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.”
The complete record
Every one of 827 lines we hold for Steven MacKinnon, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 17.
“moved: Motion That in relation to Bill C-25, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act and to enact An Act to change the names of certain electoral districts, 2026, not more than five further hours shall be allotted to the consideration at third reading stage of the said bill; and That, at the expiry of the five hours provided consideration at third reading stage of the said Bill, any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this Order, and in turn every question necessary for the disposal of the said stage of the Bill then under consideration shall be put forthwith and successively without further debate or amendment.”
“As members can see, we are planning to race to the finish line, and we are optimistic that the Conservatives and all opposition party members will work with us and with Canadians to achieve great things.”
“(1540) [ Translation ] As for next week, on Monday we will resume consideration of Government Business No. 12, followed by consideration of Bill C-9 , the combatting hate act. Next Tuesday's meeting will be dedicated to the consideration of Government Business No. 11 concerning proceedings on Bill C-26 , an act to authorize certain payments to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the purpose of improving housing supply. Other priority bills next week will be Bill C-27 , the final self-government agreement for the Tlegohli Got'ine act; Bill C-29 , the financial crimes agency act; and Bill C-10 , the commissioner for modern treaty implementation act.”
“This contradiction puzzled us and left us a bit skeptical about their willingness to work. We shall see how things play out over the next few days. [ English ] This afternoon, we will resume third reading debate of Bill C-25 , the strong and free elections act, followed by debate on the Senate amendment relating to Bill C-9 , the combatting hate act. Tomorrow morning, we will call Government Business No. 12, which relates to the proceedings on Bill C-30 , the spring economic update 2026 implementation act. After question period, we will proceed to debate on the Senate amendments made to Bill C-14 , the bail and sentencing reform act, followed by second reading debate of Bill C-27 , the final self-government agreement for the Tlegohli Got’ine act.”
“Mr. Speaker, we are clearly entering the home stretch before we head back to our ridings to spend a little more time with our constituents. When Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day rolls around, I think people, especially those from la belle province, want to go home and be with their loved ones. I hope that will be the case, both for the deputy House leader of the official opposition and for myself. In the meantime, we have a lot of work to do. I point this out as gently as I can to my esteemed colleague, but we were intrigued the other day when the Conservatives voted to extend sitting hours until midnight. I want to emphasize that it was until midnight. We thought we were going to work together and do things for Canadians, but three hours later, shortly after dinnertime, the Conservatives voted to adjourn the House.”
“Mr. Speaker, ship recycling is a multi-billion-dollar, worldwide industry and also an opportunity. Indeed, as the member points out, there are many derelict vessels, including many owned by the people of Canada. We will continue to work very hard on this file. I am very well aware of the interest in the Port Alberni area in engaging in this industry. We are extremely interested in it, and I will be very pleased to continue working with the member on that issue.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, will respond in a moment, but we should reflect on how the Bloc Québécois has lost its way. Two weeks ago, OUI Québec—the “yes” camp, not the “no” camp—basically accused the sovereignist movement of being intolerant. Mr. de Belleval, who is a former PQ transport minister, put it nicely when he said that the Bloc Québécois is now also giving up on its transportation hopes and dreams. I hope that the member for Repentigny will set the record straight, but for now, we are taking note.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians watch the proceedings of the House, and I do not think that they appreciate that accusatory tone. Canadians know full well that we are in the midst of intense trade negotiations. There are wars in Europe and in the Middle East. The Prime Minister proudly represents us. He is bringing back agreements, investments and opportunities for Canadians across the country. We are proud of our Prime Minister. We are proud of the efforts that he is making on the international stage, and I hope he will keep going.”
“Mr. Speaker, as Canadians know all too well, we are in the midst of a trade war. We are in the midst of negotiating some of the most signal world events that we have seen in a generation, including two wars, one in the Middle East and one in Europe. Our Prime Minister is representing our country proudly on the international stage. When he goes there, he comes home with agreements, with deals and with investments that give opportunity to Canadians, that supply jobs to Canadians and that help us get things done for Canadians so we can ensure our prosperity.”
“Mr. Speaker, on a day when we are mourning the loss of a first responder, people should really wonder, as they look on the House of Commons, why folks look down on some of the antics here, when we follow up such a constructive exchange with something penned quite obviously from the desk of the Leader of the Opposition . I expect 30 more of those today. Let us just hope they can up their game a bit.”
“Mr. Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to the third reading stage of Bill C‑25, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act and to enact an act to change the names of certain electoral districts, 2026 . Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at the said stage.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the member from Edmonton that the 23 Liberal MPs from the 416 are incredible members who represent their people and that city to make sure that we have housing and other investments that will move that city forward. We will, of course, continue to listen to the people of the GTA. We will, of course, listen to the voices of Toronto as we continue to move forward on this very important file.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to reassure the member that we have freedom of movement in Canada. I can get from my riding of Gatineau, in the Outaouais region, to his riding pretty quickly. I do not need him to introduce me to farmers. I have great respect for them, I listen to them carefully and I am fully considering their views while implementing this wonderful, major project, which will link the four largest cities in Quebec, as well as Trois-Rivières, among other destinations. This project will be carried out with the utmost respect for everyone's views.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure the member that I do not need his help to meet with farmers. I come from a farming family myself. I visit farmers often. I talk to farmers all the time. It is out of this respect for the agricultural community that we will carry out this project with the highest regard for the concerns of farmers. It is unfortunate that the Bloc Québécois is now breaking its promise to support this project. I do not know what the Bloc members were thinking. Did they think these trains would fly? Trains run on tracks that have to be on the ground.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will provide the definition of Canada strong. It is a Canada that knows how to achieve great things, that knows how to build projects using Quebec and Canadian labour, Canadian materials, Canadian steel and Canadian aluminum. It is a society that knows how to dream, that takes charge of its own future, and that creates opportunities for its young people. That is what it means to build Canada strong. Unfortunately, the Bloc Québécois knows nothing about this, has never made decisions on this, and is not involved in this.”
“Mr. Speaker, obviously, the government is more than ready to enter into trade negotiations, but why are the Bloc Québécois members asking these questions? It is because they had a very bad day yesterday after their fierce opposition to the high-speed rail project. The mayors of Quebec's big cities have denounced the Bloc's position. Even Le Journal de Montréal has criticized their position, saying they have shot themselves in the foot. I can confirm that they have indeed shot themselves in the foot.”
“Mr. Speaker, of course I also want to express my support for the member for Côte‑du‑Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata , along with all my colleagues on this side of the House. He comes from an area that I know well, and he is a member who I also know well; he is a bit mischievous. We eagerly look forward to enjoying his wonderful personality, spirit of co-operation and big smile when he returns here, to his parliamentary family, but mostly to his own family.”
“Mr. Speaker, the number of temporary foreign workers in this country is down by over 50%. That does not mean we have reached equilibrium. There are legitimate issues in rural and other parts of this country, including in small businesses in rural Quebec, and members from that side of the House quite accurately reflect it. [ Translation ] I thought we had put a stop to the highly duplicitous practice of saying one thing in English and something else in French in the House 20 years ago. We are fed up with the hypocrisy.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thought what my hon. colleague was pointing out was the utter abject hypocrisy coming from that side of the House. We receive multiple interventions, legitimate interventions, on the part of small and medium-sized businesses in rural Quebec that seek to have more temporary foreign workers. The words of that member and another colleague from British Columbia try to demagogue this issue and blame situations on temporary foreign workers. These guys are going to have to come to some form of agreement on temporary foreign workers.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is funny to be sitting here listening to the Conservatives talk about SMEs when they are against the high-speed rail project that will create thousands of jobs in SMEs across Quebec. It is funny to hear them talk about steel when we are planning a project that is incredibly promising for steel producers. It is mind-boggling to hear the Conservatives taking a stand against a transformative project that will improve mobility, connect the four biggest cities in Quebec and create thousands of jobs for our SMEs. It is quite ironic that they are standing up to talk about what our SMEs are experiencing.”
“Mr. Speaker, the core difference between the people on this side of the House and the Leader of the Opposition and the people who read his questions is that we believe Canadians can do it. We believe Canadians can create a project that will add 51,000 jobs to our economy, including thousands of electricians. We believe we can add billions to our national economy with a transformative high-speed rail project. This includes, by the way, one that is going to be proposed in Alberta. We believe in the future of this country. He does not.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition should talk to the national president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who has systematically applauded our approach to building big projects in this country, including the largest electrification of mobility in the history of this continent, which is a high-speed rail project that will employ more electricians than this guy could meet in 15 years.”
“Motion moved: That, pursuant to Standing Order 27(1), commencing on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, and concluding on Friday, June 19, 2026, the House shall continue to sit until midnight, except on Fridays, when the House shall continue to sit until 8 p.m.”
“Mr. Speaker, these questions, written by the Leader of the Opposition , are not really convincing anyone. What is convincing people is this attitude coming from the Conservative benches that what is a headwind and a challenge for Canada ought to be blamed on Canada. The “blame Canada brigade”, as people are calling them, skips in here at any hint of bad news for the Canadian economy, but when we remind them about 88,000 new jobs, they go into hiding. [ Translation ] Hooray for Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, despite the good news we received last Friday regarding employment and unemployment, we know that there are still people in this country who are struggling with affordability. That is why, also on Friday, the Canada groceries and essentials benefit was paid into the bank accounts of 12 million Canadians, providing $543 to single people and $1,086 to couples with two children. That is one-time assistance to Canadians who need it.”
“Mr. Speaker, obviously, the member opposite missed the stellar jobs report that came out last Friday. Had he read it, he would have seen that Canada has created some 88,000 jobs. However, there is more good news. In our province, Quebec, the province with the second-lowest unemployment rate, unemployment rates fell for women, youth and men. Across the country, this is good news for Canada. We are going to keep building Canada very strong.”
“Madam Speaker, we are so proud to be pursuing the development of high-speed rail throughout Canada. In fact, we look forward to the day when that member can hail a high-speed train in his sector of the woods in southwestern Ontario. We will, of course, achieve that by working with farmers and their representatives. We will, of course, do that by upholding principles whereby agriculture continues to flourish in our country. We do note the Conservatives' opposition to this project. I can tell that member that most Canadians have noted their opposition to that project as well.”
“Madam Speaker, we are of course saddened at the tragic accident in Brandon, and I express my condolences to the victims, their families and indeed all the constituents of that member. Highway safety is an incredibly important issue in this country. It is also an issue that provinces have a duty, in their jurisdiction, to uphold. I want to applaud the Minister of Transportation in Manitoba, who has called for a national collaboration and a database for the certification of trucking companies. The federal government stands ready to support this initiative at any moment.”
“Madam Speaker, we have already announced several major projects. We have put shovels in the ground on several more, and there are several more to come. I can assure my hon. friend that, whether someone lives in his province of Manitoba, or in Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec or the Atlantic provinces, there are major projects. They are coming. There is a pipeline full of them. The investments keep coming in from around the world, and we are going to build Canada strong.”
“Madam Speaker, I think we can conclude at this point in question period on Friday that the Conservatives did not skip into the House with their usual glee. Why is that? It is because they know. They know that the Canadian economy is proving to be very resilient. The hero of the day is the Canadian worker, the Canadian workers in manufacturing and construction. Just for the naysayers, and it bears repeating, it is very important for Canadians to know that we have added almost twice, that is double, the jobs per capita of the United States of America since December 2024, which is 5.4 per thousand versus 2.5 per thousand. We are outperforming the United States. We are outperforming the G7.”
“Madam Speaker, I think people are really puzzled at these scripted questions from the Leader of the Opposition . Over 35 times a day, the Conservatives stand up and read the same wrong, fake question, yet they fail to defend their votes to the very people they pretend to uphold. Today, in Canadians' bank accounts, we will see the groceries and essentials benefit, which will provide a single person with a base GST credit of $543. The Conservatives are against it. We are supporting Canadians.”
“Madam Speaker, I understand why the Bloc is trying to redeem itself, given that it did not even mention culture in its election platform or budget requests. I also understand why it wants to ignore today's good news about employment and the job market in Quebec. For our part, we are focusing on the economy, on creating opportunities for young people and on delivering major projects. The economy has created some 88,000 jobs. Quebec stands out as having the second-lowest unemployment rate among all the provinces, thanks in particular to the manufacturing and construction sectors. Well done, young Quebeckers. That is good news.”
“Madam Speaker, we are very proud of the results we delivered for Canadian workers this morning: 88,000 jobs were created in the month of May alone. The unemployment rate has dropped. For my colleague's information, the unemployment rate in Quebec, which interests me and my colleague, who is from Quebec, is the second lowest of all the Canadian provinces. That result is driven by the construction and manufacturing sectors and led by young Quebeckers.”
“Madam Speaker, members will appreciate that this morning we woke up to some incredibly good news for Canadian workers: The Canadian economy added 88,000 jobs in May alone, mainly in the private sector and mainly in full-time work. Job growth in May was broad-based across all industries, but get this: Since December 2024, Canada has added more jobs per capita than the United States. We have incredibly good news from one coast of this country to another to another, and we are celebrating today for—”
“Mr. Speaker, we now have the answer to the question of what will get the Conservatives to change their script after 38 of the same question, which is to dare touch their dear leader, who squatted at Stornoway for an entire summer while Canadian taxpayers shelled out $2 million to get his sorry you-know-what back into the House of Commons. I cannot answer for all of this stuff from the Leader of the Opposition . Maybe they can.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will pick up where my colleague from Quebec City left off, because he was too modest. He did not mention the Davie shipyard or its inclusion in the national shipbuilding strategy. He did not mention the Port of Québec as the first port of arrival. He did not mention developments such as the high-speed rail project in the national capital. Quebec and the City of Quebec are benefiting enormously from this growth. They are benefiting enormously from our strategy to build a very strong Canada, to create opportunities and to create jobs for the people of Quebec.”
“Mr. Speaker, we have some news here. We looked up leader expenditures for 2024, and I will be very interested to look at 2025, because we all know what happened there. We had a summer sojourn at Stornoway that was a little iffy. However, in 2024, Mr. Leader of the Opposition spent $8.8 million in the Leader of the Opposition's office, and he does not have to make one single decision. The Liberal leader spent $4.1 million. That is double. That is bad. They have some answering to do.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am happy, because we had a nice exchange this morning at the finance committee on this very issue. Every time the Prime Minister travels somewhere, he comes back and tells his ministers about the investments and the economic opportunities that are coming back to this country. It keeps us very busy, thanks very much. For my part, I hope he travels more, because we will be building more infrastructure, we will be building more ports, we will be building more railways, we will be building more bridges, we will be building this country strong and we will be building it well.”
“Mr. Speaker, as we know, the world has gone through some incredible headwinds. Canada has been no exception and perhaps has been singled out as we are a neighbour of the country that has launched an unprovoked and unjustified trade war. That is why we are putting in place measures that will grow our economy. However, I do want to ask this member which of the countries that he listed would he rather live in. I know there is 173 of us who would rather live in and face the economic prospects of this country, Canada. [ Translation ] Long live Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for being the fourth member other than the Leader of the Opposition to be allowed to ask a question today. Canadians do not understand why, on a day when we are announcing major investments in the forestry communities of Quebec and Canada, and the day after announcing $10 billion in infrastructure across Quebec, this member from Quebec cannot talk about the progress being achieved in Quebec.”
“Mr. Speaker, I speak to a lot of people like Brad in my own riding of Gatineau. What they ask me is why there is such apparent glee on the part of the Leader of the Opposition and his troops when they march in here. Canada faces some economic headwinds from an unprovoked trade war, and they blame Canada. Canada faces economic headwinds from a war in the Middle East, and they blame Canada. People cannot help but notice that the Leader of the Opposition and his entire bench walk in here with glee when Canada faces—”
“Mr. Speaker, obviously, we will be there for our forestry industry, just as we have been there for the aluminum, auto and steel sectors. We are indeed facing headwinds on the trade front with the United States, but we will always be there for the people. In fact, the Prime Minister will be in Quebec later today to drum up billions and billions of dollars in infrastructure investments for communities both small and large across Quebec. We will always be there for Quebeckers and for the communities.”
“Mr. Speaker, we have a plan, but we are also facing headwinds. It is clear that with the tariff threats, wars in the Middle East and wars in Europe, Canada is facing headwinds, but we have a plan. Our plan is working. We have a defence plan to spend money here. We have a plan for industry and, indeed, businesses are purchasing more equipment and materials. We have a plan for major projects. The real question is why does the Leader of the Opposition seem so happy to gloat over the fact that Canada is facing headwinds? Why is he not presenting his own plan?”
“Mr. Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to second reading stage of Bill C-31 , a second act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025. Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at the said stage.”
“Mr. Speaker, of course, government members follow all federal regulations when they travel. The allegation was absurd. The Conservatives read the same questions prepared by their leader 32 times a question period. I think Canadians have taken note this morning of a very important thing. Conservatives paraded into the House with glee, while we know Canadians face historic headwinds, wars in the Middle East, war in Europe and a trade war with our closest neighbour and trading partner. Canadians know that the government has a plan.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague just set out a number of bills, and he was quite right. This is the most ambitious agenda on fighting crime ever presented before the House. What have we been met with? I want the people of Williams Lake to know that their member of Parliament stood up and obstructed and voted against measures that would help that community: measures that would keep violent criminals in jail, measures that would keep places of worship safe and measures that would keep child pornographers and extortionists behind bars. The people of Williams Lake need to know that.”
“Mr. Speaker, Via Rail will always be a prominent feature of our transportation network. Via Rail will continue to be a source of pride and, obviously, utility for Canadians. I will note that this is the first time, I think, in the history of the chamber that we have heard the Conservatives utter the word “biosphere”. I can assure him that the environment, farms and agriculture will be treated with the utmost sensitivity as we build this very popular, very important high-speed rail project in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, Alto is a nation-transforming project. We are pleased and proud to support it. Conservatives should be ashamed of their opposition to this nation-building project. With respect to how the conduct of the finance minister and the government is going, I will respond to my friend, the Death Valley well driller over there. The minister has put in place a rigid and approved set of measures from the Commissioner of Ethics and he will always act with integrity.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians are well aware of the headwinds facing the global economy: trade wars and actual wars in the Middle East and in Europe. This government has a plan: a plan for infrastructure, for major projects and for investing in people and skilled trades workers, giving our young people opportunities. I think Canadians are troubled by the enthusiasm and the glee that they witnessed when the Conservatives paraded in here this morning and trumpeted bad news in terms of these headwinds for the Canadian economy. It is time for the Conservatives to stop celebrating the challenges we face and get on board.”
“Mr. Speaker, let us talk about democracy. Let us talk about the democratic process. There will be an election in Quebec this fall. It has not even yet begun. The fate of my colleague's parent party has not yet been decided. Quebec is still a long way from achieving independence, even though the Bloc Québécois is working hard to cause this break, this separation, this split within Canada that would destabilize Quebec's economy.”