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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“Mr. Speaker, there seems to be a very odd fixation on the personnel decisions in the Prime Minister 's Office. The obvious accountability is done in the House, as the member well knows, and he can ask any question he wants of any minister of the House without impugning people who are not here. Mr. Lametti, for his part, is a great former parliamentarian, a great Italian Canadian and a distinguished person who is entering public service. These people should be celebrating that great Canadians are prepared to step up and enrol in public service and serve Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, first of all, we welcome the appointment of a new chief of staff in the Office of the Prime Minister . Mr. Blanchard is a great public servant and a great Canadian who has had a stellar career in the private and public sectors. We welcome him back to the public service. As for the Prime Minister , he follows, as all members must, the most stringent code of ethics for elected members in the world, and the Prime Minister will obviously continue to comply with all of the rules.”
“Mr. Speaker, I know the member is new here. I do not know if he follows the news, but the Prime Minister is in Saskatoon. He is working with all of the provinces and territories. What are they talking about at that meeting? They are talking about energy projects and other initiatives to make Canada a global economic superpower. Building Canada is our mandate. That is the mandate we sought in the election campaign. Building Canada is what we are going to do.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is indeed in Saskatoon today. What is he talking about there? He is talking about energy. He is talking about projects of national significance. He is talking about removing barriers between Canada's 13 provinces and territories to create one economy, which some economists estimate could increase our gross domestic product by 4%. We are obviously going to work to provide good jobs and investment in Quebec and across Canada. We are here to build Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, once again, I do not know how we can be much more clear. The Prime Minister convened the 13 provincial and territorial leaders today with the express purpose of discussing with them the kinds of major national nation-building projects that this country can consider undertaking. That is what is going on in Saskatoon. I do not know if the members across actually follow the news or followed the election campaign, but we said that it is time to build, and build is what we are going to do.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been very clear, and I do not know if my friends across the aisle have heard it clearly. Certainly Canadians heard it in the last federal election, as they returned a Liberal government with a very clear mandate to fight for this country, fight against trade threats from other places, protect the citizens of this country, protect our natural resources, protect our workers and build: build this country and build major national projects. That is what is on the agenda today in Saskatoon.”
“Mr. Speaker, we were served another reminder just this weekend of the threats we face in terms of trade around the world. This government will fight, protect and build. The Prime Minister is in Saskatoon today with 13 provincial and territorial leaders to build one Canadian economy, not 13. We intend to build this country. We intend to build major national projects in this country, and we intend to put Canadian steel, Canadian aluminum and Canadian workers to work building the country that we live in.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is indeed meeting the 13 provincial and territorial leaders today with one clear goal: to support nation-building projects that bring Canadians together by ensuring that they are expedited but also efficiently reviewed. As the Prime Minister said, any project will need to get consensus from the provinces, indigenous communities and private partners and will be subject to assessment, but the Prime Minister has also been clear that it is time to build in Canada, and build is what we are going to do.”
“Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is well aware, if there are problems, he can obviously share his concerns with Elections Canada, as can all Canadians. I am sure that this independent agency, which is the envy of the world, will try to answer these questions. It goes without saying that Canadians have an absolute right to vote. We fight for that every day in the House. Elections Canada is responsible for conducting our elections. It does that very well, but it will address those concerns.”
“Mr. Speaker, Elections Canada is an independent agency that securely and effectively protects our democracy. In fact, it is one of the best such agencies in the world. If there are problems with an election or the way it is carried out in Canada, then obviously the questions should be addressed to Elections Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister often says, no one can be against the good things that Canadians can do for themselves. The Prime Minister and ministers are in Saskatoon today doing the hard work of removing red tape in the form of internal trade barriers so we can have one Canadian economy and not 13 Canadian economies. This could lower prices up to 15%, increase productivity up to 7% and add $200 billion to the economy. That is eliminating red tape. That is standing up for Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am sure you will permit me one burst of enthusiasm to congratulate the people of Edmonton. All Canadians join them in saying, “Go, Oilers, go.” [ Translation ] I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been the governor of two central banks. He has had a successful career, which I am sure he is very proud of, in the private sector, and he has come to public service once again. This is another tour of public service for our Prime Minister, with a clear plan to get Canada's economy back on track. That is what the Prime Minister is up to. What the Prime Minister is also up to is stringent compliance with the code of ethics that Parliament has imposed upon itself, one of the most serious and stringent in the world. Canadians should feel very reassured.”
“Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are so proud to have a new Prime Minister with a clear vision of the country and with a plan to rebuild our economy, a plan to take on the tariff challenges with the United States, a plan to give prosperity to all Canadians and, of course, a plan to comply stringently with the code of ethics for all parliamentarians, which is among the most stringent in the world. The Prime Minister will be complying. The member will be complying. We will all be complying, and Canadians should feel very reassured about that.”
“Mr. Speaker, we know that, in this time of uncertainty around tariffs and trade with the United States, protecting our workers is critical. That is why we made EI easier to access. We eliminated the one-week waiting period for employment insurance. Also, severance and vacation pay and so on are no longer taken into account, thereby ensuring that workers can benefit from the employment insurance system that protects all our workers.”
“These and many other very important parliamentary initiatives will be rolling out according to the rules in due course, and I look forward to exchanging with my hon. colleagues on all of them.”
“The vote on the amendment to the amendment put forward by the member for Beloeil—Chambly , another Quebecker, will happen tonight. Finally, the amendment put forward by the leader of the official opposition will be put to a vote on Monday evening. [ English ] It is the government's intention to continue tomorrow with the third appointed day of the address debate. The fourth, fifth and sixth appointed days will be scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Furthermore, pursuant to the special order adopted on Tuesday, May 27, I would like to designate Thursday, June 5; Monday, June 9; Tuesday, June 10; and Wednesday, June 11, for consideration of the estimates in committee of the whole.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Thursday question seems to have grown enormously since the election. I have some advice for my friend from Mégantic—L'Érable—Lotbinière: Be concise and hire an editor. I would like to acknowledge his constituents, as well as my own constituents in Gatineau. My fellow Quebeckers across Quebec can rest assured: This new government has a grand vision, a plan for the country's growth, for jobs in Canada, for major new projects. Of course, it will take time, in keeping with our best democratic traditions. First of all, we must debate the important speech delivered by His Majesty King Charles III. That is what we will be doing in the coming days. Today, we are continuing with the address in reply to the Speech from the Throne.”
“Mr. Speaker, I welcome my hon. colleague from Beauce. What he, like any new member of the House, will learn is that the rules and compliance with our code of ethics are non-negotiable. That is why the Prime Minister was proactive and went above and beyond the requirements of the code of ethics, which the member must also comply with. I hope that he, too, will comply with the code, just like the Prime Minister.”
“Mr. Speaker, I do not know that evoking conspiracy theories is going to advance the case of the Conservative Party. What I would say, to repeat one more time, is that Canadians should feel very reassured by the fact that we have among the most stringent ethics guidelines in the world and that the Prime Minister has not only met those requirements but exceeded them.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians should feel very reassured that we have among the most stringent ethics requirements for public office holders in the world. The Prime Minister has not only complied with all of those requirements but has also proactively and pre-emptively filed all the information the Ethics Commissioner requires. Obviously, complying with the rules is something we will always do on this side of the House. Canadians can bank on that.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians should rest easy knowing that Parliament and our institutions are governed by one of the most, if not the most, stringent ethics codes in the world. The Prime Minister did everything he could to meet and even exceed his obligations. If the Conservative Party wants to keep trying to dig up dirt, I think voters are going to be disgusted. Our constituents expect us to work here for Canadians, not sling mud across the House.”
“Mr. Speaker, it did not take long for the Conservative Party's question-generating machine to run out of steam. The Conservatives keep saying the same thing over and over. What we are doing here is creating jobs, building a strong economy and standing up to the United States. Naturally, the Prime Minister is meeting and exceeding all the requirements in the ethics code, the most stringent such code in the entire world. The Conservatives are intent on digging up dirt. Members on this side of the House are busy creating opportunity for Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canada has among the most stringent ethics guidelines in the world. The Prime Minister has complied with those ethics guidelines and surpassed the requirements contained in those ethics guidelines. What the Prime Minister is busy doing is not what the member is busy doing. The Prime Minister is busy creating opportunity for Canada, standing up in a trade war against the United States, reducing our taxes, building new homes and creating the strongest economy in the G7. That is what we are up to.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister followed all the rules even before they were required. He will continue complying with all the rules. Opposition members like to distract Canadians with these hypotheticals and conjured scenarios. The fact is that we have a Prime Minister and a new government that are hard at work creating opportunity for Canadians, creating the strongest economy in the G7 and reducing taxes. The opposition does not like that, so they dig dirt on day one. Shame on them. We are going to continue our work.”
“Mr. Speaker, allow me to take a moment to tell all my hon. colleagues that tomorrow, the House will hold its first day of debate on the address in reply to the Speech from the Throne. We anticipate that the six days of debate on the address will be consecutive and that the final vote will take place next Wednesday. Motion In closing, I move: That this House do now adjourn.”
“Motion Mr. Speaker, I would also like to congratulate you on your election. There have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, until the end of the current supply period ending June 23, 2025: (a) Standing Orders 81(4) and 81(5) be replaced with the following: “Main estimates and any supplementary estimates shall be deemed referred to a committee of the whole House immediately after they are presented in the House, provided that, (i) a minister of the Crown, after consultation with the House leaders of the other parties, shall designate four days to consider these estimates in committee of the whole, at the ordinary hour of daily adjournment on each day for a period of time not exceeding four hours, (ii) the said committee of the whole shall convene for the sole purpose of asking questions to the government in regard to the estimates, (iii) during the time provided for the consideration of estimates in committee of the whole, (A) no member shall be recognized for more than 15 minutes at a time and the member shall not speak in debate for more than 10 minutes during that period, (B) the 15 minutes may be used exclusively both for debate and for posing questions to a minister of the Crown or a parliamentary secretary acting on behalf of the minister, (C) when a member is recognized, he or she shall indicate how the 15 minutes is to be apportioned, (D) members speaking during the debate may indicate to the Chair that they will be dividing their time with one or more other members; (E) no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent shall be received by the Chair, (iv) at the conclusion of the time provided for the debate, or when no member wishes to speak, whichever comes first, (A) on the fourth designated day, but in any case, not later than two sitting days before the last allotted day in the current period, the estimates shall be deemed reported back the same to the House, (B) on the four designated days, the committee shall rise, the debate pursuant to Standing Order 38 shall not take place, and the House shall immediately adjourn to the next sitting day, and; (b) Standing Order 81(14)(a) be amended by replacing the words “Twenty-four hours' written notice shall be given of a notice to oppose any item in the estimates, provided that for the supply period ending not later than June 23, forty-eight hours' written notice shall be given of a notice to oppose any item in the estimates” with the words “Twenty-four hours' written notice shall be given of a notice to oppose any item in these estimates for the supply period ending not later than June 23.””