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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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 7 of 17.
“Bill C-25. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce 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 . (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)”
“Mr. Speaker, it seems that the Conservatives never tire of standing up for the people who illegally occupied the main street of our nation's capital, refused to leave, were implored to leave by local residents and the police, and were asked politely but refused to leave this city and this capital that Canadians are so proud of. The real question is, why do the Conservatives continue to stand up for the convoy and lawlessness in this country?”
“Mr. Speaker, we quite literally just passed a bill, despite the obstruction of the Conservatives, that permits us to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Canada, just as we reduced the temporary population of Canada for the first time ever last year. I would repeat to this member that I work for the people of Canada. He does not work for the Leader of the Opposition . He should stand up and read his own question, instead of the questions coming from 24-year-olds in the Leader of the Opposition's office.”
“Mr. Speaker, that question has been asked several times and answered several times. I wonder if that member, who was growing up dreaming of being in the Parliament of Canada, is now having a reckoning with the fact that he is being handed some question by a 24-year-old in the leader 's office and is being required to stand up in the House of Commons and read it. That is what is going on here.”
“Mr. Speaker, here they go again. The immigration minister has brought a situation under control, a situation in which, last year, Canada's population actually declined. Canada's immigration system is admired, as our country is, the world over. The immigration minister is executing on a clear plan to bring down temporary resident numbers in this country. Shame on the member for picking on Ukrainian war refugees for coming to this country and getting treated.”
“Mr. Speaker, we will stand up every day and be proud of the Liberal track record in standing up for Canada and building Canada. What the Leader of the Opposition has been treated to today is a minister who is in control of this file and who has seen immigration levels and student visas go down. In fact, last year, for the first time ever, Canada dropped 100,000 from its population. Canada has one of the best immigration systems in the world. People are proud of it, people stand by it and—”
“Mr. Speaker, I was proud to be in Sault Ste. Marie not 10 days ago to meet with the United Steelworkers and representatives of Algoma Steel, who are proud to be deploying the most efficient and largest electric arc furnace in North America. They are going to be able to produce steel for our ships, for our homes, for applications all over the country and, surprise, also for a high-speed rail network. This is important work. This is going to be done by the men and women of the United Steelworkers in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is astounding to see the Bloc Québécois try to dodge the real issue of concern to all Quebeckers, certainly to those living in the Outaouais. I am talking about the economic apocalypse that the leader of the Parti Québécois wants to unleash on the Outaouais region. He looked into the camera and said “it is what it is” to the hundreds, if not tens of thousands, of public servants in the Outaouais region and across Canada. It is disgraceful. The Bloc Québécois should stand up for these Quebeckers, the ones helping us build Canada today.”
“Mr. Speaker, of course, we will be answering all the questions from the opposition today, but I first want to express my sincere condolences and shock, frankly, as well as that of all members of the House, after the incident that occurred late last evening at LaGuardia Airport involving an Air Canada Express aircraft. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the victims and all of the many people who will have been shaken and affected by this incident. I have spoken with Secretary Duffy, my American counterpart. We will continue to work together to get to the bottom of this to find the answers that Canadians will be looking for. We will get those answers for them.”
“Mr. Speaker, we will, of course, be answering all questions, but I first want to express my profound sadness and that of the entire House of Commons following today's accident at LaGuardia Airport involving an Air Canada Express aircraft. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the victims' families and loved ones, the injured and their families, and everyone concerned. As the Minister of Transport, I can say that my department works hard to ensure that every employee in the transportation sector gets home every night. When that does not happen, we look for answers. I can assure everyone that Canada is looking for answers. I have spoken to my American counterpart, and Canadians are at LaGuardia today to get to the bottom of this accident.”
“(1515) [ Translation ] We will continue the debate at third 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. Tomorrow, we will resume debate at second reading of Bill C‑20 , an act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes. [ English ] As I said, when we return from our constituency week, on Monday, March 23, priority will be given to the very important Bill C-9 , the combatting hate act, and of course Bill C-8 , the cybersecurity legislation, which is essential for Canada in these days of online risks. Finally, Tuesday, March 24, shall be an allotted day.”
“Mr. Speaker, I think we will have to ask CPAC which of the two of us more people tune in to see, because both of us, as the member well knows, tend to be very lovable and appreciated by all Canadians as we talk about the Thursday question. I will say, in response to my hon. friend, that we will be coming back next sitting week to Bill C-9 , which I know was a solemn election commitment by his party as well as mine. I know we all look forward to protecting community centres, temples, synagogues and mosques in Canada. These are obviously important things, especially as we watch the conflict in the Middle East.”
“Mr. Speaker, the minister has set out the numerous ways in which we have expressed confidence in, support for and the complete backing of our auto workers and auto sector in Canada. Those are the things we can control. Here is one thing the member can control. She should tell her colleague to stop going to Washington and accusing Canadians of putting up a hissy fit in response to unfair, unjust and costly tariffs on our citizens, our auto sector and our workers in Canada. The member should go over a few seats and tell the member to stop the hissy fit talk.”
“Mr. Speaker, judging from recent opinion polling, it is not us who are out of touch with the people of Alberta. It is, in fact, the Liberal government that is delivering on the promise of a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Alberta. It is this government that is making markets, creating revenues and increasing the incomes of canola farmers across Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The question for the opposition is this: When will they get behind this western Canadian agenda?”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague, who has also been here for 10 years, also has a record. He has consistently voted against every support measure to protect Canadians from rising costs, including dental care, school food programs and the Canada child benefit. This member has systematically voted against every initiative. He has not approved one single support measure for one single Canadian. When will he start doing so?”
“Mr. Speaker, when it comes to creating an energy superpower, Canada is already there. The minister just explained that oil-exporting countries generally do not have reserves. Importing countries are the ones that do. Canada will also be a renewable energy superpower, whether through the sale of uranium or through support for renewable energy and technologies across the country. Canada is and will remain a conventional and renewable energy superpower.”
“Mr. Speaker, people in Terrebonne, people across Quebec and Ontario, and even across Canada, are dreaming of this technology. We will make sure we do this right, consulting with landowners, communities, mayors, reeves and farmers. We will respect everyone, and we will end up with the most advanced technology that Canadians can only dream of for now, technology that is the envy of the world and that will be a game-changer for our communities. That is high-speed rail.”
“Mr. Speaker, the high-speed rail project is inspiring Canadians, inspiring the people of Terrebonne, inspiring entire communities across Quebec and Ontario. It will be a game-changer for the people in those places, who represent 40% of the Canadian population, including the people of Terrebonne. We will complete this project in a respectful way, in compliance with standards and with social licence. We are going to build high-speed rail in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, the government has designated that segment of the Iranian community as a terrorist entity. The Minister of Public Safety is taking serious measures to respond to the current situation. However, I want to repeat my question to my hon. colleague. He is committed—as I am, as we all are—to protecting faith communities in Canada, to protecting community centres, Jewish businesses, Muslim businesses, temples and synagogues. Will the member and his colleagues say yes to these communities in Canada?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety has just clarified everything he is doing precisely to ensure that we deny suspected individuals the possibility of remaining in Canada. However, I encourage my colleague to support our Bill C‑9 , which is currently before the House. It was part of our election platform and, unless I am mistaken, it was part of theirs as well. We are committed to protecting faith communities, temples, synagogues and mosques in Canada. The legislation is before the House. Will the member and his colleagues vote in favour of delivering on their election promise?”
“Tomorrow, we will begin debate at second reading of Bill S‑2 , with respect to new registration entitlements. [ English ] When we return from our constituency week on Monday, March 9, we will consider Bill C-20 , the Build Canada Homes act, at second reading, and on Tuesday and Wednesday, we will consider 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, and Bill C-18 , which would implement the comprehensive economic partnership agreement between Canada and Indonesia. With that, Mr. Speaker, I wish you and your constituents a very good constituency week.”
“Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, I cannot think of anyone better or anyone who listens more attentively and regularly to farmers than the current Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food . The minister, I know, will be continuing his extremely hard work in representing their interests and reassuring them about the coming planting and growing season on the Prairies. We are going to absolutely look after our farmers from coast to coast to coast, including those very hard-working farmers on the Prairies. We will, of course, be addressing this issue as we return to Parliament after the break week next week, when members will be in their constituencies serving their constituents. [ Translation ] This afternoon, however, we will resume debate at third reading of Bill C‑15 , budget 2025 implementation act.”
“Mr. Speaker, my colleague opposite is well aware that asylum claims have dropped by a third since this Prime Minister took office. He knows that the number of international students in Canada has also dropped by a third. From July to October 2025, Canada's population fell slightly after several years of growth. This system is sustainable. Canada's immigration system is the envy of the world. It meets Canada's labour needs and attracts talent to Canada. The member knows that full well.”
“Mr. Speaker, being arrogant would be to keep using a system that made more mistakes than that in just one month. It would have been arrogant to ignore this outdated system, a system that lacked accuracy and that constantly made mistakes. We assumed our responsibilities. We set a budget and we came in under budget to give Canadians a system that will pay dividends and pay amounts accurately. As for the cases of the people affected, we are going to fix them. In fact, there are fewer of these cases every day.”
“Mr. Speaker, I sometimes wonder about the premise of questions from the opposition, but in this case, the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk is well aware of the situation. He knows that this program is within budget. He knows that this program is replacing an outdated system from the 1960s that did not accurately pay OAS recipients. Today, we have a new, updated, modern and open system that is delivering payment to some 7.7 million Canadians. I know that the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk, in his heart—”
“Mr. Speaker, Alto is mandated to hold consultations on the ground with people and to listen to their ideas, demands and concerns about the entire corridor. That is what Alto did this week, and that is what they did in Mirabel. We will continue to listen, to be sensitive and to champion this great national project. Will the Bloc Québécois do the same?”
“Mr. Speaker, we note the objection, even opposition, from the Bloc Québécois to the major project that is the high-speed train between Quebec City and Toronto, a project that is eagerly awaited and coveted by all Canadians. We will be diligent about this project. We will show respect for elected officials, respect for farmers, respect for the people who live along the route. This high-speed train is for all Canadians, and we will deliver it with the utmost sensitivity.”
“Mr. Speaker, we had an outdated system that dates back to the 1960s or 1970s. It was a system that made a lot of errors and was unreliable, so the government acted responsibly and undertook a major transformation project. Today, we have a new system that works, that allows people to self-register and that will serve some 7.7 million Canadians. Even today, it is serving Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, this has not been a good week for the Conservative Party of Canada. This has been a week when the Conservatives put in question our constitutional, to say nothing of humanitarian, obligation to look after people who are sick or injured on our territory, including children who are fleeing war zones, including in Ukraine, or Syrian refugees or others. It is a shameful thing that the Conservative Party members have decided, of all the issues, to come back to the House and talk about these things.”
“Motion Mr. Speaker, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to adopt the following motion: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House: (a) Government Orders be extended by six hours today; and (b) in relation to proceedings at report stage of Bill C-15, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, later this day, all recorded divisions shall not be deferred, except pursuant to Standing Order 76.1(8).”
“Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, because this question has already been asked multiple times today and has been answered by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and other colleagues of mine, asylum claims have decreased by a third under this minister. The number of international students in Canada has dropped by a third under this minister. In addition, between July and October 2025, Canada's population actually declined slightly after many years of growth. That is the record of this immigration minister. What is the Conservative Party's policy on this?”
“Mr. Speaker, the modernization of the government is an ongoing process that is bearing fruit in terms of old age security payments. Today, we are serving more than seven million Canadians with a new, modernized system that has replaced a very outdated 60-year-old system. This project is in the budgets and is part of a much broader modernization of all Government of Canada benefits.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are the ones who cannot answer questions on immigration. They have no immigration policy and, after a week of careful consideration, they decided to come back to the House and attack the most vulnerable, specifically refugees and asylum seekers. Just think about this: They want to deny health care to a child who has just arrived in Canada and who was injured during the war in Ukraine. It is the Conservatives who have no immigration policy. We are proud of our minister. We are proud of our record. The Conservatives need to stand up and take responsibility.”
“Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are proud to serve with this Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship . We are proud of our immigration track record. We are proud that she is the first Lebanese woman to hold this position. She has a background in public service that includes serving as a minister and an MP in Nova Scotia and as a minister here. The results speak for themselves: Asylum claims are down by a third. The number of international students has dropped by a third. From July to October, Canada's population has decreased. This minister is doing her job.”
“Mr. Speaker, I know why my colleague is in the House of Commons: Unfortunately, theatre school did not work out. The fact remains that, as the Prime Minister has said, as ministers have said and as every person responsible for this system has said, we have a technological implementation. This is a massive project to replace outdated systems. It is on budget and it is working. The bugs will be fixed. I invite my colleague to send them to me.”
“Mr. Speaker, failed asylum claimants are not granted asylum and, therefore, cannot stay in Canada. The Conservatives need to stop punching down at the world's most vulnerable people. There are legitimate claimants and legitimate refugees on Canadian soil, including people fleeing the war in Ukraine, the anniversary of which we are marking today. The Conservatives should be ashamed of themselves for picking on the most vulnerable people on the planet.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister outlined all of the ways the levels of temporary Canadians, asylum seekers and others are going down, and going down quickly. It is very interesting to us that, after a week away to lick their wounds, the Conservatives returned to Parliament to punch down at some of the most vulnerable people in this world, including, on this most solemn of anniversaries, an amputee child from Ukraine who comes seeking health care in Canada. They would deny that person.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of points. There is no censorship agenda. We will keep our kids safe, including safe from child pornographers. The convoy was an illegal occupation of the downtown of our capital that people wanted gone. The member supported it with his leader . Shame on them, bringing donuts to people occupying our nation's capital.”
“Mr. Speaker, this question has been asked many times and answered many times, but I will answer it once again. Why are they getting so worked up? The transformation of information technology in government is indeed complicated. However, this is a success story. We were able to replace an outdated system with an updated system that will modernize services and benefits for more than seven million Canadians. That is cause for celebration.”
“Mr. Speaker, aside from being entertaining, this question has been asked and answered many times. It is about modernizing the system, and there are no cost overruns. More than seven million Canadians are benefiting from it. It is a success story.”
“Mr. Speaker, over seven million Canadians benefit from the OAS and have never had any problem with the new, modernized system. Obviously, a few glitches are to be expected when transitioning from 60-year-old software to a modern system. There are glitches and we are fixing them. The number of glitches is going down every day. When glitches happen, we encourage people to contact Service Canada or even their MP, and we will fix them.”
“Mr. Speaker, that is political grandstanding, plain and simple. We made the transition from an outdated system dating back to the 1970s and modernized it. There were no cost overruns. The computer system was updated. Yes, there have been a few cases, cases that the member opposite has been slow to bring up. If the member knows of people who are affected by this situation, he should let us know and we will resolve these cases. However, until then, this is good news for Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to assure all Canadians that asylum seekers who come to this country are judged for their legitimacy. If they are found to be legitimate refugees and asylum seekers, as in all compassionate countries and all signatories to international agreements, they are permitted to stay. Those who are not found to have respected those criteria are asked to leave. The government has made very tough measures in Bill C-12 , currently before the Senate, to make sure that we can continue to get that number down.”
“Mr. Speaker, in addition to our humanitarian obligations, in many cases treaty obligations, as Mr. Harper found out when the Supreme Court ordered him to restore health benefits to asylum claimants for their well-being, in our case, we have managed the number of asylum claimants down. We have passed a law in the House to move that number down, and we are about to pass a law to take benefits down for this category of person. We will continue to manage this carefully.”
“Mr. Speaker, the first thing I would say is that the Conservatives call them “bogus” asylum claimants. There are actually a great number, in fact millions, of legitimate asylum claimants all over the world. Our country has distinguished itself over its history as being a welcoming place for legitimate asylum claimants, and we will always be a welcoming place. When people arrive here from war-torn areas or children are in need of health services, every single Canadian I know would insist that we provide those health services to that person. That is what we are going to continue to do. Enough of the—”
“Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 56.1, I move: Motion That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, during consideration of Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the National Defence Act (bail and sentencing), today, the motion for third reading of the bill may be made in the same sitting following the concurrence at report stage of the said bill, and, should third reading of the bill take place on Friday, February 13, 2026, Government Orders be extended for an hour on that day.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for consent to adopt the following motion: that, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, during consideration of Bill C-14 today, the motion for third reading of the bill may be made in the same sitting following the concurrence at report stage of the said bill, and, should third reading of the bill take place on Friday, February 13, 2026, that Government Orders be extended for an hour on that day.”
“on Monday, February 23, 2026, all remaining amendments submitted to the committee shall be deemed moved, the Chair shall put the question, forthwith and successively, without further debate on all remaining clauses and proposed amendments as well as each and every question necessary to dispose of clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, (vii) the Chair shall report the bill to the House no later than Wednesday February 25, 2026; (b) the bill may be taken up at report stage at the next sitting following the completion of the provisions of subparagraph (a)(vii) of this order; and (c) the motion for third reading of the bill may be made in the same sitting during which the said bill has been concurred in at report stage.”
“Motion Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-15 , an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, be disposed of as follows: (a) it be an instruction to the Standing Committee on Finance that, during its consideration of the bill: (i) the committee shall have the first priority for the use of House resources for committee meetings, (ii) all amendments for clause-by-clause consideration of the bill be submitted to the clerk of the committee in both official languages no later than noon on Thursday, February 19, 2026, (iii) the clerk of the committee write immediately to each member who is not a member of a caucus represented on the committee and any independent members to inform them of the study of the bill by the committee and to invite them to prepare and submit any proposed amendments to the bill, and that these amendments shall be deemed proposed during clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, (iv) the Chair of the committee write as promptly as possible to the chairs of the standing committees who have chosen to consider the subject matter of the provisions in the bill to inform them that any recommendations or suggested amendments be sent to the Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance no later than noon Thursday, February 19, 2026, (v) the committee proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of the bill no later than Monday, February 23, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., (vi) if the committee has not completed the clause-by-clause consideration of the bill by 5:00 p.m.”
“Mr. Speaker, foreign interference at any level and transnational repression at any level of our democracy are absolutely unacceptable. We have taken careful note of the recommendations of the Hogue commission, and I and my colleagues will be responding more fully in due course. As the member pointed out, we have taken steps to protect Canada from our adversaries and to provide more information to the public about these threats. We will stand firm against attempts to undermine our democracy, and we will take very firm steps to prevent people from undermining our unity as well.”