending.”
“Mr. Speaker, since the member opposite has done me the honour of quoting me, I will clarify the math for him. The math is that, although we are a minority, we believe that we received a mandate six months ago to present Canadians with a budget, present them with an economic plan and enter into trade agreements with the United States. Canadians gave us this mandate. The only question is this: Which opposition party will choose to send Canadians to the polls at Christmas this year?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is promising this woman a Christmastime election. I hope she is not planning to prepare a Christmas dinner, because she will have to go to the polls thanks to an opposition leader who intends to stand up and vote for another election six months after the last one. I am not sure the people behind him are okay with that. The government is going to table a budget next week. The Leader of the Opposition can support that budget, just like Food Banks Canada, which supports all of our affordability initiatives and condemns the Conservatives' decision to vote against them.”
“Mr. Speaker, a few things need to be cleared up here. The Conservatives talk about these imaginary taxes. I think the member needs to come clean. There is no tax on groceries. There never will be a tax on groceries. That is pretty clear. They talk about imaginary programs. I assure the member that he has voted against some very real programs for school food, dental care and many other things for the most vulnerable in society. The last thing is this: What is inflationary spending when it comes to supporting Canadians? Canadians want to know.”
“Mr. Speaker, six months ago, Canadians elected a new government with a mandate to undertake major projects and initiatives in Quebec and elsewhere, to respond to the needs of different groups, to engage with communities, to move projects forward and to create opportunities for our young people throughout Quebec and Canada. Here is the real question: Will the Bloc Québécois trigger a Christmas 2025 election, yes or no?”
“Mr. Speaker, of all the criticisms that can be levelled at the government, accusing us of not working must be one of the most far-fetched. That being said, there are 44 Quebec members on this side of the House who are working very hard to convey the needs of their communities, the demands of their constituents and the real needs on the ground in Quebec. It seems to me that the Bloc Québécois, with its 22 members, is having a hard time accepting that. This is a minority government, but—”
“Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition is good at throwing all of this stuff out. What he is not good at is reading what the groups on the ground have to say. Of course, there are too many people living in poverty in Canada, but there are significant initiatives being put in place by the government, opposed by the Leader of the Opposition and his party, that were systematically evoked in the report from Food Banks Canada today. We support these key assistance programs for Canadians. He votes against them and then dares to get up and criticize us for putting in place support for the weakest Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, Food Banks Canada has identified four key areas that it says will help address the issue of hunger in Canada. This is a persistent problem that should not exist, but one that we are fighting hard to address. The areas to focus on include benefits for people with disabilities, providing dental care, offering meal programs in schools and supporting the national housing strategy. These are all programs that the Conservatives voted against. The Leader of the Opposition raises this issue and then votes against any initiative that helps the most disadvantaged people. Shame on him.”
“Our hope is to deal with third reading of this bill on Wednesday of next week. Next Tuesday, we will call Bill C-13 , an act to implement the protocol on the accession of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was introduced by the Minister of International Trade earlier this week. [ Translation ] Next Thursday, we will begin second reading debate on Bill C-14 on bail and sentencing, which was proudly introduced this morning by the Minister of Justice .”
“Mr. Speaker, I can assure my friend that ministers and the Prime Minister are in Ontario meeting with Premier Ford, members of the business community, and the private sector. We take these matters very seriously. The Minister of Natural Resources , the Minister of Industry and others continue to work with communities, unions and employers to challenge the decisions the big auto companies have announced, which we obviously regret very much and are determined to make good on for the people of Ontario and the people of Canada. This afternoon, we will continue with the fourth day of debate at second reading of Bill C-12 , concerning the security of Canada's borders and the integrity of the Canadian immigration system. Tomorrow and Monday, we will debate Bill C-3 , which would amend the Citizenship Act, at report stage.”
“Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, every time the member rises, we give him a score. This time, he got eight out of 10. Despite the howls of my esteemed colleague, I can assure him that Canada's finances are the best in the G7. We have the fiscal room to invest in the future of this country's young people. My colleague from the other side of the House should join us in voting for the November 4 budget.”
“Mr. Speaker, the needs of Quebeckers are very well represented on this side of the House, which has 44 members from Quebec. These are people who are well-established in their communities, who talk to us about their communities, about issues affecting the forestry sector, seniors and young people and about creating a prosperous future for all young Quebeckers. We know what a strong and united Canada is. We do not need a lesson from the Bloc Québécois when it comes to Quebec's future.”
“Mr. Speaker, you can be sure we are going to introduce a budget. The question is whether the Leader of the Opposition is going to support that budget. Here is what that budget is going to do. It is going to give young people all over this country the ability to stand up and say, “That is where my future lies: in Canada in skilled trades, in technology and in the professions, in careers that are going to give me and my family hope, a home, a community, a job and a future in the best country in the world.” Let us build Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, the only person who is miserable when the Prime Minister speaks is the Leader of the Opposition. What the Prime Minister is talking about is spending less and investing more: investing in careers for young people, in building major national projects, in being a technology leader in the world today with Premier Ford, leading the world in small modular nuclear reactors. The young people of this country are proud to be Canadians. They are proud to see a future from coast to coast to coast in this country. The young people of this country have a bright future—”
“Mr. Speaker, the folks are feisty over there today. However, we have been hearing all week, all month, since the beginning of this session, about these imaginary taxes. These are imaginary taxes in the brain of the Leader of the Opposition that no one else seems to manage. I will tell him that there will be a budget. There will be some numbers and some tables that he can read, where he will not find taxes on food. There is no tax on food. There will never be a tax on food.”
“Mr. Speaker, the problem with the Conservatives is that they talk about inflationary deficits, but they never specify what kind of spending is supposedly inflationary. Is it dental care? Is it help for our industries and workers? Is it pharmacare? Could they tell us what they consider to be inflationary spending?”